
The Night Garden
Book Details
Looky Rating System Score adjusted for ages 8+
Content Intensity
How strong or frequent is this content? Higher scores mean more intense content.
Story Themes
What is this book about? Higher scores mean the theme is more central to the plot — not a warning.
Description
From Newbery Honor and National Book Award–winning author Polly Horvath is this magical middle-grade novel about a garden that grants wishes. It is World War II, and Franny and her parents, Sina and Old Tom, enjoy a quiet life on a farm on Vancouver Island. Franny writes, Sina sculpts, and Old Tom tends to their many gardens—including the ancient, mysterious night garden. Their peaceful life is interrupted when their neighbor, Crying Alice, begs Sina to watch her children while she goes to visit her husband at the military base because she suspects he’s up to no good. Soon after the children move in, letters arrive from their father that suggest he's about to do something to change their lives; and appearances from a stubborn young cook, UFOs, hermits, and ghosts only make life stranger. Can the forbidden night garden that supposedly grants everyone one wish help them all out of trouble? And if so, at what cost? <i>The Night Garden </i>is a poignant and hilarious story from acclaimed children's author Polly Horvath.
Themes & Topics
Based on the book description, categories, and metadata — not verified against the full text.
How our ratings work →Book has been rated by our custom AI. We do our best to provide accurate information, but we know sometimes we may have missed something. If you feel we missed our mark on a rating, please suggest a correction so we can review the book independently of any publisher relationship.