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Noah Barleywater Runs Away

by John Boyne, Oliver Jeffers (Illustrator)

3.62 of 5 stars 3.62 · rating details · 747 ratings · 170 reviews

Eight-year-old Noah's problems seem easier to deal with if he doesn't think about them. So he runs away, taking an untrodden path through the forest.

Before long, he comes across a shop. But this is no ordinary shop: it's a toyshop, full of the most amazing toys, and brimming with the most wonderful magic. And here Noah meets a very unusual toymaker. The toymaker has a stor...more

Hardcover, 240 pages

Published May 10th 2011 by David Fickling Books (first published January 1st 2010)

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Apr 16, 2013 Jack rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013, january-2013

My Book Blog: YA Bookstop

Rating: 6/10

I thought this book was a bit too random for starts. It was very imaginative, but sometimes a bit over the top. It's not very descriptive at all and sometimes the storyline became a bit boring, but the characters are interesting and kept me going throughout the book. Not a page turner for me but the characters and their personalities made up for that.

I fell in love with the innocence of Noah. The rest of the characters were a bit to weird for me. They were i...more

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Aug 20, 2012 M. rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I liked this book and didn't like it. To start with, it's supposedly geared for kids about 3rd grade and up. I listened to it on CD and feel that the reader has such a soft voice and talks in such measured tones that the first several chapters drag on. Gradually I got drawn into the story, but I think most 3rd and 4th graders won't have the patience to keep going. Secondly, the story has lots of layers to it and it will fly over the heads of most young readers. There are magic creatures, a few o...more I liked this book and didn't like it. To start with, it's supposedly geared for kids about 3rd grade and up. I listened to it on CD and feel that the reader has such a soft voice and talks in such measured tones that the first several chapters drag on. Gradually I got drawn into the story, but I think most 3rd and 4th graders won't have the patience to keep going. Secondly, the story has lots of layers to it and it will fly over the heads of most young readers. There are magic creatures, a few of which are a bit threatening, but there's no specific excitement to the story and a lot of kids are more interested in stories with more action. I do think Noah's comments and thoughts are probably true to many 8 year olds' perception of their worlds and their thoughts.

Noah Barleywater, age 8, runs away. The first village he gets to has an apple tree full of ripe apples and Noah is hungry. He takes a few apples. The tree chases him but he eludes it. The local newspaper has arrived in the second villagehe comes to, in it Noah has been branded as a thief for taking the apples and he has to run away again. In the third village he meets up with a talking donkey, a talking dachshund, an unusual tree, and an extremely unusual toy shop and toy maker. Magic abounds--there is a reticent clock, a door that has to do double duty in two places, floor boards which move around in convenient ways, talking puppets, etc. Gradually, through back and forth conversation between Noah and the toy maker, the reader learns the toy maker's story and as well as why Noah has run away.

This is the sort of writing style I first enjoyed when I was about junior high age, meaning an introspective girl of about 11 or 12 may like it. It may work better as a read aloud for younger kids, with the parent or teacher asking questions and/or providing explanations to keep the kids interested. In a sense the magic, while fun, gets in the way of the story until the reader finally realizes that, in a sense, it's what propels the story forward. Int he beginning, though, it's going to be confusing for many children.(less)

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Jul 01, 2012 Ineke rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Noah Barleywater is van huis weggelopen, hij is acht jaar. Noah vind dat hij tot nu toe niets heeft gepresteerd of beleefd. Op een morgen heel vroeg gaat hij op stap. Hij komt vanalles tegen, dieren die praten, bomen die een stapje op zij gaan de meest onwaarschijnlijke dingen. Tenslotte komt hij aan in het derde dorp. Noah is helemaal gefascineerd van een boom die voor een heel vreemd huis staat. Het blijkt een speelgoedwinkel te zijn. Met een bijzondere inhoud. Al het speelgoed is van hout, er...more

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May 16, 2012 Laura rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

When I first started this book, I was initially sceptical; I can't explain why entirely, but I wasn't sure what direction the book was taking. By the second chapter, however, I was completely hooked.

The multiple stories which are woven into the overall tale of why a young boy, Noah Barleywater, has run away, are beautifully composed and as such could quite easily be stand alone stories. The way John Boyne has managed to once again capture the character of a young boy as perfectly as he did in 'T...more

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Nov 04, 2011 Loryn rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: tween, fantasy, magic

Noah cannot bear to live at home anymore. This eight year old decides to run away and on his journey he comes across some very interesting characters and an old man who helps him talk through his problems while telling Noah his own story.

This fairy tale journey that Noah takes unveils itself as the day goes on and Noah’s friendship with an old toymaker grows. At first, you do not know the reason that Noah has left home, but it soon becomes clear that something is going on with his mother. The O...more

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Oct 02, 2011 Rhiannon Ryder rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is one of those stories that is equal parts fun and a bit dull. Fun because it's a bit wacky and mysterious, dull because it drags a bit.

Drag you say? But is it not only a 240 page book??! That's right, it is, and it does.

I feel like Noah Barleywater Runs Away would have been more suited to a small children's picture book then a middle school novel. The adventures lend themselves nicely to the tiny amount of illustration on the chapter headers and I feel like a lot of what was told to you...more This is one of those stories that is equal parts fun and a bit dull. Fun because it's a bit wacky and mysterious, dull because it drags a bit.

Drag you say? But is it not only a 240 page book??! That's right, it is, and it does.

I feel like Noah Barleywater Runs Away would have been more suited to a small children's picture book then a middle school novel. The adventures lend themselves nicely to the tiny amount of illustration on the chapter headers and I feel like a lot of what was told to you could have been shown to you more effectively.
Which isn't to say I disliked Noah Barleywater Runs Away, only that I found it hard to be engrossed in it. And if I can't be engrossed in it, how's it going to capture the attention of sugar buzzed 10 year old who'd rather be playing a video game?

The general gist of the story is this, Noah Barleywater gets up so early one morning that it can almost be considered late, and runs away from home. After a half day of running away he comes upon a mysterious toy shop full of puppets, and a puppet maker with the most unusual tales of adventure Noah has ever heard. So as they sit down to share a meal, Noah and the Puppet maker begin to share their stories only to realize they have a lot in common.

The crux of the story is Noah's mom, and it's gradually revealed she's dying. I suppose that makes it a nice gift for a grieving child? God that's depressing to even suggest, but otherwise I'm not entirely sure about the audience for this book. On the one hand it has all these fun little adventure stories to it, on the other both Noah and the Puppet maker have some depressing stories about the loss of your parent. It ties up nicely in the end, with a sudo happy ending, but honestly this is a book about grief and loss.

In the end I was left with the strange feeling of "boy that was depressing" coupled with "it was kind of cute?".

Although I know of the Boy in the Stripped Pajamas, I haven't actually read any of John Boyne's work before, therefore I would be really interested in what a John Boyne fan would have to say about Noah Barleywater.

(less)

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Aug 07, 2011 Barbara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ncbla

It took awhile for this story to draw me in, partly because I loved The Boy in the Striped Pajamas and couldn't see how any subsequent book by the author could measure up, partly because I wasn't sure why Noah was leaving home and what kind of world he might be venturing into. But once I realized his reasons for wanting to avoid what was happening at home--think A Monster Calls--and saw some of the parallels and regrets in the toymaker's own life, I settled down and enjoyed it. That said, I don'...more

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Jun 16, 2011 Beverly rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I received an ARC of this book from the Amazon Vine program, in return for an honest review.

From the back of the book:

Eight-year-old Noah's problems seem easier to deal with if he doesn't think about them. So he runs away, taking an untrodden path through the forest. Before long he comes across a shop. But this is no ordinary shop. It is a toy shop, full of the most amazing toys and brimming with the most wonderful magic. And here Noah meets a very unusual toymaker. The toymaker has a story to t...more

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Jun 11, 2011 Sandra Stiles rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adventure, middle-grades

Noah Barleywater ran away from home. He was eight years old. It was time he set out for adventures of his own. The first two villages he comes to are not very friendly. As he nears the third village he meets up with a couple of talking animals. They tell him about the strange tree adn the even stranger building in the village ahead. The building is a toy shop. Noah enters the toy shop and comes face to face with walls lined with puppets, an old man, and strange happenings in the shop. As he gets...more

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May 10, 2011 Evie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc

Noah Barleywater Runs Away by John Boyne is a magical work of art. What appears superficially to be just another juvenile adventure book, is, in truth, the most beautiful and deeply touching fairy tale I've had the pleasure of reading in a long time.

Noah is an extremely vulnerable and bright young boy, who, at the age of 8, have decided to escape from his home and his parents, in hope of experiencing some great, life-changing adventures. Or, should I say, this is what Noah convinces himself to...more
Noah Barleywater Runs Away by John Boyne is a magical work of art. What appears superficially to be just another juvenile adventure book, is, in truth, the most beautiful and deeply touching fairy tale I've had the pleasure of reading in a long time.

Noah is an extremely vulnerable and bright young boy, who, at the age of 8, have decided to escape from his home and his parents, in hope of experiencing some great, life-changing adventures. Or, should I say, this is what Noah convinces himself to believe. He tells himself that adventure sounds much better than the real reason for him leaving home. A reason, which he does not even want to think about. And so he decides to go out to "make his own way in the world", to do something meaningful with his life, achieve something impressive.

We follow Noah's every move, since the moment he puts on his coat, opens the door and sneaks out of the house. As he runs, Noah enters an enchanting land, straight out of the pages of children's book. He walks into the world of magic, talking animals and moving trees. He meets many interesting individuals along his path, a talking Dachshund, an ever-hungry (and also talking) donkey, an exceptionally short man with a black wig.. And then he reaches a mysterious toy shop, full of hand-crafted wooden toys. Inside the store he finds whispering puppets, doors that move and speak, a floor that shifts and moves around, to make up for the deficiency of floorboards, and many, many other extraordinary things. He also meets a strange and enigmatic man, who invites him in for lunch and tells him the story of his life. As these two talk, we learn more and more about both the elderly man, and Noah, and we begin to understand the real motivation behind Noah's escape.

The story comes to a surprising and heart-breaking conclusion, that left me speechless. I was deeply moved by this book and impressed with John Boyne's fabulous writing style. The novel addresses many awfully important issues of both childhood and adulthood, like friendship, bullying, loss of someone close to us and ways to deal with it, broken promises, aging and inevitability of death, importance of facing and overcoming our fears, being there for each other in times of need and making the most out of the time we have with our families. The profound depth of this story and rare sensitivity with which it's told, unforgettable characters, spellbinding encounters and deeply moving conclusion will no doubt make this story resonate with readers of all ages. I myself will make sure that my children will grow up reading this wonderful book.

Noah Barleywater Runs Away is not just any book, it's a sparkling gem among children's novels. Meaningful and memorable, it will no doubt have a special place in your heart. I highly recommend buying a copy for yourself, it's not only a must-read, but definitely a must-have, too! (less)

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May 08, 2011 thewanderingjew rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The book is described as a fairy tale and I would agree. When you reach the final pages, you will realize that the story is the sensitively, retold tale of a wonderful, imaginary character from our childhood. The story is told with subtle humor and simple truths and the ending will surprise you.
It is about Noah Barleywater, a child who has to face problems that may be beyond his years. To escape from his fears, Noah decides to run away and have some adventures. After all, he is already 8 and has...more The book is described as a fairy tale and I would agree. When you reach the final pages, you will realize that the story is the sensitively, retold tale of a wonderful, imaginary character from our childhood. The story is told with subtle humor and simple truths and the ending will surprise you.
It is about Noah Barleywater, a child who has to face problems that may be beyond his years. To escape from his fears, Noah decides to run away and have some adventures. After all, he is already 8 and has no major accomplishments to speak of, but in running away, he is also leaving his loved ones behind and is running from the problems in his life that he doesn’t want to face.
As he passes through successive towns, each with different magical experiences such as talking trees and animals, he is sometimes amazed and sometimes frightened. There are doors that move and speak, floors that shift and stairs that appear and disappear.
When Noah reaches a village with an unusual tree and an odd-looking house, his adventure really begins. He enters the strangely shaped house and discovers that it is a toy shop and suddenly, from out of nowhere, a gentle old man appears. He is the toymaker and he invites the very hungry Noah, to have some lunch. Soon, Noah spies a wooden chest filled with puppets, he asks the toymaker to explain what each one signifies. As the toymaker tells Noah the story of each puppet, we learn, through his memories, of the challenges he faced in life and how he dealt with them successfully in some cases, but in others he explains why he feels deep remorse for how things turned out.
Many issues of childhood and adulthood are confronted such as friendship, bullying, loss, broken and fulfilled promises, cruelty and compassion, thoughtfulness and thoughtlessness, rudeness and good manners, being careful what you wish for, dreams and nightmares, illness, aging, loneliness, love, fear, family, risk taking, following and disobeying rules and shared joy with friends and family. It might seem like too many for one book to handle but they are dealt with so deftly that they are easy to comprehend and overcome. Simple explanations prevent them from becoming too much for the reader.
When an author is good, the quiet enjoyment one receives while reading the pages is a treasure to experience. I found myself chuckling as I read along, smiling to myself at the way the seemingly innocent descriptions, formed images in my mind, almost as if the eight year old Noah, was whispering in my ear. I found myself understanding the simple concepts presented and realizing that young readers will have moments when they simply think, “aha” so that is how I should deal with that kind of a circumstance…like when you are on a train and someone is talking too loud, you simply ignore them rather than make a scene by getting angry or doing something kind for someone even though you would really rather be doing something else, because it is the right thing to do. The book is filled with these kinds of object lessons and they seem to occur very naturally without becoming too numerous or too unwieldy.
The illustrations are simple drawings that appear to be drawn by a young child of about the same age as the main character. They are a perfect complement to this marvelously entertaining story (even though it is tinged with deep sadness), about a child who learns to face his worst fears. Because of his experiences when he runs away, he ultimately makes decisions for his future and learns to appreciate his life, rather than being afraid to live because of what might ultimately happen.
At the end of the book, Noah is enlightened. The toymaker has helped him think through his problems and as they share their experiences, he learns to better handle his own. He learns that each day can be an adventure, no matter how ordinary, no matter where he is, because life is filled with choices. Sometimes we make some good ones and sometimes we make some bad ones. Some we can fix and some we cannot.
Although the story deals with a dreadfully sad and difficult problem, a child who has to face the death of a parent, the message does not come across as too overwhelming. The message delivered is really that we have to explore life, while we live it, and appreciate the moment with those we love, rather than dread what comes after it. We have to live and enjoy each day, without fearing what the future will bring. So, in the end, although the subject matter is very heavy, it is dealt with so well, that it is also uplifting, because although it deals with the possibility of great loss, it really gives us a philosophy to use to face it. It teaches us to welcome and appreciate life and to look forward to it eagerly in the present.(less)

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May 06, 2011 natercopia rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

Well, stories about magical toy shops don't particularly excite me in terms of the 'predictability' of the story. You know the drill, magical toy shops that have toys that look like they are eerily alive or are actually alive if you have enough imagination to think so. And if you step right into one of the shops, you are going to have a wonderful adventure with ALL the toys. This book has some of the similar traits but there are some things written inside and the ending to the story that made th...more

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May 04, 2011 Rebekah ODell rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

While I continue to crawl (in the most wonderful way) through Wolf Hall at home, I picked up John Boyne’s newest, Noah Barleywater Runs Away, at school while my students silently read. Reading the cover, I wasn’t immediately drawn to the young adult (very young?) novel. The blurb reads:

Eight-year-old Noah’s problems seem easier to deal with if he doesn’t think about them. So he runs away, taking an untrodden path through the forest.

Before long he comes across a shop. But this is no ordinary shop...more While I continue to crawl (in the most wonderful way) through Wolf Hall at home, I picked up John Boyne’s newest, Noah Barleywater Runs Away, at school while my students silently read. Reading the cover, I wasn’t immediately drawn to the young adult (very young?) novel. The blurb reads:

Eight-year-old Noah’s problems seem easier to deal with if he doesn’t think about them. So he runs away, taking an untrodden path through the forest.

Before long he comes across a shop. But this is no ordinary shop. It is a toy shop, full of the most amazing toys and brimming with the most wonderful magic. And here Noah meets a very unusual toymaker.

The toymaker has a story to tell, and it’s a story of adventure and wonder, and broken promises. He takes Noah on a journey. A journey that will change his life. And it could change yours too.

I teach high schoolers, so it’s rare that I will pick up a young adult book unless I think I could use it with my students in some way. This didn’t seem to fit the bill. Still, I was completely arrested by Boyne’s previous novel The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. Stunned. So, I picked up Noah Barleywater, if for no other reason than out of admiration for the author.

I would tell you more about the plot (it’s actually better than the blurb makes it sound), but that would give away some really neat surprises that this book delivers well.

While entirely different from The Boy, Noah Barleywater plays on the same mix of whimsy, fairy-tale-esque storytelling, and real, human darkness. No, there are no concentration camps this time around, but the emotional depth of the story is nearly equal in its poignancy. Thus, much like a Pixar movie, it is a book for early chapter-book readers, and a book for teenagers, and a book for adults, too. A younger reader will really enjoy this book, and might even learn som important life lessons. It’s so true, I cried.

I was really moved by this book and charmed once again by Boyne’s narrative voice and his ability to so fully capture the naiveté and heartbreak of childhood. In weird ways, it sort of reminded me of Mantel’s Beatrice and Virgil — a quasi-fairy tale that’s not a fairy tale at all. (However, if you did not love Beatrice and Virgil like I did, don’t let my mental comparison scare you off.) I have used The Boy in the Striped Pajamas with my high schoolers in a Holocaust literature unit; I’m not sure I would go so far with Noah Barleywater Runs Away, although it would be interesting to use it as a mentor text for fairy tale writing.

I highly recommend this book, and it has persuaded me to pick up anything John Boyne writes, seemingly juvenile or not!

(less)

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May 02, 2011 Ronald Roseborough rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, magical-adventure, children-s

Noah Barleywater is like many of us. When things get too tough to face, we want to run away from them. Noah is only eight years old when he decides to run away leaving his mom and dad. He is not very prepared for what the world has in store for him. By the time he has gone two towns over and through the woods, he is experiencing a touch of doubt and a rather large hunger. Guided by a talking donkey and an equally loquacious dachshund, he finds a ramshackle cottage that doubles as a toy store. No...more

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Dec 06, 2010 Rhys Thomas rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Apr 30, 2011 Cheryl rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: literary-fiction, all-ages

Words beautifully strung together...that describes NOAH BURLEYWATER RUNS AWAY by John Boyne! Promises of adventures ahead, away from missed opportunities, betrayals, disappointments and even a greater threat of loss, eight year old Noah takes off into the forest in the middle of the night. His solution is to go deeper into the woods where he finds unknowns that thrill his imagination but fail to satisfy a longing for his family back home.

This fable references Carlo Collodi's The Adventures of P...more

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Nov 25, 2011 Diane Ferbrache rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: washyarg, young-adult, fairy-tales

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Feb 19, 2012 Njalla rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: lasten-ja-nuortenkirja

Nooa Notkoniitty karkaa kotoa on ihan hurjan surullinen kirja! Etenkin jos on vähän hormoonihuuruissaan (luonnolliset syyt) ja korkeassa kuumeessa (influenssa) ja lisäksi vähän väsynyt (edelliset syyt). Ei kannata lukea tätä kirjaa keskellä yötä, koska kun kirja loppuu, tuli iso itku kun oli niin kurjaa!
En halua tähän spoilata mitä tapahtuu, mutta niin ei saa ikinä-ikinä lapselle tapahtua, ei saa! Oma isäni oli samassa tilanteessa lapsena, vähän nuorempana kuin Nooa Notkoniitty 8v, mutta silti....more

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May 16, 2011 Valentina rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I received this book for free as a galley. It’s a children’s book and I don’t usually read stories meant for such a young audience, but I am so glad I made an exception for this one. It was beautiful.

The main point of the story is to make a child understand and cope with death, a difficult subject to say the least. The writing is spectacular, fresh enough to captivate young audiences, but ripe with meaning for adults to also enjoy.

The world and the cast of characters that he creates, among them...more

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May 11, 2011 Gaby rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: childrens-books

Noah Barleywater Runs Away is geared towards middle school kids, and even reluctant readers are likely to get drawn into his adventure. Noah is likable - we quickly wonder why he's run away. When strangers ask him about it and question whether he'd been mistreated at home, Noah's quick to speak up for his parents. In fact, its the stories about his mother and her love for him that give the book a special pull.

As Noah meets unusual characters and comes across the toymaker, the story takes on an u...more

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Jun 16, 2011 Cecelia rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I’ve admitted it before here on the blog, and I’ll say it again: I’m a cover art snob. The book might have beautiful illustrations, or a title in a font either comfortingly familiar or tantalizingly new and different. Regardless, I am seduced by the visual art into reading – an activity where I must imagine the scenes and bring them to life in my head. Strange? A bit. But that’s part of the magic. I think rather a lot of us readers are like this, or publishers wouldn’t spend so much time craftin...more I’ve admitted it before here on the blog, and I’ll say it again: I’m a cover art snob. The book might have beautiful illustrations, or a title in a font either comfortingly familiar or tantalizingly new and different. Regardless, I am seduced by the visual art into reading – an activity where I must imagine the scenes and bring them to life in my head. Strange? A bit. But that’s part of the magic. I think rather a lot of us readers are like this, or publishers wouldn’t spend so much time crafting beautiful art on the outside of a book.

Back to the matter at hand, which is a specific book: Noah Barleywater Runs Away, by John Boyne. Given what I’ve said above, you may infer that I: 1) appreciate the cover art, 2) like the typography, and 3) think the illustrations on the inside are adorable. Luckily, I also loved the story within those decorated covers. It touched my heart, and made me want to call my family. In other words? It was quite good.

What one of us hasn’t wanted to run away for a bit? I mean, I wanted to run away from home as a child (show me one kid who didn’t, really!), and I still do from time to time as an adult. The pressure, the problems, the pain – whether real, imagined or somewhere in between – it can all be too much. But that’s what life is, and oftentimes we find magic along with the hurt or the not-so-great to prop us up and keep us going. And this, I think, is what Noah Barleywater’s adventure is about.

This story reads first as an journey, and then as a fable, and towards the end as a fairy tale, before going back into the territory of ‘real’ interspersed with wonder. If I had to choose, I’d slot it in with magical realism. In my head it belongs on a shelf along with the Chronicles of Narnia, Where the Red Fern Grows, The Borrowers and The Yearling – all the books I remember vividly from my mother’s reading aloud days.

I had no idea what to expect going in, and I was happy to find that I had picked a book with some sort of magic, which also kept my attention (though I think it’s probably even more wonderful in the hands of someone of the age its meant to appeal to). There’s nothing to object to, and much to marvel at, and I will definitely be reading more of Boyne’s work in the future. Even if it did make me cry (in a good sort of way, you understand).

Recommended for: fans of middle grade literature, those fond of fables and fairy tales folded into real life, elders looking for something substantial to read aloud to the younger set, and anyone who can appreciate the urge to run away when life seems too hard, but can see the other side of the equation, too.(less)

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May 17, 2011 Freida rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Noah was an eight year old with some problems at home so he decides to run away. He discovers some very interesting things like a talking dog and donkey and a strange toyshop with nothing but wooden toys. When he sits down to lunch with the owner of the toy store he tells his story and we learn a little of the story of the strange toyshop.

I received this book as an advance reader’s copy from the publisher. The marketing information says the book is for readers ages 8-12. While this is a charmin...more

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Jun 25, 2012 Splitterherz rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2012

Wie eine einzige Geschichte, ein ganzes Leben verändern kann...

"Du darfst niemals den Wunsch haben, etwas anderes zu sein als das, was du bist [...] Vergiss das nie. Du sollst nicht mehr haben wollen als das, was dir gegeben wurde. Es könnte der größte Fehler deines Lebens sein."

Inhalt:
Noah Barleywater, rennt von zu hause fort. Eines Morgens, der Tau ruht noch auf den Grashalmen, macht der kleine, 8-jährige Junge sich auf den Weg und lässt sein Elternhaus hinter sich. Nie wieder will er zu...more

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Feb 10, 2013 Lianne rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviews, 2013, every-year-challenge-2013, fantasy

Deze recensie verscheen ook op mijn blog

'Het is heel raar: ik klaag altijd als het tijd is om naar bed te gaan, en dan klaag ik nog meer als het tijd is om op te staan. Niet echt logisch toch?' 'Dat,' zei de oude man, terwijl hij met een vinger op de houten tafel trommelde, 'is een van de grote paradoxen van het leven.'

Tijdens mijn zoektocht naar een luchtig boek als afwisseling voor A Clash of Kings stuitte ik op Noah Barleywater gaat ervandoor. John Boyne is vooral bekend als schrijver van De ...more

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Jun 22, 2011 Chris Go rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shh...don't tell, but I went and read ahead. We were reading it aloud, but I just had to know how it ended. We seemed to be at a point where all the hints still hadn't come together, and I just needed to know (if I was right).

As the title indicates, Noah Barleywater runs away from home. Noah is 8-years old, and by all accounts has a fairly good life, although he may not be as accomplished as he might have wished at his age. He makes a list of his accomplishments and then compares them to a class...more Shh...don't tell, but I went and read ahead. We were reading it aloud, but I just had to know how it ended. We seemed to be at a point where all the hints still hadn't come together, and I just needed to know (if I was right).

As the title indicates, Noah Barleywater runs away from home. Noah is 8-years old, and by all accounts has a fairly good life, although he may not be as accomplished as he might have wished at his age. He makes a list of his accomplishments and then compares them to a classmate, which most grown ups know is never a good idea.

Noah leaves his house at the crack of dawn and sets off into the unknown. Why he leaves is not known either. This isn't something Noah really wanted to talk about, even when confronted directly.

After a few mishaps, he finally comes to stop at an enchanted toy shop where he meets the toy maker and the two of them have a rather interesting chat that will change everything for Noah. I cannot say much more than that without giving things away.

The writing is amazing. At times it felt like the reader is taken to Oz or Wonderland, as Noah finds himself in a world that looks like ours, but doesn't always work the same. Parts of the story are laugh out loud funny, especially some of the thoughts that Noah has about life. I think John Boyne does an excellent job capturing the spirit of the eight-year old. I liked that there are little hints and clues revealed along the way. They are not overly obvious, but help soften the truth behind the reason Noah runs away (if that is possible) and about the toy maker himself.

This book is written in the Queen's English, so you may need to explain words like "trainers" and "lift". Google might be able to help if you don't have a British English dictionary handy.

Note to Parents (SPOILER ALERT): This book does deal with mother loss after an illness. Also the old toy maker talks about not making it home (by an hour) to see his father before he dies. I suspect that it will raise questions and concerns in many children. The book doesn't go into great detail about the mother's actual death. Instead, you skip ahead 10 years to find that Noah is okay. He is well adjusted and happy despite his loss.
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May 18, 2012 Nia (Kantorka) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: for-swapping

Noah Barleywater ist 8 Jahre alt. Er ist davon überzeugt, dass bemerkenswerte Dinge nur dann passieren, wenn man Abenteuer erlebt. Eines Morgens läuft er kurzerhand von Zuhause fort und macht sich auf, die Welt zu entdecken. Zurück lässt er seine Mutter, seinen Vater und das Haus am Waldrand. Im ersten Dorf begegnet er einem Apfelbaum, der keine Äpfel herausrücken möchte. Doch Noah hat Hunger und gibt nicht auf: mit drei Äpfeln zieht er von dannen. Im nächsten Dorf wird Noah als Apfeldieb enttar...more Noah Barleywater ist 8 Jahre alt. Er ist davon überzeugt, dass bemerkenswerte Dinge nur dann passieren, wenn man Abenteuer erlebt. Eines Morgens läuft er kurzerhand von Zuhause fort und macht sich auf, die Welt zu entdecken. Zurück lässt er seine Mutter, seinen Vater und das Haus am Waldrand. Im ersten Dorf begegnet er einem Apfelbaum, der keine Äpfel herausrücken möchte. Doch Noah hat Hunger und gibt nicht auf: mit drei Äpfeln zieht er von dannen. Im nächsten Dorf wird Noah als Apfeldieb enttarnt und flieht vor den lautstarken Anschuldigungen. Nach einer langen Wanderung durch einen Wald gelangt Noah schließlich in ein ganz kleines Dörfchen. Dort gibt es einen wirklich bemerkenswerten Baum, der vor einem noch beeindruckenderen Spielzeugladen steht. Noah kann nicht anders, er muss diesen Laden betreten, in dem es von wunderschönem Holzspielzeug nur so wimmelt. Und dann begegnet er dem alten Mann, dem der Spielzeugladen gehört. Dieser schnitzt permanent an neuen Holzblöcken, um eine bestimmte Marionette zu schaffen. Doch irgendwie kommt immer etwas anders heraus als gedacht. Der kleine Junge und der alte Mann kommen ins Gespräch. Und ehe sich beide versehen, offenbaren sie sich gegenseitig ihre Lebensgeschichte.

Es wird deutlich, dass der alte Mann ein sehr aufregendes und seltsames Leben geführt hat. Leider hat er aber auch ein wichtiges Versprechen gebrochen und kämpft noch heute mit seinen Schuldgefühlen. Auch Noah ist nicht nur auf Abenteuersuche. Er will es sich zwar nicht so recht eingestehen, aber er ist aus einem bestimmten Grund von Zuhause weggelaufen. Indem sich die Beiden nach und nach ihre Geschichte erzählen, werden die Geheimnisse offenbart. Und sowohl der alten Mann als auch Noah beginnen, sich ihren Dämonen zu stellen...

Der Junge mit dem Herz aus Holz

Schon lange wollte ich einmal ein Buch von John Boyne lesen und bin sehr froh, es mit Der Junge mit dem Herz aus Holz endlich geschafft zu haben. An den märchenhaften Stil musste ich mich zwar erst gewöhnen, aber mit der Zeit gewinnt man gerade diese Eigenheit des Buches lieb. Ergänzt wird die Geschichte durch zahlreiche hübsche Illustrationen von Oliver Jeffers.
Im Original heißt das Buch übrigens Noah Barleywater runs away, was zuerst der bessere Titel zu sein schien. Denn welche Geschichte sich hinter Noahs Davonlaufen verbirgt, erahnt man schnell. Die eigentliche Überraschung barg tatsächlich das Leben des alten Mannes und so muss ich sagen - der deutsche Titel passt ebenfalls perfekt zu dem Buch. Dennoch setzt hier auch mein einziger größerer Kritikpunkt an: Das Buch hätte mit dem Twist um den alten Mann enden sollen (also nach dem vorletzten Kapitel). Oft wünsche ich mir ja noch einen Epilog oder ein 'Was dann passiert', doch in Der Junge mit dem Herz aus Holz wäre es einfach nicht notwendig gewesen. Um nicht zu viel zu verraten, sage ich jetzt nicht wieso genau, aber durch dieses letzte Kapitel geht viel von dem vorherigen, märchenhaften Liebreiz verloren. Das Buch erscheint dadurch einfach ein klein wenig gewöhnlicher - was ich sehr, sehr schade fand. Trotzdem schreibt John Boyne mit einem eigenwilligen und fesselndem Stil und ich werde in jedem Fall noch mehr Bücher von ihm kaufen. Falls ihr noch nie ein Buch von ihm gelesen habt, solltet ihr es in jedem Fall mal versuchen. Es lohnt sich, auch wenn es für Der Junge mit dem Herz aus Holz aus den oben genannten Gründen keine Topbewertung gibt.(less)

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Jul 29, 2011 Josiah rated it 2 of 5 stars

John Boyne's gift seems to be in the telling of stories that truly are more than first meets the eye, modern fables that dance on the edge of reason to deliver a message more powerful than just the events that they relay. Noah Barleywater Runs Away is steeped in fantasy and for much of its length reads like a book meant only for the very young, but there's more being said than is simply being said. One must look harder to discern what the story is really meant to convey, about living life cont...more
John Boyne's gift seems to be in the telling of stories that truly are more than first meets the eye, modern fables that dance on the edge of reason to deliver a message more powerful than just the events that they relay. Noah Barleywater Runs Away is steeped in fantasy and for much of its length reads like a book meant only for the very young, but there's more being said than is simply being said. One must look harder to discern what the story is really meant to convey, about living life contentedly even with the full expectation that one day too soon that life will end, and about allowing ourselves to be part of a family despite the pain that such close ties inevitably bring to our existence.

Feeling that there is no respite for him from the emotional turbulence of his family's trouble, eight-year-old Noah Barleywater hits the road in search of a new place to live, leaving the mother and father he dearly loves behind as he looks for a town that might accept him. The world he navigates is not the one we know, however; strange things happen along the way that clearly mark the story as fantasy, yet Noah takes it all in stride as he keeps on walking. When he finds the destination that he didn't even know he had, he somehow instinctively realizes that he need go no further. The place he has stopped at is a small toy shop, one that almost seems to pull him inside with a force that he can't resist.

The proprietor of the shop, an old man who carefully crafts all of the wooden toys that the store carries using nothing but a few simple tools and his own two well-worn hands, accepts Noah's arrival without question, and welcomes him to stay for a while. The man has a complex personal history that in some ways mirrors the family problems that Noah has been facing, and he tells Noah true stories from that history as the two sit in the shop and have lunch together. There are surprises and secrets to the life of this shopkeeper that will catch nearly any reader off guard as they slowly come to be revealed through the stories he tells. Learning from the old man's experiences both sweet and bitter that he went through in his younger days, Noah comes to a decision regarding what he wants to do about his own family... and whether or not he wants to leave the toy shop to go back home again.

There's a lot of insightful material in this book, no question about it. John Boyne is an excellent writer who handles comedy with nearly as much skill as the resounding drama he built in The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. The best of this book, though, is in the surprises that come, and I don't think there's anyone who won't be jarred once or twice by what they read in this story. Noah Barleywater Runs Away is an above-average novel that features good writing and an impressive amount of imagination, and I would give it two and a half stars. (less)

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Mar 24, 2013 Georgina rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

At first, I thought this would just be one of those whimsical repetitive stories that scare you with the strangeness of them. Instead, I found after a few chapters, a sweet little story whilst uncovering all the messages that this book kept hidden.
This story is about Noah who runs away because he is scared of the lack of control he has over his life .The good thing os that you don;t really know what is happening until alittle before it happens. Although this book was probably alittle young for...more

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Jul 23, 2012 Rebecca Ann rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: picture-books

What a strange little book. I didn't have any strong feelings about it either way, except my deep love of Oliver Jeffer's illustrations. This might be a good book for children struggling with the loss of a parent or guardian. The pace is unhurried, the two characters are familiar (view spoiler) . It took a very long time to get anywhere in this story, but when you did it was beautiful in a depressing, quirky way. It reminded me of a combination ofSkellig,Bridge to Tera ...more

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Jan 07, 2013 Meredith rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: junior, fiction, fantasy

I have an eight year old boy who has many eight year old friends, none of which are anywhere near this character's level of reasoning. I would rather the main character be 10 to 12, it would seem a bit more believable on the intellectual side and would appeal to an older audience which I would get much more out of the story. Unfortunately I suspect it will be lost as being too mature and a bit dull at times for a younger reader, and a very hard sell for an older child because the main character...more

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About John Boyne

John Boyne (born 30 April 1971 in Dublin) is an Irish novelist.

He was educated at Trinity College, Dublin, and studied Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia, where he was awarded the Curtis Brown prize. But it was during his time at Trinity that he began to get published. To pay his way at that stage of his career, he worked at Waterstone's, typing up his drafts by night.

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“The first thing he noticed was how quiet it was. This was nothing like the kind of quiet he heard when he woke up in the middle of the night after a bad dream. When that happened, there were always strange, unidentifiable sounds seeping into his room from the tiny gaps where the windowpanes weren't sealed together correctly. At those moments he could always tell there was life outside, even if all that life was fast asleep. It was a silence that wasn't silence at all.” — 6 people liked it

“I like 'fresh fruit flan'," said the donkey. "Three excellent words."
"I don't have one," said Noah immediately before the question could even be asked, and the donkey opened his eyes wide in suprise, and for a moment Noah wondered whether he might even consider eating him.” — 3 people liked it

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