Tom's Midnight Garden

Pearce, Philippa

Paperback - 1991

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Tom was a cross and resentful boy when he was sent to stay with his uncle and aunt because his brother, Peter, had caught the measles. As soon as he joined his relatives in their small apartment, he knew he would be bored and lonely. He would miss Peter as well as the garden at home where they used to play. Now he had no friends his own age, and, instead of a garden to explore, there was only a paved yard and a row of garbage cans outside the back door. When the time came for Tom to go home, however, he did everything he could to prolong his visit. For he had made a strange and wonderful discovery -- a discovery that he could share with no one, except Peter. And Peter believed it all, and even, for one brief moment, came to share in Tom's fantastic midnight adventure. Philippa Pearce has created an enchanting story of the world of the imagination. The originality and charm of Tom's Midnight Garden have won for it a distinguished place in England, and it has taken its place among the best books for children on this side of the Atlantic as well.

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Publisher: New York : Dell Publishing, 1991, c1958.

ISBN: 9780440488194
0440488192

Characteristics: 232 pages :,illustrations ;,20 cm.

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VaughanPLDonnalee Feb 18, 2019

This lovely story has a timeless quality to it, which is perfect since it has long been considered one of the best children's time travel stories ever written. Published in 1958, Tom is sent to live temporarily with an aunt and uncle due to family illness. Tom is lonely and bored, until one night he hears the big clock strike 13. He goes to explore and discovers he can now enter a magical garden that is now attached to the house. Tom makes a friend in the garden of the past, but can two people from different eras be true friends? This beautiful story is a fun adventure story, but it also explores the meaning of friendship and issues of time and reality. Modern readers who are used to short, fast-paced modern books may find it slow at first, but if they stick with it, this story is still enchanting and magical. Highly recommended.

Lshredder Jul 09, 2017

I really enjoyed this book as it was unrealistic but not fantasy plus the ending was great.

vpl_childrens Dec 15, 2015

Tom is not pleased when told he must spend the summer with his aunt and uncle while his brother recovers from the measles. One look at his uncle and aunt's house, and he is sure he'll be bored out of his mind. However, one night, when the old grandfather clock mysteriously strikes thirteen, Tom makes an incredible discovery that makes him want to stay.

lisahiggs Sep 07, 2012

WARNING: THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS! This is a classic that I like but do not enjoy, however well worth the $1 price tag at the library book sale. We spend so long time-traveling with Tom and enjoying his attempts in the present to talk about space-time with his uncle, that to discover abruptly at the end that Tom is actually visiting a dream plane with an old woman is fairly unsatisfying. And kind of weird. Wasn’t time travel interesting enough?