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133rd out of 179 books
—
65 voters
The Boggart (The Boggart #1)
by
Susan Cooper (Goodreads Author)
In a tumbledown castle in the Western Highlands of Scotland lives the Boggart. He is invisible--an ancient mischievous spirit, solitary and sly. Life for the Boggart is wonderful, full of games and trickery. But the last Scottish owner has died and left the castle to his great-nephew. The Vonik family--including Emily and her nine-year-old computer-genius brother Jessup--v...more
Paperback, 196 pages
Published
by Scholastic Inc.
(first published 1993)
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Nov 06, 2008
Mahrya
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
7 to 12 year olds
Shelves:
juvenilia
Cooper, Susan. The Boggart, Aladdin Paperbacks, 196 pages. Fictional chapter book, fantasy.
Description: A Scottish spirit called the Boggart is unwittingly taken to Canada when a Canadian family inherits his castle. Emily and Jessup, the kids, struggle to communicate with the Boggart and get him to stop playing his disruptive tricks.
Review: This book is at its best at the beginning and end of the story, when the Boggart resides on his Scottish Island. The prose is incredibly descriptive during...more
Description: A Scottish spirit called the Boggart is unwittingly taken to Canada when a Canadian family inherits his castle. Emily and Jessup, the kids, struggle to communicate with the Boggart and get him to stop playing his disruptive tricks.
Review: This book is at its best at the beginning and end of the story, when the Boggart resides on his Scottish Island. The prose is incredibly descriptive during...more
HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS
When the Volnik family of Toronto inherits a decrepit castle on a Scottish isle, their lives are changed in many inexplicable ways. Maggie, the mother, is a distant descendant of the MacDevons, whose chieftain died after a century of living on the rocky islet—alone save for an old dog and an ancient, invisible companion. But can this immortal trickster adapt to the new residents of the castle, while honoring the rules of Old Magic?
Taking a break from Dad’s theatre a...more
When the Volnik family of Toronto inherits a decrepit castle on a Scottish isle, their lives are changed in many inexplicable ways. Maggie, the mother, is a distant descendant of the MacDevons, whose chieftain died after a century of living on the rocky islet—alone save for an old dog and an ancient, invisible companion. But can this immortal trickster adapt to the new residents of the castle, while honoring the rules of Old Magic?
Taking a break from Dad’s theatre a...more
The main setting in this book is in Scotland. There is a run down castle that Maggie Volnik inherits whwen a relative dies. The Bogagrt lives in this castle. The Boggart is invisible and very mischievious. Maggie goes to the castle and accidentally brings the Boggart home with her. The Boggart starts playing tricks on people. Because of this they want the Boggart to leave. The kids change their minds about the Boggart and become friends with him. My favorite part in this book was when the Boggar...more
I read this years ago but honestly I couldn’t remember what I thought of it. It was probably quite similar to my feeling right now. Meh. I don’t dislike it but it falls sort of flat in comparison to The Dark is Rising Sequence. It is heavily dated by the technology used. I mean I read the description of the computer the nerds drool over to my boyfriend and we both laughed out loud. Black and white monitors and floppy disks are something more alien than time travel to today’s kids. A modern kid w...more
Contemporary children's fantasy novel. Long before the Harry Potter books, I learned about boggarts from Susan Cooper, thanks to this book.
The Volnick family in Canada learns that the father has inherited Castle Keep in Scotland, and briefly live there while making arrangements to sell the delapidated home. To assuage the children's sadness at not being able to keep the castle, the parents allow Emily and Jessup to each take one item back to Toronto.
The boggart of the title has happily lived for...more
The Volnick family in Canada learns that the father has inherited Castle Keep in Scotland, and briefly live there while making arrangements to sell the delapidated home. To assuage the children's sadness at not being able to keep the castle, the parents allow Emily and Jessup to each take one item back to Toronto.
The boggart of the title has happily lived for...more
I absolutely loved this book when it was first published (starting to feel a little old here) and wanted to go back and greet and old favorite. Sadly, growing up changes this book. It's a wonderful fantasy read full of wonderfully romanticized images of Scotland and daily life. When I was a kid, I thought it was amazing. Now that I've gotten older and been to the places described, it seems less romantic to me. It actually took most of the book to really get into the feel of things. Once I did, i...more
This was actually my second time through Susan Cooper's The Boggart, with the first being a read-aloud with my fourth grade class. I found this copy at a resale shop, and couldn't resist buying it since I have found memories of my fourth-grade teacher, and vaguely remember that I always liked her taste. Although The Boggart isn't the greatest piece of literature, and definitely not as timeless as Susan Cooper's award-winning Dark is Rising series, it was definitely a fun read and creative. It's...more
When a Canadian family inherits a Scottish castle, they also inherit the Boggart, a mischievous ancient spirit who delights in playing pranks and being a general nuisance. Unfortunately for the Boggart, he accidentally ends up shipped back to Canada along with some of the castle's furnishings, and that's when the trouble starts.
Emily and Jessup, the two main characters, have to figure out just what's causing all the weird occurrences in their normally placid suburban life, and once they do, must...more
Emily and Jessup, the two main characters, have to figure out just what's causing all the weird occurrences in their normally placid suburban life, and once they do, must...more
I really enjoyed this book when I first listened to it a couple of years ago. It's very entertaining. But when I read it this time, considering it for the anthology of excerpts from recent children's books that I'm putting together, I realized that it really isn't anything more than fun. That's fine, but I'm not sure it belongs on a list of the best children's fantasy of the past 25 years. It's dated in terms of the technology, and there really aren't any issues in it. The boggart is adorable an...more
When a Canadian family learns they've inherited a keep in Scotland they discover a lot more than they bargained for. Along with crumbling bricks and nice furniture they also get a mischievous boggart. The Boggart is inadvertently transported from Scotland to Canada and all sorts of mayhem ensues.
A fun, fast read that is quaintly sweet. This is a good book to share with a kid and there are some fun part that had me laughing. I liked the Boggart's character and the way Cooper portrayed his mischie...more
A fun, fast read that is quaintly sweet. This is a good book to share with a kid and there are some fun part that had me laughing. I liked the Boggart's character and the way Cooper portrayed his mischie...more
Susan Cooper, most famous for her heavily mythic Dark is Rising Sequence, returns to a lighter-hearted storytelling hinted at with Over Sea, Under Stone.
It's a simple story about a Canadian family that suddenly inherits a castle in Scotland. After going over to see it and taking home some mementos, they accidentally bring home a boggart. Most of the adults refuse to believe that anything supernatural is going on, and a psychiatrist interested in poltergeist phenomena makes for a funny villain.
I...more
It's a simple story about a Canadian family that suddenly inherits a castle in Scotland. After going over to see it and taking home some mementos, they accidentally bring home a boggart. Most of the adults refuse to believe that anything supernatural is going on, and a psychiatrist interested in poltergeist phenomena makes for a funny villain.
I...more
I loved the Boggart itself and the first chapter--but the rest of the book was wooden. Most idea-driven books fail because everything else (including the most important thing, character)is sacrificed to get to that idea/moment/ending whatever it is the author has decided she wants. And this idea though realized, did not work because there were others ways, more obvious ways, to resolve the Boggart's problem. And I was never convinced of the way that it was(i.e. it was forced). (I don't want add...more
It's always kind of hard to fully appreciate a book meant for adolescents as an adult, at least if nostalgia isn't playing your heartstrings, but I do think that Susan Cooper tells a mighty good story. This is only my second encounter with the legend of the Boggart (the 1st occurrence being Harry Potter) & it really made me want to look into the myth further. Susan Cooper does a very good job of weaving ancient stories into modern stories and that's a good part of what I really appreciate ab...more
I picked this up because I love Susan Cooper's The Dark is Rising sequence, and wanted to try something else of hers. Once again, she's got magic and mayhem together blending history and modern day (though in actuality, the story was written nearly 2 decades ago, and the changes in technology, particularly computer technology, were apparent.) Still, it was a fine story, and combined enough folk lore to keep me reading. There are apparently more in the series, but I may not go on. So many books...more
Jul 21, 2009
kelley
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
readers who enjoy fantasy
Shelves:
2009
Susan Cooper is one of my favorite authors. Her words are so "visual", she paints a picture in your mind as you read. Her narrative is so descriptive you can "hear" the haunting sound of the gulls as they sail above the sea shore. I could actually believe I was driving over the moors of Scotland, visiting a castle for the first time. Her writing is a treat for the senses, to be savored and enjoyed.
The story itself is completely delightful, with the Boggart being an exceptional character. I would...more
The story itself is completely delightful, with the Boggart being an exceptional character. I would...more
The Boggart is a fairly entertaining young adult novel. It's a fast paced story that is difficult to put down yet still challenging enough for young readers. The characters are easy for kids to relate to even if the technology referenced throughout the book is very outdated by today's standards.
While visiting their inherited castle in Ireland, the Volnik family mistakenly traps and takes the castle's boggart back to Canada with them. Strange occurrences begin to happen from the moment of the bog...more
While visiting their inherited castle in Ireland, the Volnik family mistakenly traps and takes the castle's boggart back to Canada with them. Strange occurrences begin to happen from the moment of the bog...more
Enjoyable little story, appropriate for precocious 10 year olds. I read it now as an adult just to say that I had, and also because I'm on the lookout for folklore to share with my nephew and future kids.
But while this story is entirely about a classic bit of UK folklore, the story itself is a fairly standard kind of adolescent story from the 90s. Very firmly entrenched in the early 90s, in fact. The plot of this story no longer makes sense in 2012, as it depends upon use of outdated, black-and...more
But while this story is entirely about a classic bit of UK folklore, the story itself is a fairly standard kind of adolescent story from the 90s. Very firmly entrenched in the early 90s, in fact. The plot of this story no longer makes sense in 2012, as it depends upon use of outdated, black-and...more
I believe that I would actually give this book two and a half stars.
Susan Cooper's writing in The Boggart comes sort of in alternating spurts of action and quiet reflection, humor and genuinely touching moments that go for maybe forty pages or so before smoothly changing to another tact. The method works well for this story, I think. The tale of the Boggart stands out as different from most other kid lit offerings while retaining the premier powers of Susan Cooper's almost gothic style. Watch...more
Susan Cooper's writing in The Boggart comes sort of in alternating spurts of action and quiet reflection, humor and genuinely touching moments that go for maybe forty pages or so before smoothly changing to another tact. The method works well for this story, I think. The tale of the Boggart stands out as different from most other kid lit offerings while retaining the premier powers of Susan Cooper's almost gothic style. Watch...more
When Emily and Jessup's parents inherit an old Scottish castle, they don't realize they have also inherited the boggart who lives there. The boggart, an invisible mischievous spirit, has lived in Castle Keep for generations. When the boggart accidentally gets himself shipped to the Volnik's home in Toronto, nothing will ever be the same - for the Volnik's or the boggart. He wreaks unending havoc on the family and wants desperately to go home. Will he make it back to Scotland? A very cute story.
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It wasn't as scary as I'd hoped it would be. The boggart is more of a trickster rather than someone who wants to do harm. Towards the end, you sort of feel bad for the guy.
Someone else did make a good point. The computer part of the book is very dated. I don't know that kids would know what an 8" floppy is, or that computers didn't always come in color. Other than that, I still approve, although I might have to give it 3 1/2 stars instead.
Someone else did make a good point. The computer part of the book is very dated. I don't know that kids would know what an 8" floppy is, or that computers didn't always come in color. Other than that, I still approve, although I might have to give it 3 1/2 stars instead.
My dad retired last year and in looking through his files he found my Silent Sustained Reading Record from when I was in his class.
I thought it was interesting to see what I was reading back when I was 13!
I remember this one fairly well, actually. This must have been about the same time I was reading The Dark Is Rising Sequence because I just had to grab up anything by the author.
And then what's this? Goodreads says there is a sequel!
I thought it was interesting to see what I was reading back when I was 13!
I remember this one fairly well, actually. This must have been about the same time I was reading The Dark Is Rising Sequence because I just had to grab up anything by the author.
And then what's this? Goodreads says there is a sequel!
I really liked this book - Cooper has a great way of humanizing characters so one can really connect with them. The Boggart and the kids were terrific, and one could only hope for a sequel which it seems she has not written! I will check out the Boggart and the Monster, but it seems this will not be the sequel I am looking for.
This book was great fun however, and should have been a terrific read for kids in the age group she was targeting.
This book was great fun however, and should have been a terrific read for kids in the age group she was targeting.
Although somewhat dated for modern audiences (most of my elementary students have no idea what a floppy disc is!) this book is a winning combination of old folklore meets modern world. The Boggart, a delightfully mischievous and complicated character, accidentally takes a trip to Canada. At first he finds this new world of electricity and computers thrilling but quickly comes to miss his native Scotland.
I enjoyed this book much more than some of Cooper's other works and I think it will be a hit...more
I enjoyed this book much more than some of Cooper's other works and I think it will be a hit...more
The Volnik family travels to Scotland to see the castle which they have inherited. After shipping some pieces of furniture, they return home to Canada. Then strange things begin to happen. Emily and Jessup, the Volnik children, discover that a boggart was concealed in the box. The boggart insists that he must be returned to Scotland. As the havoc increases, Emily and Jessup frantically try to find a way to send him home.
Having loved Susan Cooper’s Dark Is Rising Sequence, I decided to give her other works a try and came across the Boggart. This was a fun book even to read as an adult. Cooper expertly blends fantasy and magic with real life in a way that both kids and adults will enjoy. There are lots of delightful characters to get to know and the Boggart itself is a great character with a long, interesting history. Following the Boggart as it discovers the modern world makes for hilarious and sometimes disastr...more
This was a lot of fun. The story's setting starts in Scotland and there are plenty of funny old British English and Gaelic words to look up and learn. Susan Cooper does a great job portraying the lifestyle, customs and castle in a small town in mid-20th century Scotland.
Well... I'm actually giving this book 4 stars because it was really good when I first read it, in like 3rd grade. I'm pretty sure it wouldn't be as great if I read it again because it's really old and the technology (a major part of the story) would definitely be dated.
With the completion of this book, I am officially half way through the stack of books I must read for Battle of the Books, a mere ten days away. Five more to go!
I looooved Susan Cooper's Dark is Rising series. I read it numerous times when I was younger. I didn't realize she had been such a prolific author. The Boggart, while nowhere near as wonderful as Dark is Rising, is OK. It's a quick, easy read that gets into issues of home and family when a Canadian family go to check out their inheritanc...more
I looooved Susan Cooper's Dark is Rising series. I read it numerous times when I was younger. I didn't realize she had been such a prolific author. The Boggart, while nowhere near as wonderful as Dark is Rising, is OK. It's a quick, easy read that gets into issues of home and family when a Canadian family go to check out their inheritanc...more
I'm a fan of Susan Cooper and her "Dark is Rising" series, so I expected the same intrigue with this book. The Celtic spirit Boggart was interesting, but I found the book boring in places. Maybe my problem is because it is contemporary fantasy.
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Susan Cooper was born in 1935, and grew up in England's Buckinghamshire, an area that was green countryside then but has since become part of Greater London. As a child, she loved to read, as did her younger brother, who also became a writer. After attending Oxford, where she became the first woman to ever edit that university's newspaper, Cooper worked as a reporter and feature writer for London'...more
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“But once in a great while he remembered that he had felt pain, a terrible ache in his heart, and he swore he would never let himself feel love for a human again.”
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