YA novel about small creatures (insects?) that go on an adventure, read in 1993-4

[Liz]

I read this at school in 1993-4, maybe it was on the reading list. All I remember is small creatures, maybe insects, go on an adventure. It was sweet and sad, I remember crying, but my friend didn't like it & said it was boring. I thought it was called something like "the collectors" but i haven't found anything under that title that could be it. From memory it was a decent size book (300-ish pages?). Please help! I loved this book and want to read it again!

[Ann]

Maybe one of the The Borrowers books? They are tiny little people who live in people's houses and collect/borrow things. There are several of them in the series, and some of them I would describe as "adventures." Despite the fact that they were written in the 50's and 60's, they were also the sort of thing that would have been on a reading list in that time frame - pretty sure that's how I first heard about them and decided to read them!

The main character is Arietty, and her parents are Pod and Homily Clock.

The sequels (The Borrowers Afield, The Borrowers Afloat, The Borrowers Aloft ) were more "adventure" than the first book, but it's the first book that I vaguely recall being rather sad.

[Liz]

Thanks so much for commenting! I have read plot summaries of The Borrowers after thinking exactly this, but it didn't sound right. I distinctly remember them being insects/creatures, not people (it's about the only thing I remember!). But I will have to get a copy of the Borrowers just to be sure! Thanks again for replying! I so want to read this book again!!

[gabbieeeee]

This book isn’t about insects but could it possibly be “The Incredible Journey” by Sheila Bumford? It’s a story about two dogs and a cat traveling through the Canadian wilderness to find their home.

[Liz]

Oooh I LOVED that book, I recently read it to my kids and we all cried! Not it, but it definitely has that same adventure feel. I think they were travelling through grass?? It was on a miniature scale (if that makes sense). Like they were travelling through grass but the grass was huge - as it would be if you were a bug. Thanks for thinking about it! And reminding me of the incredible journey - definitely time for a re-read!

[Daisy]

The Cricket in Times Square or one of the sequels?

[Liz]

I just read the plot summaries for this - not it (but I want to read it now!). Thanks everyone. I think I have to just resign myself to never finding this book again!

[SamSpayedPI]

Liz wrote: "I just read the plot summaries for this - not it (but I want to read it now!). Thanks everyone. I think I have to just resign myself to never finding this book again!"

It's been a day. Don't give up already; we've found books after years.

[Liz]

😂

[Ky]

I have a very dim memory of it being 1989 and me seeing a paperback novel about ants on a quest or journey of some kind at my local drugstore. I picked it up, read the blurb, then put it back. Unfortunately, I don't remember the title at all, but I wonder if it might be the same book. Pretty long shot but the timing is reasonable, and from what I remember, 300 pages would have been about the right size.

Liz, could the small creatures you remember have been ants specifically? I tried finding this on Worldcat to get a possible title for you but no luck. The new Worldcat won't even let me specify fiction as a parameter, ugh.

[Liz]

I don't remember them specifically being ants, but they could've been! I think I remember one of them having a shell, like a ladybird or something. Sadly I remember so few details!! I remember the emotional experience of reading it though! It sticks in my mind because of how much I loved it - and how my friend teased me for being so into it, she said it was boring & dumb!

[Liz]

I think I found it??? It's out of print but I've ordered a secondhand copy. Can't wait to see if it's the right book! Embarrassingly it WAS called The Collectors, I swear I've searched and searched that name but never saw anything similar! Thanks to everyone that gave this even a moment's thought, it's so nice of you to care about something so random in a stranger's life that means so much to them. Here's the book, will report back when I've read it! https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/sho...

[SamSpayedPI]

The Collectors is available at the internet archive: https://archive.org/details/collector...

You need to be a member to borrow books, but membership is free; you only need to give them an email address.