Trouble at Timpetill

by Henry Winterfeld, William M. Hutchinson (Illustrator), Kyrill Schabert (Translator)

The children in Timpetill are so rotten, ill-behaved, and just all-around unpleasant that one night all the grown-ups in town leave for good. What will the kids do now?!

Genres: Childrens, Fantasy, Fiction, Classics, Roman, Coming Of Age, Mystery

216 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1937

About the author

Henry Winterfeld (born April 9, 1901, in Hamburg, Germany; died January 27, 1990, in Machias, Maine), also published under the pseudonym Manfred Michael. He was a German writer and artist famous for his children's and young adult novels.

Reviews

[Sandra Nedopričljivica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kako izgleda kad roditelji žele kazniti djecu zbog nepodopština, napuštajući grad na nekoliko dana? Za početak loše dok se klinci ne organiziraju a organiziraju se tako da bi im i vojske zavidjele. Knjiga me podsjetila na Lovrakov Vlak u snijegu. Ovdje nema ni vlaka ni snijega, samo jedan električni tramvaj... a kad se dobra djeca uhvate posla da bi pokazala zube onima manje dobrima, definitivno bi mogla pasti pjesma "Kad se male ruke slože".

Preporuka za čitanje klincima ali i onima malo starijima.
Nedopričljivoj Sanji A. zahvaljujem na preporuci!

[Ivana M.]

Ovo je roman iz 1937. godine. I to nemački. Što će reći da je u osnovi priče o deci koja organizuju život u odsustvu roditelja zapravo lekcija o neophodnosti reda, rada i discipline. Klinci pri tom nemaju više od 13, 14 godina, a starmali su do te mere da im za tri dana polazi za rukom da izaberu predsednika, oforme vojsku, uspostave kontrolu nad elektranom, vodovodom, ishranom, školom i još pride da onesposobe neprijateljsku grupicu dece i organizuju suđenje... Preporučila bih da se Timpetil čita posle Kralja Maćuša Prvog čisto da se uporedi šta sve u razmaku od 15 godina može da se promeni u viđenju deteta i detinjstva.

[Vannessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this as a child and it has stayed with me, as vividly as when I first read it. The premise sounds cruel. An entire village of naughty children wake up one morning to find that all the adults have disappeared in the night. After a day or two though, they buckle down to reinstituting the rules they railed against when set down by their parents. It's like Lord of the Flies in reverse--when they are left to govern themselves the children of Timpetill begin to see the sense of rules and manners and goals and they follow them. And in some way it's a funny and heartwarming story. I just spent a few years hunting down a hardcover edition of this but there are paper reissues. A lost classic.

[Relstuart · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book takes place in Cold War time Europe. all the Adults leave town to teach their kids a lesson. But then can't get back for a few days... Very interesting seeing how the kids react and the way they deal with the crisis. Some want to just party and some take a bit of a longer view.

One of my favorite library books as a kid. :)

[Hanae · Rating 3 out of 5]

Style un peu lourd pour une histoire sympathique. (HS : le film est à voir :)

[Benjamin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read a really old edition published under the pseudonym Manfred Michael.

[Sudaporn Obom · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love this book; what more can I say? It encapsulates everything I cherish as a fan of children's literature: a distinctive storyline, thrilling adventures, humour, deep friendships between children, well-developed characters, moral lessons, and a satisfying conclusion. This book reminds me of "Emil and the Detectives" by Erich Kästner. I stumbled upon it at a book fair, drawn in by its vibrant cover and decided to purchase it due to its intriguing plot where children in Timpetill city wake up to find their parents mysteriously gone. Despite the bizarre premise, the author skillfully portrays each child's character in a believable and relatable manner. The organization of 'The Seventeen Saviours in Adversity' by Thomas and Manfred wonderfully mirrors how a good government should function, adding a layer of satire. I particularly enjoyed the scene discussing the punishment of The Pirates, showing a mature and thoughtful approach to justice. Richard Kennedy’s illustrations also add depth to the scenes, enhancing the storytelling. This book validated my hypothesis with its graph, the highest point at the end. I'm eagerly looking forward to watching the film adaptation, "Trouble at Timpetill" (2008).

[寿理 宮本 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cute story but absolutely could NOT happen now, because "kids left to fend for themselves a la Lord of the Flies but in a 1950s/60s small town" wouldn't have the "locksmith who just so HAPPENS to have duplicate keys to EVERY STORE in his house" or easy access to a farm to raid for fresh produce enough to feed 300-500 kids ages 6 to 14ish or even kids 14ish who would know how to self-govern such a group in the event of a mass parental walk-out.

I mean, it happens over the course of two days (or three? I read kind of fast), so it's not like any of the kids would've starved in the meantime, but definitely it wouldn't be as heartwarming(ish) in a modern setting, nevermind that NO parents now would agree to such a walk-out (especially when it was a few kids ruining the reputation of ALL kids older than toddler).

[Valérie Fitoussi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un livre dans la veine des Goonies et autres histoires de bandes d'enfants. Les parents de Timpelbach exaspérés quittent le village, laissant les enfants seuls livrés à leur sort. C'est frais et rafraîchissant comme ce début d'automne.

[Geri · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretty dated.

[TaxusNocturnus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Classic kids book for kids age 8+. A tale of what would happen if you would to leave children alone, without parents. Read to find out. :)

[Maecrit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bon roman, pas très long. Il se lit assez facilement et egalement une bonne adaptation cinématographique.

[Meredith]

This book didn't make much of an impression for me. I was somewhat disappointed with the story and would rank it lowest among Winterfield's works.

[Delf Lit · Rating 4 out of 5]

J ai beaucoup aimé dévorer ce petit roman !
Mon avis complet: https://www.instagram.com/p/CP2U5ncHz...

[Mira Belle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ce roman, c'est mon enfance.
C'est frais, dépaysant, charmant.

[El Munro · Rating 2 out of 5]

2,5

[arianna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mi ha deluso rispetto alle mie aspettative

[Guillemette De · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5⭐️

[Lord Bathcanoe of Snark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aged eleven I borrowed this book from the school library, then played truant the next day to read it. Ironic.
Thought it was great back then.

[lu (peachairee) · Rating 3 out of 5]

4.5
pretty cute read i guess?! i liked it :)

[LéaneBook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ce livre est vraiment drôle et l’histoire génial