Phillipa Pierce Criticism
Philippa Pearce, a distinguished British author, is celebrated for her insightful novels and stories for young readers. Her works, characterized by a blend of fantasy, realism, and the supernatural, explore the profound experiences of childhood. Pearce skillfully integrates themes of time, social class, and familial isolation, often setting her narratives in the evocative Cambridgeshire countryside. Among her peers, including William Mayne and Rosemary Sutcliff, Pearce is noted for her deep exploration of the human condition and the pivotal roles adults play in her stories.
Pearce's masterpiece, Tom's Midnight Garden, is hailed for its innovative treatment of time and the blending of fantasy with reality, capturing the intense desire for companionship that transcends temporal boundaries. Critics have lauded its originality and profound narrative, with some deeming it the most perfect children's book. Her other notable work, A Dog So Small, similarly navigates the boundaries of fantasy through a child's longing for a pet, reflecting her characteristic style of portraying emotional growth.
Pearce's short stories, such as those in What the Neighbors Did and Other Stories, are praised for capturing the essence of everyday life, while The Shadow-Cage and Other Tales of the Supernatural reimagines ghost stories with her unique touch. The Squirrel Wife reinvigorates fairy tales with a focus on human emotion, and her collaborative work, The Children of the House, offers a nuanced look at Edwardian youth, despite criticisms of its time transitions.
While some later works are considered minor in comparison to Tom's Midnight Garden, Pearce's writing remains notable for its blend of fantasy and reality, along with her exceptional literary style. Her narratives resonate with young readers, offering relatable characters and rich imaginative depth. Pearce's accolades include the Carnegie Medal and the Whitbread Award, affirming her lasting impact on children's literature.
Contents
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The New Books: 'Minnow on the Say'
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The essay praises Phillipa Pearce's Minnow on the Say for its engaging narrative, well-developed characters, and balanced themes of hope and disappointment, noting how these elements contribute to the book's enduring appeal and emotional depth.
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Books for Boys and Girls: 'The Minnow Leads to Treasure'
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In the following essay, Margaret Sherwood Libby praises "The Minnow Leads to Treasure" for its unique blend of engaging plot, well-drawn characters, and the evocative depiction of the river setting, highlighting the suspenseful puzzle that invites reader participation.
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Search on the River Say
(summary)
In the following essay, Ethna Sheehan praises "The Minnow Leads to Treasure" for its multidimensional characters and evocative setting, emphasizing how the novel transcends typical mystery tropes by featuring well-rounded adult characters and a vivid, leisurely atmosphere.
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The New Books: 'Tom's Midnight Garden'
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The critic asserts that Phillipa Pearce's Tom's Midnight Garden is an exceptional follow-up to her debut novel, praised for its originality, surprise ending, profound character understanding, and masterful prose that transports readers into a vividly depicted magical world, marking it as a work of rare quality and excellence.
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Margery Fisher
(summary)
In the following essay, Margery Fisher praises Philippa Pearce's Tom's Midnight Garden for its imaginative storytelling and philosophical depth, highlighting its stylistic elegance and the complexities of time and reality, alongside acclaim for Minnow on the Say for its intricate narrative and nuanced exploration of class differences.
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Animal Challenge: Opportunities for Heroism
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The critic highlights Pearce's A Dog So Small for its emotive storytelling and craftsmanship, noting that the book's straightforward expression of children's emotions, while not her best work, remains a meticulously crafted narrative that appeals directly to a young audience without catering to adult subtext.
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The New Books: 'A Dog So Small'
(summary)
The critic praises Phillipa Pearce's novel "A Dog So Small" for its intricate plot, subtle exploration of relationships, and insightful depiction of society, suggesting that its depth and complexity may appeal to a select group of children as they transition into adulthood.
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Special Review: 'The Children of the House'
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In the following essay, Margery Fisher commends Philippa Pearce's The Children of the House for its rich detail and evocative portrayal of a particular historical period, highlighting the novel's successful collaboration in depicting the nuanced relationships and individual identities within a privileged yet disciplined family.
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Historical Fiction: 'The Children of the House'
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In the following essay, Mrs. E. D. Moss praises Philippa Pearce's "The Children of the House" for its elegant writing, nuanced tragedy, vivid character portrayal, precise historical setting, and sharp dialogue, while also highlighting its underlying humor and love of fun.
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The New Books: 'The Children of the House'
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The critic examines the collaborative nature of Phillipa Pearce's adaptation of Brian Fairfax-Lucy's adult story for a younger audience, highlighting its readability and effective portrayal of class dynamics, despite noting its abrupt temporal transitions and inconsistent character aging.
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Grades 3-6: 'The Children of the House'
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In the following essay, Jean C. Thomson critiques The Children of the House as a somber narrative intended for younger readers, highlighting its unusual focus on aristocratic life and its melancholic themes, while suggesting it serves as a social document for an audience typically unexposed to such realities.
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'The Children of the House'
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In the following essay, Barbara Wersba praises Phillipia Pearce's "The Children of the House" for its Chekhovian simplicity and emotional depth, highlighting the book as a poignant and truthful reflection of a generation.
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Fantasy in Children's Literature
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In the following essay, Constantine Georgiou highlights Tom's Midnight Garden by Philippa Pearce as a standout in children's literature for its compelling character development and realistic narrative style, which transcends typical time and dream fantasy conventions without relying on supernatural elements.
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Worlds without Boundaries: Literary Fairy Tales and Fantasy
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In the following essay, Ruth Hill Viguers praises Philippa Pearce's Tom's Midnight Garden for its masterful portrayal of timelessness and reality through seamless narrative and convincing supernatural elements, establishing it as a model of literary excellence in children's fiction.
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The Green and Burning Tree: A Study of Time Fantasy
(summary)
In the following essay, Eleanor Cameron praises Phillipa Pierce's Tom's Midnight Garden for its philosophical depth, emotional resonance, and imaginative narrative structure, emphasizing the seamless integration of complex themes within a story that engages both children and adults.
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Philippa Pearce in the Golden Age of Children's Literature
(summary)
In the following essay, Brian Jackson argues that Philippa Pearce's literature is distinguished by its ability to engage young readers with a blend of detective-like narrative pull, moral authenticity, and poignant insights into childhood, positioning her work as a bridge between classic and contemporary children's literature.
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The Treatment of Time in Four Children's Books
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In the following essay, Lesley Aers explores Phillipa Pearce's "Tom's Midnight Garden," highlighting its profound meditation on the nature of time, its impact on personal growth and societal change, and its dual narrative of nostalgic childhood and adult awareness, questioning the reconciliation of time's relentless progression with the dreamlike nature of memory.
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The Novels of Philippa Pearce
(summary)
In the following essay, David Rees examines Phillipa Pierce's novels, highlighting "Minnow on the Say" as an impressive first novel despite its melodramatic elements and celebrating "Tom's Midnight Garden" as nearly a masterpiece for its complex exploration of time and emotional intensity, while acknowledging thematic continuities and growth across her works.
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Legend and Fairy Tale: 'The Squirrel Wife'
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In the following essay, Margery Fisher praises Philippa Pearce's The Squirrel Wife for its masterful continuation of the fairy-tale tradition, emphasizing its natural incorporation of magic and its focus on human emotion and values reminiscent of Hans Andersen.
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Fiction for Children
(summary)
In the following essay, Frank Eyre praises Philippa Pearce for her masterful use of time-shift in "Tom's Midnight Garden" and highlights her distinctive ability to transform traditional children's story elements into exceptional narratives, as seen in her other works like "Minnow on the Say."
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Philippa Pearce
(summary)
In the following essay, Philippa Pearce reflects on how her personal experiences, including a bout with tuberculosis and a career in school broadcasting, influenced her development as a children's writer and shaped the thematic focus of her works like Minnow on the Say and Tom, emphasizing the intertwining of past and present experiences in her writing process.
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Spring Booklist: 'The Squirrel Wife'
(summary)
In the following essay, Virginia Haviland praises Phillipa Pierce's The Squirrel Wife for its fairy-tale structure, highlighting the enchanting narrative and the endearing creation of the protagonist's wife, while noting the tale's richness and gentle narrative style.
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Special Review: 'What the Neighbours Did and Other Stories'
(summary)
In the following essay, Margery Fisher contends that Phillipa Pierce's What the Neighbours Did and Other Stories masterfully combines a child’s perspective with universal themes of village life, offering narratives rich in memory and language that appeal to both young readers and adult appreciators of literature.
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Quiet Country Lives
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In the following essay, the critic contends that Philippa Pearce's What the Neighbours Did stands out as a significant contribution to children's literature due to its understated realism and profound exploration of life's mysteries, eschewing fantastical elements for a focus on the poignant depths of ordinary rural children's experiences.
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Self and Society
(summary)
In the following essay, Marcus Crouch lauds Philippa Pearce's Tom's Midnight Garden for its unique genre-defying narrative, mastery of literary style, and its seamless blend of past and present, while contrasting it with her earlier work, Minnow on the Say, highlighting the significant advancement in her storytelling craft.
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Stories for the Middle Readers: 'What the Neighbors Did and Other Stories'
(summary)
In the following essay, Paul Heins praises Philippa Pearce's What the Neighbors Did and Other Stories for its blend of humor, realism, and environmental depiction, highlighting her observational skill and sympathetic narrative style akin to Sara Orne Jewett's work.
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What the Neighbors Did
(summary)
In the following essay, Penelope Farmer evaluates Philippa Pearce's collection "What the Neighbours Did and Other Stories," noting its diverse tones and strong sense of place, while expressing regret over Pearce's departure from certain facets of her talent, yet acknowledging the collection's remarkable quality.
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Not So Flimsy
(summary)
In the following essay, John Rowe Townsend extols Phillipa Pearce's "Tom's Midnight Garden" as a near-perfect example of English children's literature, praising its masterful construction, blend of fantasy and realism, and its profound sense of time, ultimately declaring it a masterpiece of the post-war era.
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Special Review: 'The Shadow Cage and Other Tales of the Supernatural'
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In the following essay, Margery Fisher argues that Philippa Pearce's The Shadow Cage and Other Tales of the Supernatural skillfully blends the supernatural with the ordinary, using a plain yet captivating narrative style to create stories where the supernatural naturally emerges from everyday settings and human experiences.
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The New Books: 'The Shadow-Cage and Other Tales of the Supernatural'
(summary)
The critic contends that Phillipa Pierce's The Shadow Cage and Other Tales of the Supernatural transcends typical ghost stories by using ordinary settings to evoke a chilling atmosphere, characterized by unexpected endings and a profound sense of the supernatural, earning its place among elite supernatural literature.
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Evil Exorcised
(summary)
In the following essay, Julia Briggs evaluates Philippa Pearce's work, noting how her latest collection, The Shadow-Cage and Other Tales of the Supernatural, uses imagination and memory to transform everyday life while experimenting with the ghost story genre and softening its typically harsh terrors.
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Seven to Eleven: 'The Shadow Cage and Other Tales of the Supernatural'
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In the following essay, Dorothy Nimmo asserts that Philippa Pearce's The Shadow Cage and Other Tales of the Supernatural transcends mere children's ghost stories by offering genuine literature that evokes feelings of mystery and menace without resorting to didacticism or simplification.
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The Novels of Molly Holden
(summary)
In the following essay, Roger Alma praises Philippa Pearce's novel The Children of the House as a necessary transitionary work for young readers, highlighting its portrayal of the tragic consequences of unloving parents and historical events, and its ability to bridge children's and adult literature.
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Life Savers
(summary)
In the following essay, Rosemary Stones praises Philippa Pearce's The Battle of Bubble and Squeak for its deft portrayal of a child's longing for a pet and its impact on family dynamics, highlighting Pearce's dry humor and insightful observation of human complexities.
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Points of Intersection
(summary)
In the following essay, Margery Fisher examines the layers of emotional and familial dynamics in Phillipa Pearce's The Battle of Bubble and Squeak, highlighting how the narrative's exploration of family tensions and parental roles adds depth to a seemingly simple children's story.
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The New Books: 'The Battle of Bubble and Squeak'
(summary)
The critic highlights Phillipa Pearce's talent for crafting stories with precision and depth, as demonstrated in The Battle of Bubble and Squeak, where her meticulous language and engaging characters transform a simple family tale about gerbils into a profound narrative exploring human relationships and emotional growth.
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An Old Favourite: 'The Elm Street Lot'
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In the following essay, Margery Fisher lauds Philippa Pearce's The Elm Street Lot for its timeless depiction of a tightly-knit community, highlighting Pearce's use of "populousness" and humor to create a vivid portrayal of childhood adventures and neighborhood dynamics in a London street.
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Ghost Stories: Exploiting the Convention
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In the following essay, Judith Armstrong examines Philippa Pearce's ghost stories, arguing that they explore themes of identity, the fluidity of self, and the coexistence of multiple potential selves, using the ghost as a vehicle to express the complexities and transformative experiences of the characters, particularly during adolescence.
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Letter from England: Reaching through a Window
(summary)
In the following essay, Aidan Chambers commends Philippa Pearce's novel The Battle of Bubble and Squeak for its nuanced portrayal of family dynamics and adult perspectives in a children's story, highlighting her elegant narrative style and the novel's thematic focus on social interaction and emotional complexity.