The Moffats, by Eleanor Estes, is one of the author’s most well-known books, and the first in a series of four books. This book is about a family that consists of a mother, four children and a cat, living during World War I. The father had died a few years earlier. The children’s names are, from oldest to youngest, Sylvie, Joe, Jane and Rufus. One warm day in late summer, Jane is enjoying her day outside when a man named Mr. Baxter comes up to the Moffat’s house and nails on a sign that reads “for sale.” The Moffat children, and especially Jane, are very concerned by the sign. Their mother tells the children to try and forget about it, but it is difficult at first because they keep seeing the sign whenever they go in or out of the house. To make things worse, potential buyers stop by occasionally to inquire about the house.
The Moffats are able to forget about the sign for a while, but Jane gets increasingly annoyed by the sign. She cannot imagine living anywhere else, and she does not want to sell the house. Eventually, Jane gets so angry at the sign that she starts throwing mud balls at it. Afterward, while she is cleaning up the mess, a family named the Murdocks notices the sign and begins coming to the house every other day. The Moffat children resort to locking doors, closing windows and hiding whenever they sense the presence of one of the Murdocks. Jane wonders whether her family will ever get rid of the sign.
This book is really a collection of simple childhood adventures. The events seem quite ordinary, but the book is very well-written and engaging. The for-sale sign seems to be one of the main elements of the story, but this book is really about many small events from the perspective of a child. Jane seems to be the main character, and many of her observations are humorous even though she seems to overreact to things. This book is a good reminder of what it feels like to think as a child. The author does an excellent job of portraying life from a child’s perspective. I found it enjoyable to read about what happens to the children in the Moffat family, although I would have liked to learn more about the two older children. Sylvie is usually only mentioned, so I would have liked to read more about her. However, this is a very good children’s novel and I would recommend it to anyone in the mood for reading a simple and delightful book.
The Moffats by Eleanor Estes is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.
Mission Viejo Library Teen Voice 