Bet lives with her grandparents the Allums, and often accompanies her grandmother when Mrs. Allum cleans house for the eccentric Mr. Franklin. One day, after Mr. Franklin breaks his leg in a fall, he asks Bet to do him a strange favor. She is to go out to a tree stump in the garden and read aloud from a book about worms. Bet does as Mr. Franklin asks, and soon makes the acquaintance of a mole. A talking, intelligent mole who has been touched by magic.

Little by little, Bet's new friend tells her his strange history. Some parts of it are scary, some parts sad. The magic has given the "little gentleman" an unnaturally long life and the intelligence to communicate with humans; but it has cut him off from his true home, his true nature, and his own kind. Bet learns that she can help her friend get home. But to do that, she must lose him forever.

This brief tale from the author of Tom's Midnight Garden is filled with a young girl's confusion at a time of change in her life - a turning point in her family and in the way she views herself. The chance of happiness is mixed with the risk of disappointment, just as the chance to show true friendship is tinged with the fear and pain of loss. It is a touching story, and one full of vivid scenes of nature, history, and a terrible side of magic. I urge you to welcome Bet, her family, and her flawed but memorable loved ones into your life. I urge you to experience this book.

Robbie Fischer
USA

Recommended Age: 10+

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