| Plot Summary of Tom's Midnight Garden |
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"Tom is a twelve year old boy who is angry about being sent to spend the summer with his childless aunt and uncle after his brother falls ill with a contagious fever. Tom thinks his summer will be ruined. He'll have to spend time in a poky old flat with his boring aunt and uncle and won't be able to do any of the outdoor activities that he and his brother had planned for their vacation. At first, the flat is everything Tom feared. He has no one to play with and nothing to do. Then one night Tom hears the landlady's antique grandfather clock strike thirteen times. When Tom goes downstairs to investigate, he finds that the house has been transformed to a large manor, instead of a series of flats, and the formerly paved backyard is now a sprawling country garden, complete with grass, trees and even a playmate – a young girl named Hatty.
Tom returns to the garden each night and delights in the fun he and Hatty have, but something about the situation bothers him. Even though it's night in his world, in the garden it is almost always day. And sometimes Tom can't find Hatty anywhere. Plus, while he stays the same age, Hatty does not. Tom's not sure if he's a ghost… or if Hatty is.
As the mystery of the garden unravels, Tom's friendship with Hatty teaches him that girls can be as fun as boys, and that friendship is important at any age.
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Jennifer Selk, Resident Scholar
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"It is night, and Tom is awakened by the grandfather clock in the hall, he counts the chimes, "...ten, eleven, twelve... thirteen!" In this magical hour outside reality, Tom is transported into the past, into a beautiful garden of trees, flowers and an unusual new friend...
As Tom explores this world, he becomes increasingly caught up in the trials of his new Victorian life, made harder by the fact that the very few who CAN see him think that he is a ghost and would do anything to avoid helping him return to normality once again."
bonzai, Resident Scholar
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