Kay lives in a vast old country house, and is looked after by an unpleasant duo: the oily and egregious Sir Theopompous and the petulant and punitive Sylvia Daisy Pouncer.
In her zeal to educate Kay on the finer points of Latin grammar, Sylvia Daisy has even taken away all of Kays toys. Life seems very dull, until out of an old family portrait steps Kays great-grandfather, a sea captain, who, if legend is to be believed, made off with a fabulous treasure.
Soon Kay is engaged in a thrilling quest that begins each night as the clock strikes twelve, taking him into the enchanted and dangerous world of the Midnight Folk: pirates, highwaymen, talking animals, and a gang of witches led by none other than Sylvia Daisy (in cahoots, as in The Box of Delights, with the arch-villain Abner Brown). In the end, it is that ragtag team of old toys that rallies to support Kay and save the day.
A book to set beside C.S. Lewiss Narnia tales and Joan Aikens Wolves of Willoughby Chasenot to mention the Harry Potter seriesThe Midnight Folk is a wonderful and enthralling contribution to the great English tradition of childrens literature, beloved by adults and children alike.
