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Polly of Primrose Hill
Polly obliged by saying it again, "Please, wouldn't you like to adopt me? I'm 11 years old, and I wouldn't be any trouble, and I don't eat an awful lot, and I'd be very useful."
Polly McBride lives at the Jessie Carpenter Home for Orphans, and though she has always been happy there, she has her dreams...
A delightful and refreshing re-working of a common theme.
Polly McBride lives at the Jessie Carpenter Home for Orphans, and though she has always been happy there, she has her dreams...
A delightful and refreshing re-working of a common theme.
206 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1956
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
April 12, 2019
I’m going to start by saying I read this over and over when I was small but can’t remember much of the plot so perhaps there’s spoilers?
From what I remember Polly is a plucky orphan who is adopted by a rich old man (weird). He is super grumpy and even when I was young I had no idea why he adopted this kid. He might have had a child that died but that’s super dark for a kids book?!
I think he has a Mrs Danvers type housekeeper who is really awful to Polly, but she loves her new home anyway. Until she realises that Mrs Danvers (not her real name) is trying to screw Professor Grumpy (not his real name) out of his money somehow? Maybe there’s a gardener involved as well or a valet who Mrs Danvers is obviously supposed to be sleeping with.... anyway Polly finds out about their plot and is possibly locked up somewhere but she escapes and saves the day. Professor Grumpy is grumpy no more! Then there’s lots of scenes of her being bought pretty dresses and eating cakes which I lived for as a kid. Or that might have come earlier. One dress was definitely yellow. I was obsessed with this whole non-plot.
From what I remember Polly is a plucky orphan who is adopted by a rich old man (weird). He is super grumpy and even when I was young I had no idea why he adopted this kid. He might have had a child that died but that’s super dark for a kids book?!
I think he has a Mrs Danvers type housekeeper who is really awful to Polly, but she loves her new home anyway. Until she realises that Mrs Danvers (not her real name) is trying to screw Professor Grumpy (not his real name) out of his money somehow? Maybe there’s a gardener involved as well or a valet who Mrs Danvers is obviously supposed to be sleeping with.... anyway Polly finds out about their plot and is possibly locked up somewhere but she escapes and saves the day. Professor Grumpy is grumpy no more! Then there’s lots of scenes of her being bought pretty dresses and eating cakes which I lived for as a kid. Or that might have come earlier. One dress was definitely yellow. I was obsessed with this whole non-plot.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 4, 2013
A favourite from my childhood - love it!
November 2, 2019
A fav from my childhood which I have read to my children too. It is charming and wonderful, a rags to riches story with a bit of a dark twist. A wonderful kids book.
February 9, 2012
Unlikely plot, but utterly charming setting.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews