''The Borrowers Aloft'' is a children's

fantasy novel Fantasy literature is literature set in an imaginary universe, often but not always without any locations, events, or people from the real world. Magic, the supernatural and magical creatures are common in many of these imaginary worlds. Fa ...

by Mary Norton, published in 1961 by Dent in the UK and Harcourt in the US. It was the fourth of five books in a series that is usually called ''The Borrowers'', inaugurated by ''

The Borrowers ''The Borrowers'' is a children's fantasy novel by the English author Mary Norton, published by Dent in 1952. It features a family of tiny people who live secretly in the walls and floors of an English house and "borrow" from the big people in ...

'' in 1952.

Plot

With the help of their friend Spiller, the Clock family have relocated to the miniature village of Little Fordham, where everything is perfectly scaled to Borrower size. However, they are soon discovered by Miss Menzies, a kind but eccentric human woman, who reveals their existence to the village's creator, Mr Pott. Miss Menzies and Mr Pott agree between themselves to keep the Borrowers a secret, while they also prepare a special, functioning miniature cottage for them. Meanwhile, the Platters, a married couple who own a rival model village, learn of the Borrowers' existence. Fearing their own model village will be ruined, as they cannot compete with a model village with live occupants, the Platters kidnap the Clock family and keep them in an attic, planning to show them after building a see-through, escape-proof miniature house in which to display the tiny family. The Clocks are horrified at their fate, but escape seems impossible. Imprisoned through the winter, Arrietty amuses herself by reading old newspapers. After Arrietty discovers a series of articles on hot-air balloons, she and her father race against time to build a functional Borrower-size balloon before they are trapped forever. With their balloon, the family escapes the attic, but, realizing they cannot return to Little Fordham, they again strike out in search of a new, safe home.

Characters

;Borrowers * Arrietty Clock * Pod Clock * Homily Clock ;Big People, or human beans * Mr Pott * Miss Menzies * Mr Platter * Mrs Platter

Adaptations

*''

The Return of the Borrowers ''The Return of the Borrowers'' is a BBC TV children's programme first broadcast in 1993 on BBC2 and then later on American television station TNT. The series is adapted from the third and fourth novels of author Mary Norton's ''The Borrowe ...

'': The 1993 sequel to ''

,'' this BBC TV series starred

Ian Holm Sir Ian Holm Cuthbert (12 September 1931 – 19 June 2020) was an English actor who was knighted in 1998 for his contributions to theatre and film. Beginning his career on the British stage as a standout member of the Royal Shakespeare Company ...

Penelope Wilton Dame Penelope Alice Wilton (born 3 June 1946), styled Penelope, Lady Holm between 1998 and 2001, is an English actress. She is known for starring opposite Richard Briers in the BBC sitcom ''Ever Decreasing Circles'' (1984–1989); playing H ...

and

Rebecca Callard Rebecca Jayne Callard (born 3 June 1975) is an English actress and writer. Early life Callard was born Rebecca Jayne Atkinson, the only surviving child from her mother Beverley Callard's first marriage to Paul Atkinson. Her parents divorced i ...

. The series was

adapted In biology, adaptation has three related meanings. Firstly, it is the dynamic evolutionary process of natural selection that fits organisms to their environment, enhancing their evolutionary fitness. Secondly, it is a state reached by the po ...

from the third and fourth books of the Borrowers series, ''The Borrowers Aloft'' and its predecessor '' The Borrowers Afloat''. In this adaptation Mr and Mrs Platter come across the Clock Family after Mrs Driver, (who was visiting the village and overheard a conversation between the Platters) informs them of their existence, and discover them by chance after seeing smoke come out of one of the model houses.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Borrowers Aloft, The The Borrowers Children's fantasy novels British children's novels English fantasy novels J. M. Dent books Low fantasy novels Novels set in England 1961 fantasy novels 1961 British novels 1961 children's books British novels adapted into television shows