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The Boggart #1
The Boggart
The Boggart is homesick for his drafty old castle home!
In a tumbledown castle in the Western Highlands of Scotland lives the Boggart. He is invisible — an ancient mischievous spirit, solitary and sly. Life for the Boggart is wonderful, full of games and trickery. But the last Scottish owner has died and left the castle to his great-nephew. The Vonik family — including Emily and her nine-year-old computer-genius brother Jessup — visit Castle Keep, and when they return home to Canada, they unwittingly take the Boggart with them.
The Boggart quickly discovers that the modern world is no place for a spirit as ancient as he is. The collision of up-to-date technology and the Old Magic brings perils nobody could have imagined. Can a Boggart who has found himself on the wrong side of the ocean ever find happiness again?
In a tumbledown castle in the Western Highlands of Scotland lives the Boggart. He is invisible — an ancient mischievous spirit, solitary and sly. Life for the Boggart is wonderful, full of games and trickery. But the last Scottish owner has died and left the castle to his great-nephew. The Vonik family — including Emily and her nine-year-old computer-genius brother Jessup — visit Castle Keep, and when they return home to Canada, they unwittingly take the Boggart with them.
The Boggart quickly discovers that the modern world is no place for a spirit as ancient as he is. The collision of up-to-date technology and the Old Magic brings perils nobody could have imagined. Can a Boggart who has found himself on the wrong side of the ocean ever find happiness again?
196 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1993
About the author
Susan Cooper
137 books2,479 followersSusan Cooper's latest book is the YA novel "Ghost Hawk" (2013)
Susan Cooper was born in 1935, and grew up in England's Buckinghamshire, an area that was green countryside then but has since become part of Greater London. As a child, she loved to read, as did her younger brother, who also became a writer. After attending Oxford, where she became the first woman to ever edit that university's newspaper, Cooper worked as a reporter and feature writer for London's Sunday Times; her first boss was James Bond creator Ian Fleming.
Cooper wrote her first book for young readers in response to a publishing house competition; "Over Sea, Under Stone" would later form the basis for her critically acclaimed five-book fantasy sequence, "The Dark Is Rising." The fourth book in the series, "The Grey King," won the Newbery Medal in 1976. By that time, Susan Cooper had been living in America for 13 years, having moved to marry her first husband, an American professor, and was stepmother to three children and the mother of two.
Cooper went on to write other well-received novels, including "The Boggart" (and its sequel "The Boggart and the Monster"), "King of Shadows", and "Victory," as well as several picture books for young readers with illustrators such as Ashley Bryan and Warwick Hutton. She has also written books for adults, as well as plays and Emmy-nominated screenplays, many in collaboration with the actor Hume Cronyn, whom she married in 1996. Hume Cronyn died in 2003 and Ms. Cooper now lives in Marshfield MA. When Cooper is not working, she enjoys playing piano, gardening, and traveling.
Recent books include the collaborative project "The Exquisite Corpse Adventure" and her biography of Jack Langstaff titled "The Magic Maker." Her newest book is "Ghost Hawk."
Visit her Facebook pages: www.facebook.com/SusanCooperFanPage
www.facebook.com/GhostHawkBySusanCooper
Susan Cooper was born in 1935, and grew up in England's Buckinghamshire, an area that was green countryside then but has since become part of Greater London. As a child, she loved to read, as did her younger brother, who also became a writer. After attending Oxford, where she became the first woman to ever edit that university's newspaper, Cooper worked as a reporter and feature writer for London's Sunday Times; her first boss was James Bond creator Ian Fleming.
Cooper wrote her first book for young readers in response to a publishing house competition; "Over Sea, Under Stone" would later form the basis for her critically acclaimed five-book fantasy sequence, "The Dark Is Rising." The fourth book in the series, "The Grey King," won the Newbery Medal in 1976. By that time, Susan Cooper had been living in America for 13 years, having moved to marry her first husband, an American professor, and was stepmother to three children and the mother of two.
Cooper went on to write other well-received novels, including "The Boggart" (and its sequel "The Boggart and the Monster"), "King of Shadows", and "Victory," as well as several picture books for young readers with illustrators such as Ashley Bryan and Warwick Hutton. She has also written books for adults, as well as plays and Emmy-nominated screenplays, many in collaboration with the actor Hume Cronyn, whom she married in 1996. Hume Cronyn died in 2003 and Ms. Cooper now lives in Marshfield MA. When Cooper is not working, she enjoys playing piano, gardening, and traveling.
Recent books include the collaborative project "The Exquisite Corpse Adventure" and her biography of Jack Langstaff titled "The Magic Maker." Her newest book is "Ghost Hawk."
Visit her Facebook pages: www.facebook.com/SusanCooperFanPage
www.facebook.com/GhostHawkBySusanCooper
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 319 reviews
July 8, 2026
"A very ancient, mischievous thing, solitary and sly, born of a magic as old as the rocks and the waves...The Boggart."When Emily and Jessup learn that their family inherited a castle - in Scotland of all places! - they were beyond excited to explore their new home.
But soon their parents make adult decisions regarding the crumbling Scottish property and the siblings are left merely with memories...or so they thought.
For there is a creature who is bound to the MacDevon family line...and they are the last of the living MacDevons...
When I was very young, I remember a story about a mischievous shapeshifting Boggart who became friends with a couple of children - but for the longest time I could not remember what it was called.
"But once in a great while he remembered that he had felt pain, a terrible ache in his heart, and he swore he would never let himself feel love for a human again."
Folks.
It was called The Boggart.
(what can I say? I was a child.)
Annnnyway, now that I remembered one of my favorite childhood books, I immediately picked up a copy and listened to the audiobook on a trip with my little one...and whew.
I still freaking love this book.
There's something about early nineties books that just capture the imagination - and this story is no exception.
The characters are fun to follow, and I love the perspective of the Boggart in this book - the way Susan Cooper writes this whimsically delightful character is fabulous.
This is probably the book that sparked my interest in mythology - and I haven't ever looked back.
December 14, 2015
the story was ok. I know I was not the target age range for this book and sometimes that's ok but I think younger kids will like this more than I did.
May 13, 2024
My overwhelming impression reading this book was one of pleasant surprise. Though I've always enjoyed Susan Cooper's output in the past, considering how little is spoken about this one, I hadn't been expecting it to be as good as it is. The plot unfolds at a nice pace, and details from the beginning resurface at the end in an agreeably rounded denouement. I've given three stars because I believe I gave four to Cooper's The Dark is Rising sequence, and The Boggart doesn't quite achieve their level of soaring beauty, but it really is an excellent little story.
The characters, while not particularly deep, are realistic and original. The villain is appropriately slimy and irritating in that patronizing niceness that grownups often overlook, and that every kid despises. The kids' mom is lovingly rendered: both sympathetic and exasperatingly overprotective, as a mom ought to be. Her son's "layabout" genius friend whom she so distrusts is a strikingly ambiguous detail for such a young audience, as is the hinted relationship between the two helpful theatre workers who first teach the heroes to call the 'weird stuff' that has been occuring by its name, 'Boggart.' Both these details, without intruding onto the story, add subtle layers of authenticity to the world.
Some have complained about the use of technology in the story, saying that it "dates" the book and makes it irrelevant; but honestly, computer technology becomes outdated so quickly nowadays that by that argument one would have to avoid it in literature entirely, and it's scarcely the author's fault that nobody uses floppy discs anymore. I can't see that it detracts from the story in any way. I felt rather intrigued by the glimpse into a time when computer games were an exciting new invention being created by gangs of enthusiastic kids, rather than the massive industry of today. Cooper weaves science in with the magic in a surprising way, and in this as well as in the affectionate nod to show business invites comparison to Madeleine L'Engle.
But the real heart of the story is the Boggart himself. With his satisfyingly mischievous pranks, his innocent delight in fun, and his alien mind (racing blithely, Tinkerbell-style, from one emotion to another, the ecstasy of discovery to brain-numbing sorrow to cheerful curiosity, within seconds) Susan Cooper's little scottish puck is a delicious realization of the trickster spirit.
I wasn't a fan of this audio recording. The narrator just doesn't seem to grasp the frolicking, antic tone of this story; he is booming and august when he ought to be atmospheric, and recites the humorous bits as if he were reading a stern lecture--not in a dry, ironic way, but rather as if he slightly disapproved. He is also apparently under the impression that dramatic moments must be read at a shout, LISTEN TO HOW EXCITING THIS IS, as if the audience couldn't figure out for ourselves when something important is going on.
However, this story begs to be read aloud. Its blend of whimsy, lightly poetic descriptions and slapstick humor make it excellent bedtime-story fodder. While not necessarily life-changing, it would make a great addition to a library; if you want a fun adventure and quality storytelling, you really can't go wrong.
The characters, while not particularly deep, are realistic and original. The villain is appropriately slimy and irritating in that patronizing niceness that grownups often overlook, and that every kid despises. The kids' mom is lovingly rendered: both sympathetic and exasperatingly overprotective, as a mom ought to be. Her son's "layabout" genius friend whom she so distrusts is a strikingly ambiguous detail for such a young audience, as is the hinted relationship between the two helpful theatre workers who first teach the heroes to call the 'weird stuff' that has been occuring by its name, 'Boggart.' Both these details, without intruding onto the story, add subtle layers of authenticity to the world.
Some have complained about the use of technology in the story, saying that it "dates" the book and makes it irrelevant; but honestly, computer technology becomes outdated so quickly nowadays that by that argument one would have to avoid it in literature entirely, and it's scarcely the author's fault that nobody uses floppy discs anymore. I can't see that it detracts from the story in any way. I felt rather intrigued by the glimpse into a time when computer games were an exciting new invention being created by gangs of enthusiastic kids, rather than the massive industry of today. Cooper weaves science in with the magic in a surprising way, and in this as well as in the affectionate nod to show business invites comparison to Madeleine L'Engle.
But the real heart of the story is the Boggart himself. With his satisfyingly mischievous pranks, his innocent delight in fun, and his alien mind (racing blithely, Tinkerbell-style, from one emotion to another, the ecstasy of discovery to brain-numbing sorrow to cheerful curiosity, within seconds) Susan Cooper's little scottish puck is a delicious realization of the trickster spirit.
I wasn't a fan of this audio recording. The narrator just doesn't seem to grasp the frolicking, antic tone of this story; he is booming and august when he ought to be atmospheric, and recites the humorous bits as if he were reading a stern lecture--not in a dry, ironic way, but rather as if he slightly disapproved. He is also apparently under the impression that dramatic moments must be read at a shout, LISTEN TO HOW EXCITING THIS IS, as if the audience couldn't figure out for ourselves when something important is going on.
However, this story begs to be read aloud. Its blend of whimsy, lightly poetic descriptions and slapstick humor make it excellent bedtime-story fodder. While not necessarily life-changing, it would make a great addition to a library; if you want a fun adventure and quality storytelling, you really can't go wrong.
April 9, 2016
I am a big Susan Cooper fan, especially of The Dark is Rising series. I read this book because I am interested in boggart lore and there is a fair amount here in this story of a Canadian family who travel to Scotland when the dad inherits a castle there. When they decide to sell the castle and go home to Toronto, they pack up some of the furniture. Inside a desk, the boggart was sleeping. Late 20th century Canada is a big surprise to the Boggart, practical jokester extraordinaire.
There is a fair bit of the story that is predictable, beginning with the family inheriting a haunted (sort of) castle, as well as the shock of a creature of Wild Magic when he encounters the modern world. Besides the strong writing and engaging story, I was struck by the boggart as a sympathetic character, especially when he is finally able to tell them he wants to go home. The use of a computer game was clever.
Middle school children and those a bit younger, 4th and 5th grade, who are interested in the fantastic, will like this book.
There is a fair bit of the story that is predictable, beginning with the family inheriting a haunted (sort of) castle, as well as the shock of a creature of Wild Magic when he encounters the modern world. Besides the strong writing and engaging story, I was struck by the boggart as a sympathetic character, especially when he is finally able to tell them he wants to go home. The use of a computer game was clever.
Middle school children and those a bit younger, 4th and 5th grade, who are interested in the fantastic, will like this book.
December 25, 2018
The boggart has lived in a decayed Scottish castle for centuries, making harmless mischief and shapeshifting into different forms. But when the elderly caretaker dies, the castle is inherited by the Volnik family, modern Canadians who don't know about the boggart. They arrive in Scotland to check out their rather decrepit property; the boggart decides to take a nap inside a desk... right before the desk is shipped back to Canada.
A few references to The Loch Ness Monster, maybe not as good as the Archie Wilson Loch Ness books but still good. The age target was a little weird as some point I thought it was for 8 year olds and then it has some complicated chapters, I'm 14 and found hard to follow. Still a good read.
A few references to The Loch Ness Monster, maybe not as good as the Archie Wilson Loch Ness books but still good. The age target was a little weird as some point I thought it was for 8 year olds and then it has some complicated chapters, I'm 14 and found hard to follow. Still a good read.
Did Not Finish
March 16, 2017I liked her Dark is Rising series, but I just can't get into this one.
I wanted something light to read in between stories of a difficult classic but this just isn't working at the moment. I've been pecking away at it for about a week now and I'm barely to page 30. Normally for a book for this age level, I'd be to page 30 in under half an hour. It's just not holding my attention for more than a page or two at a time.
I wanted something light to read in between stories of a difficult classic but this just isn't working at the moment. I've been pecking away at it for about a week now and I'm barely to page 30. Normally for a book for this age level, I'd be to page 30 in under half an hour. It's just not holding my attention for more than a page or two at a time.
October 29, 2018
Nostalgia re-read 2018! I carried a couple of clear memories about this story: the Halloween costumes, and the ending with the computer game central to the plot. What my sheltered baby self skimmed right over was the gay couple in the dad's theatre troupe. :D I also didn't catch the undercurrent of tension with Barry, the high-school dropout.
In 2018, the tech bits are hilariously dated; 2018 me also found the way the computer programming was handled to be written by someone who doesn't... know how programming works... There's a sinister subplot with a doctor that doesn't really go anywhere*, and the computer solution was kind of thrown in at the last minute. I feel like this book could have benefited from being a little longer. But the base story is still pretty charming, and I can see why this stuck in my head for so many years. Scottish castles! Computers! ("Computalk" LOL) Scottish penpals! Tricksy supernatural spirits! I love when magical creatures are truly Other, and the Boggart—sympathetic, but not a little unsettling in his lack of care for human safety, even as he considers the children 'friends'—qualifies.
* I guess it sort of felt like a fourth wall thumbing-of-the-nose at YA stories where the 'hauntings' are really a metaphor for the Curse Of Adolescence etc. For me, nothing about this plot thread worked, especially the parents' reactions. You have a doctor who says your daughter needs to be locked up and your response is to ignore her distress and think this is a good plan, up until the point said doctor tries to profit off the case to the press?? It feels like the publicity is what sends Maggie and Robert over the edge and not concern for their own child, which is... uh... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
In 2018, the tech bits are hilariously dated; 2018 me also found the way the computer programming was handled to be written by someone who doesn't... know how programming works... There's a sinister subplot with a doctor that doesn't really go anywhere*, and the computer solution was kind of thrown in at the last minute. I feel like this book could have benefited from being a little longer. But the base story is still pretty charming, and I can see why this stuck in my head for so many years. Scottish castles! Computers! ("Computalk" LOL) Scottish penpals! Tricksy supernatural spirits! I love when magical creatures are truly Other, and the Boggart—sympathetic, but not a little unsettling in his lack of care for human safety, even as he considers the children 'friends'—qualifies.
* I guess it sort of felt like a fourth wall thumbing-of-the-nose at YA stories where the 'hauntings' are really a metaphor for the Curse Of Adolescence etc. For me, nothing about this plot thread worked, especially the parents' reactions. You have a doctor who says your daughter needs to be locked up and your response is to ignore her distress and think this is a good plan, up until the point said doctor tries to profit off the case to the press?? It feels like the publicity is what sends Maggie and Robert over the edge and not concern for their own child, which is... uh... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
June 28, 2023
I thought it was a lot of fun and very funny in places.
August 11, 2016
An okay read for a sleepless night. Published in 1993 but it feels late seventies, with the media fascination for poltergeists, ESP, and the "adolescent girl rage causes telekinesis" trope (remember "Carrie"?) However, beyond a mention of the fact that the Boggart is a part of "Wild Magic", Cooper manages to keep it all very light. Nobody's special, nobody's Chosen--it's a comic little story of Canadians dealing with an ancient Scottish spirit they have inherited along with the castle and the furniture. I got a definite The Canterville Ghost vibe, as the Boggart tries to make friends with the kids and just wants a little appreciation--but not the kind he gets from the creepy psychiatrist who wants to "study the phenomenon." The little brother is a computer nerd with floppy disks and a B/W monitor, who creates a computer game that may or may not hold the answer. Their parents are so wrapped up in their own lives and work that they have very little clue as to what's going on, and don't get one throughout the book. The kids get on with their own affairs and as long as they're home on time for supper everything's jake.
I see there's a second volume (naturally). I don't expect much from it, because there wasn't much here, but for a light frothy read it was okay. Much more humour than in the The Dark Is Rising Sequence, less angst and no attempt to down Christianity; it simply doesn't arise. It passed the time on a sleepless night and was entertaining enough.
I see there's a second volume (naturally). I don't expect much from it, because there wasn't much here, but for a light frothy read it was okay. Much more humour than in the The Dark Is Rising Sequence, less angst and no attempt to down Christianity; it simply doesn't arise. It passed the time on a sleepless night and was entertaining enough.
March 21, 2021
Similar to Spiderwick, this rare creature is rewarding to read about, while the social arcs of contemporary characters are tacked on in grasp at an unnecessary formula.
From a technical perspective, Susan Cooper is obviously a good writer with few unnecessary words. However, certain ideas have an inharmonious feel from the main tone about Scotland and the Boggart with a lingering feeling of ulterior motive.
Some family dynamics, the thread about a teen drug dealer with a heart of gold, the gang of (painfully dated) computer nerds, and some of the adult characters from the theater and antique shop are irrelevant and jarring, as if from a saccharine 90s movie.
I would rather delete or ignore these threads and read only the Boggart's perspective, which itself is shockingly well done. That said, I might have preferred if he stayed in Scotland rather than going across the sea to a muggle city, although I did enjoy when he became a hockey puck.
From a technical perspective, Susan Cooper is obviously a good writer with few unnecessary words. However, certain ideas have an inharmonious feel from the main tone about Scotland and the Boggart with a lingering feeling of ulterior motive.
Some family dynamics, the thread about a teen drug dealer with a heart of gold, the gang of (painfully dated) computer nerds, and some of the adult characters from the theater and antique shop are irrelevant and jarring, as if from a saccharine 90s movie.
I would rather delete or ignore these threads and read only the Boggart's perspective, which itself is shockingly well done. That said, I might have preferred if he stayed in Scotland rather than going across the sea to a muggle city, although I did enjoy when he became a hockey puck.
April 25, 2018
What a delightful, humorous, saucy melding of ancient mythologies and modern technology! The boggart is an ancient Scottish spirit that lives for mischief. However, sometimes the mischief goes awry and gets even the Boggart into trouble. The Boggart ends up in Toronto and while he has loads of fun...discovers peanut butter and pizza!...he also finds that he is very confused by modern life and ends up missing his home in Scotland. But how can an ancient creature of wild magic get across the Atlantic ocean? Even boggarts need help now and then! Now of course, I'll have to get the second book in the series....
March 11, 2016
I usually like kid-friendly stories involving computer technology, but, this one did not do much for me; it was just dumb and unexciting. Fans of youth fiction can do much better than this.
September 14, 2025
It’s always nice when childhood favorites really do feel like your memory of them.
February 6, 2018
While finishing out my The Dark Is Rising re-read, I figured I'd pick this one up on the way down. Unfortunately, I didn't really like The Boggart very much. If the whole book had been like the first part in the Scottish village, I would have enjoyed it a lot more.
As soon as we left Scotland to go to Canada, though, everything just felt incredibly disjointed. I liked the Boggart, and the humans seemed okay, but I couldn't really muster up any interest for them? Serious things were happening (the Boggart almost killing people on accident, Emily almost getting committed to a psychiatric ward, the family relationships suffering as everyone blamed each other for the Boggart's problem-causing) but there was a weird dissonance between the type of things that were happening, and the sketchy, lighthearted tone of the book.
The computer stuff was super confusing and weird, as well. Maybe it's just because it's old and I wasn't alive in 1993 to know what computers were like then, but half of it seemed to not even make sense, and the rest of it was a distraction from everything that really mattered.
As soon as we left Scotland to go to Canada, though, everything just felt incredibly disjointed. I liked the Boggart, and the humans seemed okay, but I couldn't really muster up any interest for them? Serious things were happening (the Boggart almost killing people on accident, Emily almost getting committed to a psychiatric ward, the family relationships suffering as everyone blamed each other for the Boggart's problem-causing) but there was a weird dissonance between the type of things that were happening, and the sketchy, lighthearted tone of the book.
The computer stuff was super confusing and weird, as well. Maybe it's just because it's old and I wasn't alive in 1993 to know what computers were like then, but half of it seemed to not even make sense, and the rest of it was a distraction from everything that really mattered.
July 31, 2017
The Boggart by Susan Cooper -- When the old MacDevon dies, Castle Keep on a Scottish island is inherited by the Volnick family. They visit their legacy before putting it on the market, and inadvertently ship the castle's mischievous boggart back to Toronto. What will a creature of Old Magic make of modern technology?
As you might expect, the computer parts of the story are solidly 1993, and some of the specs mentioned will give savvy modern readers a good laugh. Moving beyond that, it's obvious that Cooper is a master of her craft: the descriptions, the relationships between characters, and the emotion of the piece is spot on. I enjoyed this more than I thought I would.
As you might expect, the computer parts of the story are solidly 1993, and some of the specs mentioned will give savvy modern readers a good laugh. Moving beyond that, it's obvious that Cooper is a master of her craft: the descriptions, the relationships between characters, and the emotion of the piece is spot on. I enjoyed this more than I thought I would.
Want to Read
March 20, 2018I read this as a kid. I went through a phase of devouring a load of boggart stories. I should reread this soon.
September 22, 2017
I'm not sure how I missed this Susan Cooper book. I'm a big fan of her other works. I found this on Scribd last night and decided to read it.
I love authors that can make non-human creatures actually NON-human. The Boggart of the title is a creature of old Wild Magic. He's not motivated by many human things, and doesn't feel most human emotions. He has developed a taste for things like peanut butter and applesauce over the centuries, and once or twice, he's felt grief. In this book, he gets homesick, because he was accidentally carried far from his home in the Scottish castle where he'd lived time out of mind. The boggart is curious and experimental; his antics are fun to him, but are capable of causing real harm. And it's harm that the boggart is largely incapable of understanding.
This is one of those early 90's books that carries an odd cross of technology and supernatural things. Computers form a link between the children and the boggart.
And there's a happy ending. It's a slight book, but a nice story.
I love authors that can make non-human creatures actually NON-human. The Boggart of the title is a creature of old Wild Magic. He's not motivated by many human things, and doesn't feel most human emotions. He has developed a taste for things like peanut butter and applesauce over the centuries, and once or twice, he's felt grief. In this book, he gets homesick, because he was accidentally carried far from his home in the Scottish castle where he'd lived time out of mind. The boggart is curious and experimental; his antics are fun to him, but are capable of causing real harm. And it's harm that the boggart is largely incapable of understanding.
This is one of those early 90's books that carries an odd cross of technology and supernatural things. Computers form a link between the children and the boggart.
And there's a happy ending. It's a slight book, but a nice story.
February 4, 2018
A slightly dated pre-teen book about a trickster spirit from Scotland that ends up shipped to Canada. The kids are the main characters and the adults busy or clueless. I liked the environment and the problem solving our heroes go through, and found the book fun, if short.
Nine year old Jessup has more hobbies (hockey and computers) and is better fleshed out than older sister Emily. While in Toronto, there are a few too many instances of the adults not believing the kids, despite the evidence. Other than that, the plot and resolution are believable and work well. The Celtic side characters are great, and the villain is suitably creepy.
Author Susan Cooper is better known for her award winning fantasy series The Dark is Rising. She has won other awards for childrens literature and came to my attention through the World Fantasy Award she was awarded in 2013. I would definitely like to read more from this author.
Nine year old Jessup has more hobbies (hockey and computers) and is better fleshed out than older sister Emily. While in Toronto, there are a few too many instances of the adults not believing the kids, despite the evidence. Other than that, the plot and resolution are believable and work well. The Celtic side characters are great, and the villain is suitably creepy.
Author Susan Cooper is better known for her award winning fantasy series The Dark is Rising. She has won other awards for childrens literature and came to my attention through the World Fantasy Award she was awarded in 2013. I would definitely like to read more from this author.
June 8, 2026
The first chapter was enchanting , and I was all in for quiet, introspective Tommy to be the main character. And his relationship with the boggart was very intriguing.
But then Canadian twins Emily and Jessup become the main characters and they’re just sort of…meh. Susan Cooper is a great writer, but these twins seem like caricatures of what she thought kids at the time were like. Emily wants to save the whales and Jessup is all about newfangled home computers. That’s it.
I didn’t hate the book, but I guess I was hoping for an atmospheric story set in rural Scotland, not slapstick magical shenanigans in busy Toronto.
(I allowed myself to accept defeat in chapter 10 when Jessup somehow manages to exactly remember a throwaway thing Tommy said months before.)
But then Canadian twins Emily and Jessup become the main characters and they’re just sort of…meh. Susan Cooper is a great writer, but these twins seem like caricatures of what she thought kids at the time were like. Emily wants to save the whales and Jessup is all about newfangled home computers. That’s it.
I didn’t hate the book, but I guess I was hoping for an atmospheric story set in rural Scotland, not slapstick magical shenanigans in busy Toronto.
(I allowed myself to accept defeat in chapter 10 when Jessup somehow manages to exactly remember a throwaway thing Tommy said months before.)
April 29, 2021
It's sad to me the number of books, like this one, that held so much magic for me as a child, but not as much so as an adult. Not the author's fault, just my feelings. This is still a good book, but it appears as though it has been adjusted for the times. It was originally written in 1993, and the copy I got from the library talks about mp3 players, cell phones, and flash drives. I know they're trying to reach a new audience, but that's part of the disconnect for me as an adult reader, who enjoyed the original book as a child.
July 9, 2018
A fun and exciting story about the relationship between two children and a mysterious, mythical and magical creature! Definitely a book to share with a class - the mischievousness of the Boggart will have them attached to the story throughout, determined to find out what the Boggart will get up to next.
August 20, 2022
***3.5 stars*** Cute kid’s story with some surprisingly mature content thrown in (like real life issues, not anything inappropriate). Hilariously dated technology references.
June 15, 2024
I enjoyed this. I like the depiction of the Boggart as very inhuman and hedonistic while not being malicious. I also really enjoyed the depictions of late eighties/very early nineties gamer culture.
December 30, 2025
As a former children’s librarian this book was a delight to revisit! Now I know it will fit the bill to suggest to a young neighbor with the “reading bug.”
February 11, 2026
A very fun read with a lovely narrator. I highly recommend the audiobook!
February 20, 2026
Scotland will always have a place in my heart. This was a delightful little read and I can’t wait to share it with my littles when they’re older.
May 12, 2024
Extra props for all the Scottish background. Such a cool story.
January 8, 2019
I thought that this book was kind of funny. I did feel bad for the Boggart at times though. A family gets custody of a castle that was there dead relative's, They end up bringing a Boggart with them as well. He causes a lot of mischief. I recommend this to anyone who likes fantasy
September 24, 2013
This was fabulously written. Susan had me crying along with the boggart in the first chapter...that was 13 pages. The visuals she painted of the boggart's memories and emotions were so very strong that my heart was touched immediately.
So why did I only give it 4 stars? Sadly, for something that some authors do not anticipate...what was commonplace in 1993 (or late 1980s since I know it took time to get this story published) is so far out of date now that the target age readers may have no idea what she is talking about. Example: Emily goes to a record store and the sales person finds her a tape. I received my first CD player in 1991, so this part really could have been avoided since CDs are still readily available. Jessup's part in dating the story line was unavoidable since his hobby is computers and at the time many still had monochromatic monitors and stored everything on either 5 1/4 or 3 1/2 inch discs.
Back to the good stuff. I love how the author introduced us to the Boggart and his style of old magic. [Note to Harry Potter fans: This boggart is not the kind that takes this shape of what you fear most in order to feed off your fear. This boggart is more like a combination of house elf (he stays with one family) and invisible Peeves (likes to play jokes to have fun not to hurt) and is really quite likable.] She also gave us a look at a being related to samhain (Halloween). Sadly, his good intentions land Emily and Jessup in hot water.
Part of the story takes place in a remote part of the Scottish Highlands. Castle Keep sits alone on an island in the middle of a loch. The residents must use a boat to get to the mainland for supplies. The boggart lives in the castle. Emily's family inherits the castle and when they go to investigate they meet the boggart, but do not really get to know him until they find out he has tagged along with them back to Canada. The majority of the story takes place in Toronto.
The boggart wakes and starts playing his jokes on the family. As Emily and Jessup learn about him, they really get to like him, but he is very out of place in the land filled with technology.
The part that disturbed me the most was that Emily's mother thought that her polite, well behaved teen daughter was harboring bitter thoughts about her parents and those thoughts were manifesting in acts of telekinesis, so she contacts a super creepy para-psychologist. This was horrible...to think that a mom would come to that conclusion without actually talking to her children first. This mom was weird. She yelled a lot, she didn't listen or try to understand, and she wasn't there. In fact, like many YA parents, these parents weren't really there for their children, but were focused on their jobs. Thankfully, this portion of the story was not very big. Dr. Stigmore reminded me a lot of the "child catcher" in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. *shudders*
Maggie, Emily & Jessup's mother, did soften at the end. She focused more on her children at that point rather than jumping to conclusions and she apologized for some of the nasty things she said about one of Jessup's friends as well.
To balance that are those that do believe what Emily and Jessup are saying. Those characters include Tommy (Emily fancies him), Willie, and Cai. The three are instrumental in educating Emily and Jessup on boggart history and behavior.
The story was very emotional and exciting from page one to the very end. I enjoyed every moment (even the creepy ones) so much so, I might search this book out to add it to my collection.
Happy reading!
So why did I only give it 4 stars? Sadly, for something that some authors do not anticipate...what was commonplace in 1993 (or late 1980s since I know it took time to get this story published) is so far out of date now that the target age readers may have no idea what she is talking about. Example: Emily goes to a record store and the sales person finds her a tape. I received my first CD player in 1991, so this part really could have been avoided since CDs are still readily available. Jessup's part in dating the story line was unavoidable since his hobby is computers and at the time many still had monochromatic monitors and stored everything on either 5 1/4 or 3 1/2 inch discs.
Back to the good stuff. I love how the author introduced us to the Boggart and his style of old magic. [Note to Harry Potter fans: This boggart is not the kind that takes this shape of what you fear most in order to feed off your fear. This boggart is more like a combination of house elf (he stays with one family) and invisible Peeves (likes to play jokes to have fun not to hurt) and is really quite likable.] She also gave us a look at a being related to samhain (Halloween). Sadly, his good intentions land Emily and Jessup in hot water.
Part of the story takes place in a remote part of the Scottish Highlands. Castle Keep sits alone on an island in the middle of a loch. The residents must use a boat to get to the mainland for supplies. The boggart lives in the castle. Emily's family inherits the castle and when they go to investigate they meet the boggart, but do not really get to know him until they find out he has tagged along with them back to Canada. The majority of the story takes place in Toronto.
The boggart wakes and starts playing his jokes on the family. As Emily and Jessup learn about him, they really get to like him, but he is very out of place in the land filled with technology.
The part that disturbed me the most was that Emily's mother thought that her polite, well behaved teen daughter was harboring bitter thoughts about her parents and those thoughts were manifesting in acts of telekinesis, so she contacts a super creepy para-psychologist. This was horrible...to think that a mom would come to that conclusion without actually talking to her children first. This mom was weird. She yelled a lot, she didn't listen or try to understand, and she wasn't there. In fact, like many YA parents, these parents weren't really there for their children, but were focused on their jobs. Thankfully, this portion of the story was not very big. Dr. Stigmore reminded me a lot of the "child catcher" in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. *shudders*
Maggie, Emily & Jessup's mother, did soften at the end. She focused more on her children at that point rather than jumping to conclusions and she apologized for some of the nasty things she said about one of Jessup's friends as well.
To balance that are those that do believe what Emily and Jessup are saying. Those characters include Tommy (Emily fancies him), Willie, and Cai. The three are instrumental in educating Emily and Jessup on boggart history and behavior.
The story was very emotional and exciting from page one to the very end. I enjoyed every moment (even the creepy ones) so much so, I might search this book out to add it to my collection.
Happy reading!
January 16, 2016
A sweet story about friendship and Celtic myths from the same author who wrote The Dark Is Rising and The Grey King. After the Volnik family from Toronto, Canada inherits a Scottish castle, they don't realize they've also inherited the family Boggart. When the Volniks decide to sell the castle and ship selected family heirlooms back to Canada, one of those, a desk, also contains the Boggart, into which he unwittingly slipped. Now the Boggart is with a new family, in a new world, and his playful tricks are doing a lot more damage thanks to the clash between Old Magic and modern technology. Now it's up to the two Volnik kids, Jessup and Emily, and their allies, to find a way to get the Boggart home and back where he belongs.
The first thing most astute readers will notice is the outdated technology. Yes, Jessup is thrilled about a computer with a black-and-white monitor, no audio, which runs on floppy disc technology. Now, you can either focus on this and let it taint the entire book or laugh it off as a anachronism that was cutting-edge when the book was published back in 1993. Which is what I did, leaving me with a fast-paced, entertaining read that would be perfect for kids around the 8-12 year range. The child characters are well-drawn and allow the reader to fully sympathize with their troubles with the Boggart and with the adults who don't believe their stories. Which, as an adult, I must admit can get tiresome, but at least there are a few adult characters who are on Emily's and Jessup's side, who know about the Boggart and what it can do, which provides a nice balance. Cooper shows a lot of love for Scotland in her descriptions of the countryside, the lochs, even the slightly dismal weather, which was lovely for me although it made me long to go back there, having visited the country as part of my UK hiking trip way back in '97. Toronto wasn't given quite as loving a touch, mainly because most of the focus was on the antics of the Boggart and the kids.
Overall, a pretty standard adolescent novel, story-wise, that benefits from an author with a deft and skilled hand at writing. The Boggart might not be a modern-day children's classic, but it's certainly worth a read.
The first thing most astute readers will notice is the outdated technology. Yes, Jessup is thrilled about a computer with a black-and-white monitor, no audio, which runs on floppy disc technology. Now, you can either focus on this and let it taint the entire book or laugh it off as a anachronism that was cutting-edge when the book was published back in 1993. Which is what I did, leaving me with a fast-paced, entertaining read that would be perfect for kids around the 8-12 year range. The child characters are well-drawn and allow the reader to fully sympathize with their troubles with the Boggart and with the adults who don't believe their stories. Which, as an adult, I must admit can get tiresome, but at least there are a few adult characters who are on Emily's and Jessup's side, who know about the Boggart and what it can do, which provides a nice balance. Cooper shows a lot of love for Scotland in her descriptions of the countryside, the lochs, even the slightly dismal weather, which was lovely for me although it made me long to go back there, having visited the country as part of my UK hiking trip way back in '97. Toronto wasn't given quite as loving a touch, mainly because most of the focus was on the antics of the Boggart and the kids.
Overall, a pretty standard adolescent novel, story-wise, that benefits from an author with a deft and skilled hand at writing. The Boggart might not be a modern-day children's classic, but it's certainly worth a read.
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