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397th out of 2,250 books
—
3,511 voters
Bedknob And Broomstick
by
Mary Norton
Carey, Charles and Paul knew that Miss Price had hurt her ankle falling off a broomstick, so to persuade them to keep her secret she cast a spell on Paul's bedknob. He had only to twist it and it took them wherever they wanted to go - even into the past. No spell could have been more exciting, or had more unexpected results. Contents of this volume formerly published as 2...more
188 pages
Published
(first published 1943)
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Jul 25, 2008
Tara Lynn
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommended to Tara by:
Brad - (He gave me this copy)
Shelves:
booklist-for-2008,
amazing-child-teen-reads
I grew up watching a Beta tape (OMG) version of this movie, starring Angela Lansbury, when I was younger. When I became a little older, and many of the original Disney classics that we ONLY had on beta were lost, I was inconsolable. I didn't get to watch many of those Diney favorites again until I was a teenager; Escape to Witch Mountain, The Parent Trap, Return From Witch Mountain, The Apple Dumpling Gang. I relish these books now, as treasured memories of rainy days, curled up in my grandmothe...more
I think that all ages should read this book because it includes every detail in this book. For example, "You are a Witch! I saw you on a broom in the air last night, I saw it! Mrs. Price was whimpering sad as never before." This is a fantabulous book.
Mrs. Price:
This character has a lesson about living. Sometimes you want to hide things from people, but you have to tell the truth. For example, Mrs Price wanted to be a witch, but she did not want anybody to know. So, she always flew at night. One...more
Mrs. Price:
This character has a lesson about living. Sometimes you want to hide things from people, but you have to tell the truth. For example, Mrs Price wanted to be a witch, but she did not want anybody to know. So, she always flew at night. One...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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Author: Mary Norton
Illustrator: Anthony Lewis (1993)
First Published: 1943/1945
One of the easiest ways to convince my daughter we should read aloud a classic, is to get the DVD. We can't watch the movie until we've read the book. That's the rule! (And my daughter believes in rules). So while we were at the DVD shop picking up Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (we'd just finished Ian Fleming's original) we saw Bedknobs and Broomsticks with a 3-for-2 sticker. So, off we go to the bookshop...
I didn't read thi...more
Illustrator: Anthony Lewis (1993)
First Published: 1943/1945
One of the easiest ways to convince my daughter we should read aloud a classic, is to get the DVD. We can't watch the movie until we've read the book. That's the rule! (And my daughter believes in rules). So while we were at the DVD shop picking up Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (we'd just finished Ian Fleming's original) we saw Bedknobs and Broomsticks with a 3-for-2 sticker. So, off we go to the bookshop...
I didn't read thi...more
The book, Bedknob and Broomstick, is actually a combination of two short stories into one volume by Mary Norton, who is more known for writing The Borrowers. It follows three young Londoners named Carey, Charles and Paul. While living with their aunt in the English countryside they learn that their spinsterly neighbor down the lane is a witch. Well, a witch in training. Miss Price, first name, Eglantine, (yeah Eglantine) is taking correspondence classes to become a witch. (Where do I find those...more
Somehow, I never read this book in my youth -- despite a tremendous fondness for the Disney film based upon it. The book and the film are quite different from one another, which is probably not two surprising.
"Bed-Knob and Broomstick" is actually two separate but related books that have been combined. In the first one, amateur witch Miss Price takes three children (Paul, Carey and Charles) to a tropical island via a magical bed-knob -- which is, unfortunately, inhabited by cannibals. The local "...more
"Bed-Knob and Broomstick" is actually two separate but related books that have been combined. In the first one, amateur witch Miss Price takes three children (Paul, Carey and Charles) to a tropical island via a magical bed-knob -- which is, unfortunately, inhabited by cannibals. The local "...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
This really is an adorable little book. The writing is clever and catchy, yet simple enough for a newly independent reader to enjoy. The story is delightful; who doesn't wish they had a bed that could fly anywhere they want, even the past! That combination of magic and time exchange really is perfect for little imaginations. I remember being so fascinated with traveling to the past when I was a kid (is that all kids, or just my Michael J Fox generation?). This is definitely a book I'll encourage...more
Having loved the Disney film growing up I was pleasantly surprised to come across the original books! Since I've read The Borrowers I felt I could expect a good story. Unfortunately it was a bit of a mixed bag.
The first book, The Magic Bed Knob; or, How to Become a Witch in Ten Easy Lessons was a cute little story about Carey, Charles and Paul visiting their aunt in the country and discovering a neighbor lady crashed in the garden. I liked how the origin of Miss Price's witch lessons was kept se...more
The first book, The Magic Bed Knob; or, How to Become a Witch in Ten Easy Lessons was a cute little story about Carey, Charles and Paul visiting their aunt in the country and discovering a neighbor lady crashed in the garden. I liked how the origin of Miss Price's witch lessons was kept se...more
I grew up on the Disney adaptation of this book so naturally I was curious to see what the source material was like. The two are very different. While there are a few things like names and the idea of a magic bedknob that the book and film share, the similarities pretty much end there. No island with talking animals or invading Nazis. I was ok with that though - the book is charming in it's own way, complete with cannibals and time travel. If nothing else I found it interesting that Disney took...more
The first thing that strick me when I read this book was how little I remembered of the film (I'll have to watch it again some time) and that the scene I remembered most (set under sea) wasn't there at all in the original text. Despite this I really loved this gentle read, addressed directly to the child reading (or the child at heart reading) and full of magical happenings. I also loved the references to history and the way the children in the story innocently didn't seem to expect much to be d...more
I'd never come across this book, or should I say two stories, although I've always been a fan of the Disney film. I read it one cold evening curled up in front of the fire and what a delightful, fun read it was. A children's book for all ages.
For those of you who have seen the film you will find the stories, although containing the same characters, are different from Disney's interpretation. There are no fighting suits of armour repelling Nazi invaders, no football playing talking animals but n...more
For those of you who have seen the film you will find the stories, although containing the same characters, are different from Disney's interpretation. There are no fighting suits of armour repelling Nazi invaders, no football playing talking animals but n...more
Wow - a lovely read but what do you do with a book that has such a prominent section on 'cannibals'! Maybe not racist by definition, it certainly is destined to fuel racist stereotypes (as much of our popular culture does, although surely not as blatently any more than this sort of writing?)I can only think of cutting out a whole chunk if I get round to reading this to my children ...
(Similarly, I noticed recently that refs in Pippi Longstocking to cannibals have been replaced in new editions wi...more
(Similarly, I noticed recently that refs in Pippi Longstocking to cannibals have been replaced in new editions wi...more
Well I hate to say it but, this is one of them books you read where you have watched the film for years and really want to like the book but something here was clearly amiss. The plot of the book couldn't be further from the film which I see as a good thing so I can enjoy a new expereince with the people I loved, however I feel in the book they remain largly undeveloped and always feeling slightly empty in the conversations and adventures in the book. I feel the excitement that the film delivers...more
The Miss Price of Mary Norton's Bedknob is a really interesting study of what I imagine was supposed to be a modern woman in 1943. Single, with a career (in this case witchcraft) well-dressed, not fond of children (she essentially threatens them with magical harm if they reveal to the world she is a witch). It's really interesting that the two strongest characters - and the two characters who go head-to-head the most - are not the boys, but their sister Carey and Miss Price. Miss Price is short...more
Aidan didn't want to read this one, so I did. I loved the Disney movie, so I thought I'd check out the book. After reading a few of the Fablehaven and Percy Jackson books (I like to know what my son is reading), I was really disappointed with this one. Lots of things have changed in the 60+ years since this book was written, and some for the better. Authors do a much better job with character development, and have become better story-tellers. I felt that the characters were just flat in comparis...more
This was my favourite book as a kid. I read it and read it again, soaking it up, and I could never get enough of it. I still quote lines from it thirty-five years later ("It's cheaper to spit in a bus.", "Some children...and a bed").
This was one of the first books I ever read independently, and it's the power of the simple story that kept me coming back, and the love of books that drenched into my bones and made such a large part of me. Just wonderful.
This was one of the first books I ever read independently, and it's the power of the simple story that kept me coming back, and the love of books that drenched into my bones and made such a large part of me. Just wonderful.
Cute book and perfect for those just beginning chapter books. I watched the movie as a child, and when I recently came across the book, I decided to read it. Unfortunately, the two are not very similar. In that respect I was disappointed. Only a few of the scenes overlap, and when they do, they're still not the same. If I would have known that ahead of time, I would have enjoyed the book even more. But it was still great!
Aug 27, 2011
Mindy Conde
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
children-s,
favorites
This was always one of my favorites growing up. Unlike a lot of kids in my generation, since this book was written in the 50's, I actually read the book before the movie came out. Though the movie was good, the book was certainly better. This was one of the first books I read where I distinctly remember being amazed at the things in the book; could these things really happen? How did she think of such amazing things? I realized that books really do have their own special world, separate and some...more
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I thought that this was a very good book because it involved things that I enjoy reading. Things such as magic, history and geography. My favorite character in this book was Paul because Paul was very little but he knew a lot of things that Charles and Carey didn't know. I think that the author of this book wrote this book because she wanted something to let readers enjoy. My favorite part of this book was when Paul, Charles and Carey entered Miss Price's magic room. I would recommend this book...more
Okay, so a little different from the Disney movie, but that is neither unexpected or unpleasant. Definitely a child's story, but well put together so far.
The children are mildly discontent. There is a strange, but safe adventure to be had. Let's go!
Read more and add your own commentary at R. J. Spindle
The children are mildly discontent. There is a strange, but safe adventure to be had. Let's go!
Read more and add your own commentary at R. J. Spindle
This is one of my all-time favorite Disney movies. I was delighted to learn that I had the book on which the movie was based. Then I read it. For one of the few times I can recall, I thought the book was vastly inferior to the movie. (Lord of the Rings movies were the other notable times, along with Jurassic Park.) It just...didn't have the magic that I felt from watching the movie.
This was our read-aloud book in November. I had loved the movie as a kid and wanted to share the book with my daughter. After I read it, I wasn't surprised to find out it was actually two short stories put together to work as a novel, as the first and second parts are disjointed. While we finished it, I wouldn't put it in the "must read" section of the childhood cannon.
I really liked that there was so much adventure in this book. It kept me interested through the whole thing! My favorite part was when they landed on an island full of canibals. I laughed so hard. I also liked that there were three children, and they were all so different. This book was so creative and I would read another book like this one if I could.
I enjoyed this book a lot, but it was a little bit hard for the kids to understand because of the time and setting. There were just old terms that even I didn't recognize, so we had to stop over and over because the kids would get lost. In the end, the kids really liked it, but I would wait til they were older to tackle this one if I had to do it over.
Cute little story, with a completely different storyline than the Disney version. I picked up this copy when we lived in England, but then I waited too long to read it aloud and my girls are all too old for it now. But 11 year old Josh enjoyed it. This book (by the author of the "Borrowers")isn't as good as E. Nesbit's "Five Children and It" or Edward Eager's "Half Magic" -- I would recommend Nesbit and Eager for little girls and boys who want to hear stories about magic.
This book is almost completely unlike the movie in particulars, but can still be described as a book about three English children who find a rather prudish witch who grants them a magic bed-knob as a gift.
I enjoyed it. There's lots more time travel and brushes with tragedy.
I enjoyed it. There's lots more time travel and brushes with tragedy.
I just finished reading this to my boys. Wow! Totally different from the movie. My boys have only seen it once, and it was several years ago, so it didn't bother them much but it was amazing to me how very different the movie is from the book. The movie is probably better but we still enjoyed the book. The magical bedknob was still there and the characters had a few interesting adventures that intrigued my boys. The biggest letdown was the ending. They were immensely disappointed that it was abo...more
One of those books I've always had a hankering to read, because I loved the film so much. Not a bad book, although I probably would have enjoyed it more if I had read it when I was a kid. As an adult, and a fan of the Disney film, it was a bit lackluster.
I knew I would really enjoy 'Bedknobs and Broomsticks', having been a fan of the film adaptation of it from when I was tiny. I wasn't expecting it to be quite so good, though! The adventures which the children and Miss Price had we're wonderful and were full of twists and turns which surprised me. The characters themselves were truly marvellous, and I was particularly enamoured with Miss Price and the delightful little Paul. Mary Norton can do no wrong in terms of writing as far as I'm concerned...more
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Mary Norton (née Pearson) was an English children's author. She was the daughter of a physician, and was raised in a Georgian house at the end of the High Street in Leighton Buzzard. The house now consists of part of Leighton Middle School, known within the school as The Old House, and was reportedly the setting of her novel The Borrowers. She married Robert C. Norton in 1927 and had four children...more
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