Green Knowe facts for kids

The Manor, Hemingford Grey, the 12th-century house on which Green Knowe was based

The Green Knowe series is a collection of six exciting children's books written by Lucy M. Boston. Her son, Peter Boston, drew all the amazing pictures for the books.

One of the books, A Stranger at Green Knowe (published in 1961), was so good that Lucy M. Boston won a special award called the Carnegie Medal. This award celebrates the best children's book written by a British subject each year. Her first two books were also highly praised!

Many of the stories are about a boy named Toseland, who everyone calls Tolly. He often visits his great-grandmother, Mrs. Oldknow, at a very old house called Green Knowe. This house is full of magic! It's home to the friendly spirits of people who lived there long ago. Tolly even meets some of these spirits when they were children, and he watches them grow up. Other magical characters include a dog named Orlando, a spooky tree-spirit called Green Noah, and a moving statue of St. Christopher.

The first five books were published in the UK by Faber and Faber between 1954 and 1964. In the US, Harcourt published them. The very last book came out much later, in 1976, published by The Bodley Head and Atheneum Books.

Discover the Green Knowe Adventures

The Children of Green Knowe (1954)

The Children of Green Knowe is the first book in the series. It introduces us to the amazing, fictional manor house called Green Knowe. This house is incredibly old, dating all the way back to the Norman Conquest of England. Tolly's family, the Oldknows, have lived there for hundreds of years!

The story begins when young Tolly travels through floodwaters to spend his Christmas holidays at Green Knowe. He stays with his great-grandmother, Mrs. Oldknow, whom he calls "Granny." As Tolly explores the house, he starts to feel a strong connection to his family's past. He meets what seem to be the spirits of three children who lived there long ago: Toby, Alexander, and Linnet. These meetings are not scary; instead, they make Tolly feel like he truly belongs. In the evenings, Granny tells Tolly wonderful stories about the house and its history. Green Knowe becomes a safe and peaceful place for Tolly.

This book was turned into a TV series by BBC One in 1986. It starred Alec Christie as Tolly and Daphne Oxenford as Mrs. Oldknow.

The Chimneys of Green Knowe (1958)

This book was also known as Treasure of Green Knowe in the United States. It continues the magical adventures at the ancient Green Knowe house.

The River at Green Knowe (1959)

In The River at Green Knowe, Tolly and Mrs. Oldknow are not in the story. Instead, the house is rented out for the summer to two older ladies, Doctor Biggin and Miss Bun. Doctor Biggin invites her niece, Ida, and two refugee children, Oskar and Ping, to stay.

The children explore the river and canals around Green Knowe using a canoe. The magic in this book is even more fantastical! The children see flying horses, meet a giant, and even witness an ancient Bronze Age moon ceremony. The story shows how the house's magic helps and protects children who are looking for a home.

A Stranger at Green Knowe (1961)

In this book, Ping, one of the children from the previous story, returns to Green Knowe to stay with Mrs. Oldknow. Before arriving, Ping visits a zoo in London and feels a special connection to a giant gorilla named Hanno. Ping, who is a refugee, understands Hanno's feeling of being out of place.

Later, Hanno escapes from the zoo and somehow finds his way to Green Knowe. Ping becomes friends with him. The book also tells Hanno's story, from his life as a young gorilla in Africa to the sad and cruel way he was captured. This book won the Carnegie Medal in 1961 because of its powerful story.

An Enemy at Green Knowe (1964)

This story is a bit darker than the others. Both Tolly and Ping are staying at Green Knowe. Mrs. Oldknow tells them a spooky tale about a tutor named Doctor Vogel. He was a necromancer, someone who practiced dark magic, and he met a terrible end at Green Knowe centuries ago.

The next day, a Professor Melanie D. Powers arrives. She is looking for Doctor Vogel's old magic papers. However, her interest is not just for studying. A big fight begins between the good magic of Green Knowe and the evil forces that Professor Powers represents.

The Stones of Green Knowe (1976)

This is the last book in the Green Knowe series. It goes back in time to tell the story of Roger d'Aulneaux. Roger was the son of the original Norman settler who built the Green Knowe manor house.

While exploring the wild countryside, Roger finds two special, throne-like stones. These stones allow him to travel through time! He can visit the exciting time of the Conquest and also later periods when Linnet, Susan, and Tolly lived. And they can visit him too!

Green Knowe on Screen and Radio

The magical stories of Green Knowe have been brought to life in different ways:

• John Stadelman adapted the first book, The Children of Green Knowe, into a four-episode TV show. It was shown on BBC One in 1986.
• Brian Sibley created a radio play based on The Children of Green Knowe. It was directed by Marilyn Imrie and aired on BBC Radio 4 in 1999.
• Julian Fellowes wrote and directed a movie based on The Chimneys of Green Knowe. The film was called From Time to Time and came out in 2009.