Got this from Bookmooch.com, as it's one I've always wanted to read it.

This is one of those stories that I know inside and out, through various movies, TV adaptations, picture books and general collective awareness, but I had never read the full book before. In fact, one of my favourite films of all time is the 1993 adaptation starring Maggie Smith. However, that did differ ever so slightly from the book, so it was with fresh eyes that I approached this.

The first thing that struck me as the language - this is essentially a children's book, but it is written in a beautiful, lyrical prose that was a joy to read. When something was mentioned that was maybe beyond the reader's understanding, the author was not afraid to just say 'which means...' and carry on to explain it. Overall, the theme is one from my heart - the great out doors being a heal-all, a way to exercise the body and freshen the mind, sharing experiences with like-minded people. The characters were well thought out and the children's fears are described in a realistic way.

I could take a hundred quotes from the book - every chapter was full of little gems. And I loved the sudden change of perspective in the last chapter, when Archie Lennox takes over the narrative on his return to the house.

So, I can't praise this enough - read it.

Off to the winner of the January 2015 Sweepstake - enjoy.

Thank you for a this joyful book! :-)