The Children of Green Knowe

Lucy Boston (author)

Puffin Books, UK: 1954; 152pp

ISBN: 0140364617

Genres: adventure, classics, fantasy

Issues: family, friendship, identity

Hugely popular at the time of its release and now considered a modern classic, this is a delightful tale about a small and lonely boy who discovers some unusual friends when he goes to live with his grandmother.

Usually embarrassed by his name, Toseland, he finds his grandmother lives in an old country house, Green Noah, where the name is familiar and much loved. Tolly, as he becomes known, finds his grandmother hasn't forgotten what it means to be young and lonely and he soon comes to find that there are some others who live at Green Noah who will keep a member of the family company. The mysterious voices, the nuts that fall on his head when there is no tree, the flashes of movement in the bushes, all lead Tolly on a mysterious chase to find and ally himself with these children of Green Knowe.

This really is a beautifully written novel that is all about the power of imagination and the strength of love.

Same Author: The Chimneys of Green Knowe; An Enemy at Green Knowe; The River at Green Knowe and others