I have always loved Noel Streatfeild's books and as a child I got my library to ILL them for me or hunted through second hand book stores to find all of them. She tells the perfect "girls stories". I was always able to find one character in each book that was my favorite. They definitely stand up to re-reads. ( )

Also published as The magic summer. ( )

Originally published as The growing summer (1966) ( )

Alex and his three siblings live in London. In the first chapter their father sets off for a year’s international travel. Then disaster strikes, and the children are sent to life with their eccentric Great Aunt Dymphna. She drives like a maniac, lives in a cluttered house, and doesn’t cook regular meals. The children are expected to cook on an ancient stove, to catch fish and collect firewood, and generally be self-sufficient.

Most of the book is about the children’s gradual changes and growth over the summer. They all have to be resourceful and to pull together as a family. Sometimes they wonder if Aunt Dymphna is completely crazy.

The writing is good, the characterisation excellent, and my only niggle was that it ends quite abruptly. I’d have liked another chapter, tying ends up more neatly and seeing what might happen in the future.

Still, overall I enjoyed it. It’s a good introduction to Noel Streatfeild for boys as well as girls, and nicely lacking in super-talented dancers or actors. ( )

Four children spend the summer with their dotty great-aunt in rural Ireland. She completely neglects them, so they must learn to cook, do laundry, and scrounge food for themselves. The children's interactions are as good as always with Streatfeild, but I found myself skipping large chunks of it.

I missed this as a kid, and it's just as well. *Not* what I read Streatfeild for. ( )