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Charley
"I'll run away," said Charley, "that's what I'll do."
Charley, whose real and unused name is "Rowan," is a prickly, rambunctious and imaginative girl who likes to draw and hear the story of Lizzie Scrotten.
The story of Lizzie Scrotten was a story of the bad old days, when poor people starved, and people without homes went tramping from workhouse to workhouse.
This beloved story is told and retold, patiently, by the family cook. Charley's favorite part is when Lizzie is alone at night, homeless, and walking along looking longingly into the lighted windows of the cozy homes she's passing. A middle child trapped between a clever older brother and a sickly little brother, Charley dreams of being alone and outcast, set apart.
When she's sent to stay with a favorite aunt, Charley's thrilled - until she reads a note not meant for her eyes, and realizes that aunt Louie hadn't wanted her to come. Betrayed, Charley gets off the train early and sneaks into town instead of going to Louie's house. Finding an old chicken house, Charley seizes on her chance to become Lizzie Scrotten. She decides to call herself Rowan, after the beautiful tree. And for a season, the protected middle-class child becomes a free-spirited child of poverty - albeit a somewhat romantic, Boxcar Childrenesque poverty.
It was dawn when she woke properly. The sky was lightening and the air was full of the twitter of birds. She sprang up and scrambled through the hedge, which was hung with great glistening spiders' webs.
Sleeping in her chicken house and drinking from a garden hose in a nearby yard, Charley keeps a watchful eye on her aunt's house and plays different roles with different people she encounters - a gypsy with a local child, a mute with a shopkeeper, a cripple with a minister - for a variety of reasons both practical and playful. Her most meaningful encounter, though, is with a young man who is also running away, and the conversation they have about it. When a crisis comes, though, Charley discovers that she can't be Lizzie any longer.
A cheerful, interesting read that draws its power from the mundane-turned-fascinating details of Charley's hobo life, and her quick, deep store of tales to spin for the strangers in her aunt's village.
Later the book title was changed to "Charley."
Charley, whose real and unused name is "Rowan," is a prickly, rambunctious and imaginative girl who likes to draw and hear the story of Lizzie Scrotten.
The story of Lizzie Scrotten was a story of the bad old days, when poor people starved, and people without homes went tramping from workhouse to workhouse.
This beloved story is told and retold, patiently, by the family cook. Charley's favorite part is when Lizzie is alone at night, homeless, and walking along looking longingly into the lighted windows of the cozy homes she's passing. A middle child trapped between a clever older brother and a sickly little brother, Charley dreams of being alone and outcast, set apart.
When she's sent to stay with a favorite aunt, Charley's thrilled - until she reads a note not meant for her eyes, and realizes that aunt Louie hadn't wanted her to come. Betrayed, Charley gets off the train early and sneaks into town instead of going to Louie's house. Finding an old chicken house, Charley seizes on her chance to become Lizzie Scrotten. She decides to call herself Rowan, after the beautiful tree. And for a season, the protected middle-class child becomes a free-spirited child of poverty - albeit a somewhat romantic, Boxcar Childrenesque poverty.
It was dawn when she woke properly. The sky was lightening and the air was full of the twitter of birds. She sprang up and scrambled through the hedge, which was hung with great glistening spiders' webs.
Sleeping in her chicken house and drinking from a garden hose in a nearby yard, Charley keeps a watchful eye on her aunt's house and plays different roles with different people she encounters - a gypsy with a local child, a mute with a shopkeeper, a cripple with a minister - for a variety of reasons both practical and playful. Her most meaningful encounter, though, is with a young man who is also running away, and the conversation they have about it. When a crisis comes, though, Charley discovers that she can't be Lizzie any longer.
A cheerful, interesting read that draws its power from the mundane-turned-fascinating details of Charley's hobo life, and her quick, deep store of tales to spin for the strangers in her aunt's village.
Later the book title was changed to "Charley."
251 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1969
5 people are currently reading
356 people want to read
About the author
Joan G. Robinson
29 books100 followersJoan G. Robinson (1910-88) trained as an illustrator and began writing and illustrating her own stories in 1939. Among her many stories for children are Mary-Mary, When Marnie Was There and the enduringly popular Teddy Robinson. Working closely with her husband, she published over thirty books in her lifetime, many of which were tried and tested on her own family. And her family sometimes found their way into her stories too - Teddy Robinson was a real teddy bear, belonging to Joan's own daughter, Deborah, who herself featured in the stories.
Also published as Joan Gale Thomas
Also published as Joan Gale Thomas
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
August 21, 2018
(Available on Open Library under the title Charley.)
Previous review below this one:
"Charley" is the better name, assuming one is familiar with the definition given in the glossary to this American edition: "a person who plays the fool, clowns around".
If anyone British does read this, I'd like to know the translation of "windy." The glossary here gives it as "frightened" which doesn't make sense in context. Context isn't definite, but it may mean "wasteful: - ?
Anyway. This read was much more successful than the previous. It all fit better, was more successful. I'd been introduced to the girl in the first read, and this time I felt much more ready to get to know her. And, actually, to almost understand her. A wonderful book, almost worth five stars... too bad not many ppl will read it, no matter how glowing my recommendation.
But if you've ever wanted to run away, to be noticed, to be given credit for your efforts... if you've ever wondered if you deserve credit for your efforts, if you've ever wanted to be alone, if you've ever wanted to be loved closely.... you'll find rapport with Charley/ Rowan as she gradually figures out who she is, what she wants, and how to get it.
All the while having a fun adventure that can be enjoyed on a more basic, simple (but not simplistic!) level by children as young as 6, or as old as 12, or by students of childhood and the young-at-heart of all ages.
I do want to read more by the author.
---------------
A bit odd. Hard to make a not misleading cover for, so try to avoid at least the one with the dog and caravan. Charley is the kind of girl I don't understand, no matter how many books I read about her type. Maybe because she uses her imagination (which I don't have much of one) and doesn't pack books when she runs away (!).
But there are certainly plenty of interesting places and characters and events in the story in addition to the girl. And the book is beautifully written. And there's a nice 'epilogue' sort of final chapter. I'd love to find more by the author.
Btw, the American edition has a glossary of British terms.
"It ain't what you've got nor where you go what counts, it's what you do with what you've got wherever you happens to be."
"She found that when she was hurt and angry, she forgot to be afraid, so... she deliberately reminded herself how hateful everyone had been, and how justly they would be punished when they discovered she had run away."
"They were things you would paint rather than write about. "Went to Thornley" meant nothing, but someone going up that long cart track, with the stones showing white through the tufts of grass, and the birds flying up, black, out of the hedges, and the sky huge and bright blue overhead--that was like a picture of someone going from nowhere to nowhere."
Previous review below this one:
"Charley" is the better name, assuming one is familiar with the definition given in the glossary to this American edition: "a person who plays the fool, clowns around".
If anyone British does read this, I'd like to know the translation of "windy." The glossary here gives it as "frightened" which doesn't make sense in context. Context isn't definite, but it may mean "wasteful: - ?
Anyway. This read was much more successful than the previous. It all fit better, was more successful. I'd been introduced to the girl in the first read, and this time I felt much more ready to get to know her. And, actually, to almost understand her. A wonderful book, almost worth five stars... too bad not many ppl will read it, no matter how glowing my recommendation.
But if you've ever wanted to run away, to be noticed, to be given credit for your efforts... if you've ever wondered if you deserve credit for your efforts, if you've ever wanted to be alone, if you've ever wanted to be loved closely.... you'll find rapport with Charley/ Rowan as she gradually figures out who she is, what she wants, and how to get it.
All the while having a fun adventure that can be enjoyed on a more basic, simple (but not simplistic!) level by children as young as 6, or as old as 12, or by students of childhood and the young-at-heart of all ages.
I do want to read more by the author.
---------------
A bit odd. Hard to make a not misleading cover for, so try to avoid at least the one with the dog and caravan. Charley is the kind of girl I don't understand, no matter how many books I read about her type. Maybe because she uses her imagination (which I don't have much of one) and doesn't pack books when she runs away (!).
But there are certainly plenty of interesting places and characters and events in the story in addition to the girl. And the book is beautifully written. And there's a nice 'epilogue' sort of final chapter. I'd love to find more by the author.
Btw, the American edition has a glossary of British terms.
"It ain't what you've got nor where you go what counts, it's what you do with what you've got wherever you happens to be."
"She found that when she was hurt and angry, she forgot to be afraid, so... she deliberately reminded herself how hateful everyone had been, and how justly they would be punished when they discovered she had run away."
"They were things you would paint rather than write about. "Went to Thornley" meant nothing, but someone going up that long cart track, with the stones showing white through the tufts of grass, and the birds flying up, black, out of the hedges, and the sky huge and bright blue overhead--that was like a picture of someone going from nowhere to nowhere."
August 1, 2017
Having just read 'When Marnie was There' by the same author, we had high hopes for this book. A story that included running away, living secretly outdoors and with the cover showing a happy girl holding a smiley dog outside a gypsy caravan, we expected to be in for a treat.
Charley's parents are absent and she is being looked after by an aunt who doesn't enjoy the company of girls. Whilst the aunt looks after a brother Charley is sent to live with another aunt. Charley thinks the other aunt does not want her either so decides to runaway, having been inspired by a story romanticising life on the road. Charley soon finds the reality is neither glamorous nor fun. Here my daughter felt mislead, the story dwelt upon how dirty, bedraggled and raggedy clothed Charley was, often having spent the night under a tree in the rain but the cover clearly shows a happy, hair washed and freshly clothed girl in bright sunlight. The cover shows a gypsy caravan which was barely involved in the story, Charley doesn't even go inside it I don't think! We thought from the cover she might go to live in it, we also thought she was going to make friends with the nice dog, but the dog only appears on a couple of pages!
The character of Charley seemed implausible for that of a young child, I think this was perhaps meant to read in a humorous way but the muttering of 'suffering codfish' as a term of annoyance seemed more suitable to a grumpy old man than a young girl. The idea that she kept her food hidden in a henhouse, even supposing it was a disused,made us both comment that the author cannot know what the inside of a hen house is like.
There were some nice descriptions of nature. We found this book a struggle to finish, we persisted because we thought Charley's suffering was going to come to an end when she found the gypsy caravan and the dog. Many enjoyed this book though, and rated it highly.
Charley's parents are absent and she is being looked after by an aunt who doesn't enjoy the company of girls. Whilst the aunt looks after a brother Charley is sent to live with another aunt. Charley thinks the other aunt does not want her either so decides to runaway, having been inspired by a story romanticising life on the road. Charley soon finds the reality is neither glamorous nor fun. Here my daughter felt mislead, the story dwelt upon how dirty, bedraggled and raggedy clothed Charley was, often having spent the night under a tree in the rain but the cover clearly shows a happy, hair washed and freshly clothed girl in bright sunlight. The cover shows a gypsy caravan which was barely involved in the story, Charley doesn't even go inside it I don't think! We thought from the cover she might go to live in it, we also thought she was going to make friends with the nice dog, but the dog only appears on a couple of pages!
The character of Charley seemed implausible for that of a young child, I think this was perhaps meant to read in a humorous way but the muttering of 'suffering codfish' as a term of annoyance seemed more suitable to a grumpy old man than a young girl. The idea that she kept her food hidden in a henhouse, even supposing it was a disused,made us both comment that the author cannot know what the inside of a hen house is like.
There were some nice descriptions of nature. We found this book a struggle to finish, we persisted because we thought Charley's suffering was going to come to an end when she found the gypsy caravan and the dog. Many enjoyed this book though, and rated it highly.
July 25, 2008
I adored this book as a child. It's the story of a young British girl who has been treated unkindly by her caregiver and mistakenly believes that the next relative she's being shuttled off to does not want her, either. Charley runs away to fend for herself in the English countryside where her adventures help her learn something about herself and the adults in her life. I would love to get hold of this again; I remember being utterly enchanted by it. ETA: I just did a check and discovered this story also appears under an alternate title, The Girl Who Ran Away. Rare book, hard to find under either title! ETA AGAIN: I obtained a copy off Ebay and read it in an afternoon. It was every bit as charming as I remember, and from an adult standpoint I can also say it is extremely well-written. I'm so happy it has lived up to my fond memories of it!
October 14, 2011
I read this book as a child, and it was one of my favorite books. I still remember the details of it and have tried several times to find it. I can't believe I just found it, I am so excited! It's just one of those books that you read and it sticks with you forever.
January 15, 2017
This was my favorite book from childhood. After years of searching, I finally located a copy of it in England. While reading the story, I felt like I was reconnecting with an old friend.
March 4, 2019
This is a revisit. I remember liking this book when I read it as a kid, but I did not recall everything that happened. When I read it as a kid, I thought that living on my own like that would be cool, and I didn't remember the ending and how she wound up so freaked out and scared.
Another thing that I thought was interesting... Charley had a pound and 10 shillings. She bought a LOT of stuff with that! Bread, lunch meat, cheese, ice cream, orange squash, plastic bucket, and some other stuff on her first trip to the town. Then bread and cheese again and soap, a sachet. I think it would be about $20 in today's US dollars. (Also, English money before they decimalized was confusing and I am not sure I ever reached the bottom of that rabbit hole)
Another thing that I thought was interesting... Charley had a pound and 10 shillings. She bought a LOT of stuff with that! Bread, lunch meat, cheese, ice cream, orange squash, plastic bucket, and some other stuff on her first trip to the town. Then bread and cheese again and soap, a sachet. I think it would be about $20 in today's US dollars. (Also, English money before they decimalized was confusing and I am not sure I ever reached the bottom of that rabbit hole)
January 26, 2025
very satisfactory of a story of a girl scrounging a living for herself during a week of running away in the English countryside.
January 2, 2011
Charley was first published in 1969. Unlike most of the other readers who have commented on the book, I didn't come across it for reading until I was an adult. It was a thoroughly enjoyable read. I need to display our library's copy on top of a shelf to encourage our students to give it a try.
Charley is the middle-child in an English family who sometimes resents the attention given to her older and younger brother. When left in the care of an unpleasant aunt, Charlie takes advantage of an opportunity to run away. Her adventure is filled with the realities of survival as well as the flights of fancy characteristic of imaginations of those growing up.
In her travels she encounters a crotchety old character who has created a garden of gnomes that he has built himself. He tells Charley that "It ain't what you've got or where you go what counts. It's what you do with what you've got, wherever you happens to be."
Charley is a story of loneliness and our desire to belong. It is a story of success and our fears of failure. It is the story of the lessons we learn when we stop running away. Charley is a book for readers of all ages.
Charley is the middle-child in an English family who sometimes resents the attention given to her older and younger brother. When left in the care of an unpleasant aunt, Charlie takes advantage of an opportunity to run away. Her adventure is filled with the realities of survival as well as the flights of fancy characteristic of imaginations of those growing up.
In her travels she encounters a crotchety old character who has created a garden of gnomes that he has built himself. He tells Charley that "It ain't what you've got or where you go what counts. It's what you do with what you've got, wherever you happens to be."
Charley is a story of loneliness and our desire to belong. It is a story of success and our fears of failure. It is the story of the lessons we learn when we stop running away. Charley is a book for readers of all ages.
September 20, 2013
One of my favourite books as a child, which I recently revisited. Charley reminds me of myself as a child in many ways: unconventional and defiant, with a wild imagination and a strong code of ethics.
The book is well-written and the characters realistic. In many places it is quite funny. The relationship between Charley and Aunt Emm pans out beautifully, from hostile to achieving some sort of understanding.
The book is well-written and the characters realistic. In many places it is quite funny. The relationship between Charley and Aunt Emm pans out beautifully, from hostile to achieving some sort of understanding.
May 23, 2017
I read this when I was 9 or 10. Loved it for the daring adventure, the evocation of hazy summer meadows and dark star-filled nights. Charley was so brave to me, doing things that I would have loved to do but would have been too scared to do. Every time I encounter grease-proof paper or a piece of sweaty cheese I am reminded of this book. I think even today's sophisticated children would be fascinated by Charley's escapade!
Beautifully written.
Beautifully written.
March 1, 2020
This was one of my very favorite books as a kid. When I became an adult, I decided to try to find it again at the library, but I couldn't remember the author's name. I searched and searched the stacks and finally found it and checked it out. It was just as good as I remembered it being.
June 20, 2009
I am also one of those who adored this book as a child and just recently reread it. As another reader wrote, it was as charming and magical as when I first read it. A nostalgia trip for sure.
September 12, 2016
One of my all-time favourite books. I loved it as a kid and still love it as an adult.
Read
February 14, 2013Childhood favorite.
July 10, 2017
The kids enjoyed this one. It was a good read and a trip back to a gentler time.
April 3, 2022
After reading When Marnie Was There last year, I looked through her bibliography to see whether another one of her stories would catch my eye. The Girl Who Ran Away was the title I was taken in by the most, and I immediately added it to my TBR. I thought it might be a story full of whimsy and about the importance of found family. Looking back on it now, I was technically hoping I'd find a very similar book to the one I had read, which it is in certain senses. After all, it's the same author and the writing style is pretty similar, but the title can be slightly misleading after reading When Marnie Was There. I feel that the original title of the novel fits better. For anyone that doesn't know, Charley is defined as "a person who plays the fool, clowns around," and Charley does quite a lot of that throughout the novel. It certainly captures the mundane through the eyes of a child. The fact that she thinks everything will be fine after running away from an aunt she thinks doesn't want her around says a lot, even if she keeps in the vicinity. As the days go by, she wanders around pretending to be different people as long as it fits her needs. She makes some connections, such as with a man called Ned, who I really liked. It's not until all the certainties around her are not so certain that all of the things she was weaving fell apart around her, and while she tries to hold them together by sheer force of will, we step outside her shoes for a bit, which was probably my favorite part. The moment the facade breaks and she gets taken in by Mrs. Denning was when I was being reminded the most about When Marnie Was There. Mrs. Denning and her son were probably my favorite characters, and I just love how they treated Charley with kindness. Very much like the Lindsays in When Marnie Was There, I so wish I could stay over at the house of the Dennings. The friendship Charley develops with John was so sweet, and I know he'll be a great teacher. As for Aunt Emm, she was very careless.
August 13, 2024
I didn't like this book at all. It started out okay, with Rowan/Charlie at home, daydreaming etc like a normal kid. Then she supposedly runs away, but her runaway life still sounds like something an eight year old kid would daydream: "I'm gonna run away! I'll just get on a bus and go somewhere, and I'll live...let's see...I'll live in a chicken coop! That's it! If I get hungry I'll eat fallen apples (it's not the time of year for apples yet, but there'll be some around somewhere, for sure!) and I'll have my allowance to buy some stuff with. If there's no water, well I can live on orange soda! and sleep under a tree! It'll be great!"
Except that even in the late 60s (or perhaps especially in the 60s) small town adults wouldn't just ignore a young girl wandering around unwashed and unknown. I grew up in a small town, I know this. Minding other people's business is what they do. And how did Rowan's shoes "get mouldy" in just four days? Granted she's been sleeping in her clothes but would they really get "ragged" in such a short time? Rumpled, dirty and maybe even smelly, yes, sure. She loses track of time but when the adults finally step in, we discover it hasn't been all that long at all. Her behaviour when getting ready to go to Sunday school (and I doubt a normal English girl in the 60s had never heard of it, even if she didn't attend church) was bizarre to say the least. No wonder some of the townspeople thought she was "simple"! Funny how she'd never heard of Sunday School and yet knew about the Feeding of the Five Thousand.
The ending was a little too lovely, a little too "little princess". We won't even discuss Auntie Emm and her "transformation." And of course the little kid straightens out an adult's life problem. Of course she does.
Except that even in the late 60s (or perhaps especially in the 60s) small town adults wouldn't just ignore a young girl wandering around unwashed and unknown. I grew up in a small town, I know this. Minding other people's business is what they do. And how did Rowan's shoes "get mouldy" in just four days? Granted she's been sleeping in her clothes but would they really get "ragged" in such a short time? Rumpled, dirty and maybe even smelly, yes, sure. She loses track of time but when the adults finally step in, we discover it hasn't been all that long at all. Her behaviour when getting ready to go to Sunday school (and I doubt a normal English girl in the 60s had never heard of it, even if she didn't attend church) was bizarre to say the least. No wonder some of the townspeople thought she was "simple"! Funny how she'd never heard of Sunday School and yet knew about the Feeding of the Five Thousand.
The ending was a little too lovely, a little too "little princess". We won't even discuss Auntie Emm and her "transformation." And of course the little kid straightens out an adult's life problem. Of course she does.
April 26, 2023
I bought this book from Scholastic when I was in the 4th grade in the mid-1970s. I was fascinated by it because it used British terminology and had a glossary in the back. The story was quite captivating to my 9-year-old self, about a young girl who is misunderstood and runs away. I remembered the hen house, the orange squash, the caravan, and the flute music.
I don't think I've read it since I was a child. It was just as captivating to me today. I noticed more details this time, like how the adults treat her, her confusion, her fear, and how she tries to understand her despised aunt at the end.
I don't think I've read it since I was a child. It was just as captivating to me today. I noticed more details this time, like how the adults treat her, her confusion, her fear, and how she tries to understand her despised aunt at the end.
January 12, 2024
I read this book when I was a little girl.( I’m 63 now.)
It made such an impression on me, I still remember it vividly. I was the 5th child out of 8, and rarely got to be alone. Reading about Charley’s adventures running away- it was so exciting. (I was also a big fan of “From The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E Frankweiler,” so I guess I had fantasies of running away and having big adventures.)
Anyway, I couldn’t remember the name of this book, only the girl’s name, Rowan. I just googled “Girl named Rowan who ran away” and found the name of the book and author. Promptly ordered a copy from Abe’s Used Books and am looking forward to rereading it and passing it on to my grandchildren.
It made such an impression on me, I still remember it vividly. I was the 5th child out of 8, and rarely got to be alone. Reading about Charley’s adventures running away- it was so exciting. (I was also a big fan of “From The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E Frankweiler,” so I guess I had fantasies of running away and having big adventures.)
Anyway, I couldn’t remember the name of this book, only the girl’s name, Rowan. I just googled “Girl named Rowan who ran away” and found the name of the book and author. Promptly ordered a copy from Abe’s Used Books and am looking forward to rereading it and passing it on to my grandchildren.
May 30, 2019
I searched for this book for so long! Childhood favorite! I remember wanting to be just like Charley. I wanted to wash my face in few, eat bread and cheese on the grass while listening to the droning of gnats and to have a real adventure. One where I end up in a warm cozy bed eating warm food and feeling loved. Just perfect!!
July 30, 2020
It surprised me (mad child runs away, then gets reunited) in that it looked at the practical events, rather than the emotional ones. Emotions did feature, but they weren't over done. It was a good read, interesting characters, and some real issues that face a lot of families - what happens when someone gets forgotten or lost? And what if they don't want to be found. I enjoyed it.
August 8, 2025
I read this book decades ago and loved it. I thought Charley, the girl of the title, was smart and brave and resourceful; rereading it out, I still think that about her. I may need to read another book by this author. I think, too, that the story stands up to the test of time; contemporary tweens would enjoy it as much as I did.
May 13, 2018
"I don't suppose anyone who ever did anything worth doing -painting, music, writing, anything like that- ever did it for anyone else. It's just lucky if other people like it when you've done it, that's all."
August 10, 2021
As a child I tended to prefer tales with female protagonists (possibly explaining why I've gone on to create one myself) and this was one of my favourites.
Superbly written with a resourceful, brave, funny lead who I always wanted to emulate by running away.
Superbly written with a resourceful, brave, funny lead who I always wanted to emulate by running away.
August 9, 2023
My brother bought this through school book orders back in the day, and it ended up as a summer vacation read for me again and again (by choice). I stumbled upon it again just recently and enjoyed the adventure yet again!
December 11, 2025
One of my childhood favorites. Some books just don't resonate the same when you reread them. My emotional experience to this book has always stayed in my bones, and was re-experienced the same way on a reread 50 years later.
August 1, 2018
Dansk titel: Charley
February 17, 2019
On Open Library the book is titled "Charley."
November 21, 2020
This book is one of my all time favorites from my childhood
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews