Customer Reviews

Midnight Folk (New Windmills)

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Endlessly inventive, funny, scary, and heartwarming -- The Midnight Folk is a children's book for the ages. I first discovered it in England, where it's a classic nearly as famous as Alice in Wonderland. I can't fathom why it's less well known in the U.S. Kay Harker lives in a wonderfully funny and spooky old house, where the chess pieces play themselves at night and there are secret corridors behind the walls, where the witches (his governess and her gang) look out from the eyes of the portraits. The scene near the end where all Kay's toys come to his aid in the grand battle is just thrilling. I'm so glad this book has been reissued -- for many years it's been available only in a condensed edition that leaves out lots of the good stuff. This is one adults will enjoy as well as kids.

My mother brot me this from New York on her various day trips to see plays etc. She said there was a great display of books in grand Central Station and would pick up a book for me on her way back to the train platform back to New London CT. I read it over and over all my years as has my oldest daughter. When the pbs tv show came on it was such a fabulous visualization of all the wonderful adventures of Kay. The story seemed so real and when we lived in England 60-64 more pleasant memories in living "on the economy". Very satisfying story, easy to get caught up in w/ references to the Knights of the Roundtable, pure joy to read at any age. Fae Deaton

Imagine a world where a young boy can do anything. That's the world of Kay Harker. What creative books these are (The Box of Delights is the second Kay Harker book)! My 10 year old daughter is impressed and couldn't put either book down.

I highly recommend both books and thank the New York Review Children's Collection for bringing back these two wonderful voyages for a child's imagination.

John Masefield, the author of The Midnight Folk wrote in the early "teens" and "twenties" of the twentieth century.
We have read The Midnight Folk to our children and grand-children.
After all these years, it retains its powers of imagination and fascination.
Kay Harker, our ten-year-old protagonist is an orphan of wealthy parents. He is under the control of his Wicked Governess, Daisy Pouncer.

Kay's adventures in his corner of the beautiful English Countryside are delightful. The animals on the estate are inter-active. Some animals are working for good, other animals are allied with Daisy Pouncer, and her after-hours band of witches. Kay's adventures happen in a witchy, fairy-tale venue that he accesses after he has been sent to bed. Masefield uses his considerable knowledge of English folklore and local English history to weave a mesmerizing story. It requires reasonably literate listeners to hear or read the story (This is NOT Good Night, Moon) and reading it together is a pleasure to parents as well as the kids.

This book had been out of print for a long time, and the used copies were very expensive! It is the perfect companion to his other story "Box of Delights". Perfect for anyone who loves fantasy---made me feel like a child again! it was great fun to go with Kay on his adventures. I found that the author has the ability to cause us suspend "disbelief". Now I want more!

Shirley Wardzinski in Indiana

I read this book when I was young and didn't touch it again until recently. It's still marvelous and better written than most children's books today. Highly recommended for an enriching read.