The Moffats facts for kids
Cover of The Moffats by Eleanor Estes, illustrated by Louis Slobodkin
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| Author | Eleanor Estes |
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| Illustrator | Louis Slobodkin |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's novel |
| Publisher | Harcourt Brace & World |
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Publication date
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1941 |
| Media type | Print (hardback and paperback) |
| Pages | 290 pp |
| Followed by | The Middle Moffat |
The Moffats is a fun children's book written by Eleanor Estes. It's the first of four books about the Moffat family. The story follows four young children and their mom. They live in a small town in Connecticut. The adventures in the book are like real memories from Eleanor Estes' own childhood. It shows what life was like for a family with just one parent during World War I.
Contents
Meet the Moffat Family
The Moffat family lives in Cranbury, Connecticut. This town is based on West Haven, where the author, Eleanor Estes, grew up. The family has no father. Mama is a dressmaker, and she has four children: Sylvie, Joey, Janey, and Rufus.
The two youngest children, ten-year-old Janey and five-year-old Rufus, are the main characters. At the start of the book, Janey sees a strange man putting a "For Sale" sign on their house. They have lived there since their father passed away. Janey can't imagine living anywhere else. Mama tells the children not to worry about it until the house actually sells.
Everyday Adventures
Each chapter in the book tells a simple, fun adventure the children have.
Rufus's First Day of School
When Rufus starts kindergarten, he takes his teacher's words very seriously. He is told to watch over his young friend, Hughie. One day, Hughie runs away from school and hides on a train! Rufus follows him to make sure he's safe. A kind train engineer helps them get back to school just in time for lunch.
The Ghost in the Attic
Another time, the children decide to create a "ghost" in their attic. They want to scare Peter Frost, who is a neighborhood bully. They use their Mama's dressmaker's dummy, which they call Madame-the-Bust. They also use a pumpkin with real teeth and a scooter. When they take Peter Frost to see their ghost, they get a big scare themselves! Later, they realize their cat, Catherine, made the "ghost" move.
Scarlet Fever and Moving Day
When Rufus gets sick with scarlet fever, the doctor puts a quarantine sign on their house. This means no one can come in or out. Mama always finds the good side of things. She reminds the children that no one will try to buy their house while someone inside has scarlet fever. During this time, she tells them stories about when she was young and lived in New York City.
Eventually, Rufus gets better, and the quarantine sign comes down. Soon, a family called the Murdocks becomes interested in their yellow house. But the Murdocks can't decide if they want to buy it or not. The Moffats get very tired of the Murdocks always coming by. They ask many questions and inspect every part of the house.
Finally, the house sells! The Moffats move to a new, smaller house. It has a long front yard and a tiny backyard. The best part is that a girl Janey's age, Nancy Stokes, lives right next door. Nancy is friendly and tells Janey they might become best friends. The book shows how even small changes can bring new joys and growth.
The Moffat Book Series
The Moffats is the first book in a series of four. Here are the other books:
- The Middle Moffat, published in 1942. This book was recognized as a Newbery Honor book in 1943. It focuses on Janey, who decides to call herself 'The Middle Moffat' to feel more special and unique.
- Rufus M., published in 1943. This book also received a Newbery Honor in 1944. In this story, Rufus tries his best to help his family with the challenges they face during World War I.
- The Moffat Museum, published in 1983. Things are changing for the Moffat family in this book. Janey has a clever idea to create a museum. It will hold special items from their lives and memories.
NOTE: The first three books in the series were illustrated by Louis Slobodkin. Eleanor Estes, the author, illustrated The Moffat Museum herself.
Book Formats
The Moffats is available in different ways. You can find it as a CD, an Audiobook, and on cassette from Full Cast Audio. It's also available in Braille and as an eBook from Harcourt, Brace & World. As of 2008, The Moffats was available in 52 different versions and in 5 languages.
