A mesmerizing tale of a boy's journey across the boundaries of
reality, this Carnegie Medal winner has the appeal of such works as
Indian in the Cupboard and Behind the Attic Wall. If I were asked to
name a single masterpiece of English children's literature . . . it
would be this outstandingly beautiful and absorbing book.
Sent to his boring uncle and aunt to escape the measles, Tom's worst
nightmares were confirmed. A poky little flat, food that was too
rich for any sensible boy, and nowhere to play. And worst of all, a
crotchety old landlady whom one must avoid at all costs. Because of
the rich food, Tom finds it difficult to get to sleep at night, and
when the temperamental old grandfather clock, which never strikes the
right hour anyway, strikes 13, the house seems to be holding its
breath, waiting for him to discover its secrets. Just to prove it
wrong, Tom steals down in the dead of night, and, opening the door
into the poky back yard, he discovers instead a garden. A beautiful
garden in the middle of summer, and instead of it being night, it's
daytime here. Looking back into the house, he finds that it has
stealthily changed. Now, instead of the horrible unwelcoming musty
hallway, there is a gracious hallway, and a housemaid who can't hear
or see Tom and who just vanishes. Tom spends every night in the
garden, discovering a playmate, and a gardener who clutches his bible
every time he comes near. As the summer progresses, Tom battles to
understand the secrets of the garden, which, by day, is gone, and
tries to find a way of staying there forever. And even when all is
lost, something beautiful happens to make Tom realise that his
nightly adventures were not just a dream. He even gets a souvenir to
take back with him to remember those lovely adventures of the
midnight garden.