Bogwoppit

by Ursula Moray Williams

Bogwoppit

Genres: Childrens, Fantasy, Classics, Middle Grade, Fiction, British Literature, Audiobook

336 pages, Paperback

First published December 31, 1978

Reviews

[Grey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this as a kid, and need to find a copy of it NOW. I need a refresher. Then I can write a better review. I JUST KNOW IT WAS AWESOME.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really fun story that isn't your typical plot. Samantha is wonderfully gutsy, but well mannered and sensible which I really liked. You didnt have to make excuses for her or pity her like other unwanted children in other stories of this type. Aunt Daisy Clandorris is a quirky villian and rather funny, which is also refreshing. I'm glad Puffin republished these lesser known children's stories, and with wonderful covers which is always a good thing.

[Jason · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book feels a bit dated now, A child being left to find somewhere to live whilst her relatives move to America to live, school does nothing just accepts the change. How times have changed!

The Bogwoppit's are super cute and very naughty, some of their antics had my daughter chuckling. Mr Price the plumber was a real odd character, had a bit of a strange obsession with the drains.

The ending was good, a little bit of danger to finish of the story.

[Charlotte · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would have preferred more about the old house and garden, and less about the bogwoppits, who are unpleasant and stinky, but it a child who enjoys all the magical creature books around today were to somehow come across it, they might like the bogwoppits much more than I did.

[Sarah Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to give this book 4 stars purely because I read this book as a kid, and to this day we still use the word 'bogwoppit' 😂 It was calling my son's cat a bogwoppit yesterday that reminded me of this book and made me want to read it again 😂

* Samantha has been living with her Aunt Lily since she was born and her mother died. But now Aunt Lily is moving to America after marrying her lodger, and wants Samantha to go and live with her Aunt Daisy, who is a lady, and lives in a grand house called 'The Park'.
* Aunt Daisy isn't really on board with this idea, but puts up with her for long enough until she can foist her off on someone else.
* While staying at The Park, Samantha comes across a small, black, creature with webbed feet, small wings, a furry tail and big blue eyes. Her aunt tells her it's a bogwoppit, and tries to kill them by dumping disinfectant down the drains.
* Samantha saves one bogwoppit, and ends up living with her friends The Prices. They have some frogspawn which was stolen from The Park, and it turns out it's actually bogwoppit eggs, and they manage to repopulate the marshes at The Park.
* Then Aunt Daisy goes missing and it turns out that the bogwoppits have kidnapped her, and are holding her in one of the large drain pipes on the property. Samantha has to go down there and rescue her.
* Then her Uncle Earl comes him, he's been studying bogwoppits in South America 😂 He leaves with Aunt Daisy to go back to South America, and they sign over The Park to Samantha and the Prices.

[Angela Tuson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the writing, the eccentric adults, the sensible and autonomous children... and the Bogwoppits. But found, as ever with Williams' books, that the books have an old-fashionedness of the very worst kind, the casual disrespect for anyone who is not English speaking, white, middle class kind.
Tsk.

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this when my children were young and it was, and still is, a firm favourite.

[Bev · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this! It's so cute. I really like the Bogwoppit (the One and Only), even if he is trouble at times. I'm just sad I didn't discover it as a child.

[Elephants · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bogwoppit is a tale of a girl who is quite unhappy until she finds a bogwoppit a peculiar creature that adores her.

[Jennifer Urban · Rating 5 out of 5]

Favorite childhood book

[Lizzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Realistic characters, and good telling of bogwoppit habbits. Nice ecological theme.

[Carol Aldred · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great old-school children's story.
And now I want a Bogwoppit!

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book made an enormous difference to me as an only child. I was given it by our neighbours and I adored it. I somehow felt less lonely being immersed in the world of the Bogwoppits.

[Julia · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a book from my youth. I only remember bits of it, but enough that I wanted to reread it.

It is about an orphan girl whose guardian aunt was done with her and told her to go live with her antisocial aunt. The antisocial aunt lives in a mansion in a park, and absolutely does not want the girl staying there. The girl finds these strange creatures, Bogwoppits, living on the property. She discovers they were thought to be extinct, and is deeply horrified when her aunt, who considers them pests, kills all of them with poison. All but one. The girl befriends the bogwoppit, and cooks up a scheme to get them protected. Then she discovers that the bogwoppits have not all died, but they then kidnapped her aunt.

Overall, the story was somewhat entertaining, but lacked substance. It was a cute story, but not one worth rereading.

[Audrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won't change my rating since it's based on how much I loved it as a child, but it took me more than half the book to figure out what it was that I saw in it when I read it over 20 years ago. It ended very strongly, though, and I would probably still give it four stars. Maybe 3.5...

[Chris Dillon · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a bizarre book from my childhood. I remember reading this in p7 when the school was throwing out books, and my teacher allowed the good kids to salvage some :) strange read. Worth reading once.

[Wheredidsofygo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh my life, this is my childhood! Making Bogwoppits in 2nd year primary school and accidentally sewing it to my skirt.

[Andrew Hart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surely my favourite book from my childhood. I'll have to buy this for the kids.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Humorous and a great read. Plus having the same name as the main character helped. Samantha not bogwoppit lol

I've reread this with my daughter and she loved it too