The Guardians (novel) facts for kids
Front cover of first edition
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| Author | John Christopher |
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| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's soft science fiction, dystopian novel |
| Publisher | Hamish Hamilton |
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Publication date
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1970 |
| Pages | 156 (first edition) |
| ISBN | 0-241-01795-5 |
| OCLC | 10718971 |
| 823/.9/14 | |
| LC Class | PZ7.C457 Gu3 |
The Guardians is an exciting science fiction novel for young adults. It was written by John Christopher and came out in 1970.
The story takes place in England in the year 2052. The country is split into two very different places. One part is called the "Conurbs." These are modern, crowded cities with lots of technology. The other part is the "County." This area looks like England in the 1800s, with big country estates and open fields.
The book follows a 13-year-old boy named Rob. He is an orphan from the Conurbs. Rob gets to experience life in both these worlds. As he does, he starts to learn important truths. He also has to choose which side he believes in.
John Christopher won the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize for The Guardians. This award is given by The Guardian newspaper. He also won a German award, the Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis, in 1976. In 1986, a German TV station, ARD, made a movie based on the book.
Contents
Rob's Journey: A Divided World
Escaping the Conurbs
Rob Randall is 13 years old. After his father dies in a strange way, Rob is sent to a State boarding school. Life there is very hard. Older students pick on him, and the rules are strict. Rob decides he can't stay.
He plans to escape to the County. He thinks it will be easier to hide there. His mother was from the County, and she had moved to the Conurbs to be with his father. This gives him hope.
Rob sneaks out and heads towards Reading. He finds the Barrier. This is a fence that separates the Conurbs from the County. People say it's impossible to cross. But Rob finds a spot where he can dig underneath it. He crosses over into the County.
He looks around at the wide-open spaces. He starts walking north-west. Soon, someone on a horse spots him. The rider chases him, and Rob twists his foot while running.
The rider is a boy named Mike Gifford. He is about Rob's age. Mike seems kind and helps Rob with his sore feet. He takes Rob to a hidden cave where Rob can rest. Mike tries to make the cave comfortable. He brings food and blankets from his house.
But Mike's mother and the housekeeper notice things are missing. Mike's mother also wonders why he's staying out so late. She finds the cave and confronts Rob.
Mrs. Gifford isn't sure what to do. She lets Rob stay in the cave one more night. The next morning, Mike and his mother visit Rob again. Mrs. Gifford suggests a plan. Since Rob won't go back to the Conurbs, and Mike wants to help him, Rob can join their family. They will say he is a relative who grew up in Nepal. They pretend he just arrived from the nearest train station. This is how Rob becomes part of the Gifford family.
Life in the County
Rob changes his last name to Perrott. He tries his best to fit in at the Gifford house. He gets to know Mr. Gifford and the servants. He also meets Cecily, Mike's younger sister. Cecily is not told Rob's secret. They worry she is too young to keep it safe.
Rob learns new skills like horse-riding. These help him blend in with County society. His new skills are tested at a garden party. Sir Percy Gregory and an old man named Harcourt ask Rob questions. Rob worries his answers aren't good enough. But Harcourt just says Rob's manners are typical for a "Nepalese settler".
Months pass, and Rob feels more confident. He even wins third place in an archery contest, beating Mike. Rob starts school with Mike. He notices Mike's attitude towards him has changed. Mike takes Rob to a gathering with older boys. They have a heated talk about the good and bad parts of their society. Most boys laugh it off, but Rob sees Mike is serious.
Later, Mike tells Rob about a group of revolutionaries. He hints that Rob should join them. Rob refuses. He doesn't believe in their methods, and he fears his secret will be found out.
Christmas arrives, and Rob celebrates it the County way. Mrs. Gifford tells him he is doing well at school, but Mike is not. She also worries about Mike's friends, especially Roger Penfold. Roger has a questionable Army record. The visit to the Penfold family goes smoothly for Rob. Roger Penfold talks about challenging the system during dinner. On the way home, Mike and Rob argue again about society. Mike says he wouldn't care about these issues if he hadn't met Rob.
The Uprising
Another school term passes. One Friday, Mike cancels a fishing trip with Rob. He says he must ride to Oxford to check on a horse. Hours later, news arrives: a rebellion has started! Rebels have taken Oxford and Bristol.
Rob rushes back to the Giffords' house. Mrs. Gifford demands to know what Rob knows about Mike's involvement. Rob tells her. She gets angry, reminding him how kind Mike was when Rob needed help. Ashamed, Rob gets ready to join a group of vigilantes fighting the rebels. But Mrs. Gifford asks him to stay. All the other men of the house have already left.
The next morning, Mr. Gifford and his men return. The revolt was stopped without their help. The younger Penfold boy is said to be dead. There is no news of Mike, but his name is not on the list of dead or wounded. That night, Mike secretly comes to the house and visits Rob. It is his last visit. He knows he is a fugitive. He realizes he can't stay in the County after being part of the revolt. He plans to cross the Barrier into the Conurbs. He says the movement has "friends" there.
Rob tries to stop him and threatens to tell someone. But he remembers that Mike didn't turn him in when Rob was in a similar situation. Mike gives Rob an address in the Conurb. He says Rob can find him there if he changes his mind and wants to join the cause. They shake hands, and Mike rides away.
The next day, a patrol stops at the Gifford house. They have orders to take Rob for questioning. Rob is nervous at first. But he is taken to Old Hall, Sir Percy Gregory's home, not to the police. Over coffee and cherry cake, Rob tells his Nepal story again. Sir Percy then surprises him by using Rob's real last name. Rob realizes that Sir Percy and the authorities have known his true identity all along. They have allowed him to stay in the County.
Sir Percy tries to get Rob to become an informer. Rob tells him everything, except for Mike's secret visit and the address. This seems to satisfy Sir Percy. Sir Percy then tells Rob something disturbing. If Mike is caught, he will have a special procedure on his brain. This procedure makes people calm and obedient. Sir Percy also tells Rob about a secret group of leaders called the "Guardians." They are in charge of the whole system. Sir Percy has seen how smart and brave Rob is. He offers Rob a chance to join the Guardians.
A Big Realization
Rob goes home that evening. Mrs. Gifford tells him she knew about Mike's visit the night before. She had noticed some food and clothes missing again. She scolds Rob again for not doing what she thought was right. To explain himself, Rob tells her about the brain procedure Mike would have faced. Mrs. Gifford then reveals that she knows about it. She says Mr. Gifford himself had the procedure. That's why he is so focused on his bonsai trees and nothing else.
This news is a huge moment for Rob Perrott. He realizes that Mike got his spirit of freedom from his father. Even though his father was forced to obey, Mike grew up seeing the oppression around him. Rob also realizes he almost became part of the system himself. He had tried so hard to fit in with the County gentry. He had forgotten his past in the Conurbs. He even thought about joining the Guardians.
Rob makes a big decision. He can stay in the County, safe and secure. Or he can join the movement that has gone to the Conurbs. He can fight alongside Mike to help others be free.
The story ends with Rob leaving the Giffords' house at night. He returns to the Barrier, with a trowel in his hand.
- —immediately, a 1972 US edition
See also
In Spanish: Guardian para niños
