The Borrowers Aloft facts for kids
First edition (UK)
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| Author | Mary Norton |
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| Illustrator | Diana L. Stanley (UK) Beth and Joe Krush (US) |
| Country | United Kingdom and US |
| Language | English |
| Series | The Borrowers |
| Genre | Fantasy children's novel |
| Published | 1961 (J. M. Dent, UK; Harcourt, Brace & World, US) |
| Pages | 154pp (UK); 193pp (US) |
| LC Class | PZ7.N8248 Blb 1961 |
| Preceded by | The Borrowers Afloat |
| Followed by | The Borrowers Avenged |
The Borrowers Aloft is an exciting fantasy novel for kids. It was written by Mary Norton and came out in 1961. This book is the fourth story in a popular series called The Borrowers. The series is about tiny people who live secretly among us and "borrow" things from humans.
What the Story is About
In The Borrowers Aloft, the Clock family – Pod, Homily, and their daughter Arrietty – have found a new home. They moved to a special miniature village called Little Fordham. Everything in this village is built perfectly to their small size. It seems like a dream come true for the tiny Borrowers!
But their secret life doesn't last long. A kind but a bit quirky human woman, Miss Menzies, discovers them. She tells Mr. Pott, who created the miniature village. Miss Menzies and Mr. Pott decide to keep the Borrowers a secret. They even start building a tiny, real house just for them.
However, there's trouble brewing. A couple named the Platters own a different model village. They hear about the Borrowers and get worried. They think their own village won't be as popular if people know about a village with real, tiny people living in it. So, the Platters do something terrible: they kidnap the Clock family!
The Platters keep the Borrowers trapped in an attic. They plan to build a special see-through house to show off the tiny family. The Clocks are terrified and feel like there's no way to escape.
As winter passes, Arrietty tries to stay busy. She reads old newspapers she finds in the attic. One day, she discovers articles about hot-air balloons. This gives her an amazing idea! She and her father, Pod, start working quickly. They try to build a working hot-air balloon that's just the right size for Borrowers. They have to finish it before they are trapped forever.
Finally, the family escapes the attic using their homemade balloon. But now they can't go back to Little Fordham. They must once again search for a new, safe place to live.
Who are the Characters?
Here are the main characters you'll meet in the story:
- The Borrowers
- Arrietty Clock: The curious and brave daughter.
- Pod Clock: The resourceful father.
- Homily Clock: The caring mother.
- The Big People (humans)
- Mr Pott: The creator of Little Fordham.
- Miss Menzies: The kind woman who discovers the Borrowers.
- Mr Platter: One of the owners of the rival model village.
- Mrs Platter: The other owner, who helps kidnap the Borrowers.
TV Show Adaptation
The Borrowers Aloft was used for a TV show! It was part of The Return of the Borrowers, a BBC TV series from 1993. This show was a sequel to an earlier series called The Borrowers.
The TV series starred famous actors like Ian Holm, Penelope Wilton, and Rebecca Callard. This TV show combined the stories from The Borrowers Aloft and the book before it, The Borrowers Afloat. In the TV version, the Platters find the Clock family by chance. They see smoke coming from one of the model houses and realize tiny people are living there.
