The Robbers

by Nina Bawden

Nine-year-old Phillip has always lived with his grandmother, but when his widowed father remarries he finds that he must suddenly adjust to a new way of life with his father and stepmother.

Genres: Middle Grade

155 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1979

About the author

Nina Bawden was a popular British novelist and children's writer. Her mother was a teacher and her father a marine.

When World War II broke out she spent the school holidays at a farm in Shropshire along with her mother and her brothers, but lived in Aberdare, Wales, during term time.
Bawden attended Somerville College, Oxford, where she gained a degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics.

Her novels include Carrie's War, Peppermint Pig, and The Witch's Daughter.

A number of her works have been dramatised by BBC Children's television, and many have been translated into various languages. In 2002 she was badly injured in the Potters Bar rail crash, and her husband Austen Kark was killed.

Bawden passed away at her home in London on 22 August 2012.

Reviews

[Stardustlx · Rating 4 out of 5]

read this book during 2020 pandemic 😭 lowkey forgot what happened

[Books Kids Like · Rating 3 out of 5]

Philip's mother died when he was born. Since then he has lived with his grandmother. His father remarries when he is nine, and asks Philip to visit him in London during a school break. Philip meets Darcy Jones the first morning he is in London. Philip wakes early and goes out on his attic balcony. He sees Darcy sneak into the garden to catch tadpoles from the garden pond. Philip goes down and confronts him. Instead of being offended, Darcy takes Philip off to see the canal and locks. After that, the boys spends a lot of time together so Phillip isn’t upset when he learns that he will be staying in London for school. The boys spend the next school holiday with Grandmother Holbein and have a great time. Darcy's visit is cut short when Bing is arrested for receiving and selling stolen goods. Mr. Holbein has already said that Philip needn't return for the next school term, but Philip decides that he must return for Darcy's sake. Unfortunately, their friendship is severely tested when they both make a bad choice.
©2024 Kathy Maxwell at https://bookskidslike.com

[Wordwizard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another book-I-should-have-read-ages-ago. Good. Might be enjoyed more by adults than children; I think I would have been left sad or frustrated at the ending when I was the "right" age for this.