The Moffats

The Moffats #1

by Eleanor Estes, Louis Slobodkin (Illustrator)

Four Moffat children and a hard-working widowed mother live on New Dollar Street in Cranbury village. During kindergarten recess, one accidentally hitches a ride out of town on a boxcar. One winds up trapped in the breadbox outside the deli. One offers to escort a Salvation Army man to his destination - and accidentally bumps him from his horse-drawn wagon.

Genres: Childrens, Fiction, Classics, Middle Grade, Historical Fiction, Audiobook, Chapter Books

212 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1941

About the author

Eleanor Ruth Rosenfeld (Estes)was an American children's author. She was born in West Haven, Connecticut as Eleanor Ruth Rosenfield. Originally a librarian, Estes' writing career began following a case of tuberculosis. Bedridden while recovering, Estes began writing down some of her childhood memories, which would later turn into full-length children's books.

Estes's book Ginger Pye (1951) won the Newbery Medal, and three of her other books (The Middle Moffat, Rufus M., and The Hundred Dresses) were chosen as Newbery Honor books. She also received the Certificate of Award for Outstanding Contribution to Children’s Literature and was nominated for the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award. By the time of her death at age 82, Estes had written 19 children's books and one novel for adults.

Reviews

[Luisa Knight · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cleanliness

Children's Bad Words
Mild Obscenities & Substitutions - 4 Incidents: pooh, criminenty, shucks
Name Calling - 6 Incidents: hoodlums, old sardine, young whippersnapper, old geezer,
Religious Profanities - 29 Incidents: Goodness, Gee, Mercy on us, thank heavens

Religious & Supernatural - 1 Incident: The children pretend there is a ghost in the attic (by assembling a bed sheet, etc.) to scare a bully on Halloween.

Romance Related - None

Attitudes/Disobedience - 7 Incidents: A boy (not a main character) doesn’t want to go to school and yells, “Won’t go, Won’t go!” Later he runs away from school. The children pretend there is a ghost in the attic (by assembling a bed sheet, etc.) to scare a bully on Halloween. They have a list of grudges. Children nickname Mr. Allgood “Mr. Allbad.” Two boys seem to always fight. A girl gets taunted by a mean girl, lies, and tries to cleverly get rid of her. A man assumes a boy is under six so tells him he doesn’t have to pay the fare. The boy is six and should pay, but doesn’t clarify his age.
A girl lies, saying she wasn’t crying.

Conversation Topics - 5 Incidents: “The Moffats sometimes played at being Druids.” Mentions tobacco, pipes and cigarettes (smoked by the fathers/adults). It is Halloween night and the children are slightly afraid of witches and “all the hobyahs, pookas, and goblins.” Referenced a couple of times within the chapter. The Moffat children take dancing lessons. A girl pretends she is the great Houdini and tries to hypnotize someone.

Parent Takeaway
Fun, cleverly witty and intact with good morals and sibling comradery, you couldn't ask for a more wholesome book!

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[Dona's Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute but not memorable for me.

*I realize some readers loved these books as kids, but I didn't read them until I was 40. So I have a slightly different take. I'm very happy you all enjoyed these books as kids!

[Hilary · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Moffat family I think, is set during WWI and follows the day to day adventures of the children. This was probably a 3.5 for us but I think the book would be more interesting to a younger child. We really enjoyed Louis Slobodkin's illustrations.

[Katja Labonté · Rating 5 out of 5]

5+ stars & 8/10 hearts. Oh my heart, what a delightful book!! This reminded me of so many of my favourite books… The Saturdays & other Melendy books, The Railway Children, Five Little Peppers and How They Grew, Swallows and Amazons... It was just so sweet and old-timey and childlike. There was a chapter set during Halloween where the kids try to scare a nasty boy by pretending they have a ghost in their attic, but that's all that really bothered me, besides Janey being a little nasty to Letitia. The whole part about moving from the little yellow house really spoke to me because the house my family has lived in for about 13 years has been on sale for several years and then all of a sudden it was sold and we had a month to find a new home... so yes, I totally, totally relate to the end of the book. The whole book was hilarious and sweet and... I'll just repeat myself here, so I'll stop and just say it was wonderful and I cannot wait to read the next book in the series. <33

A Favourite Quote: “‘Little girl,’ he said, ‘don’t you ever be afraid of a policeman any more or of anything. Remember this. A policeman is for your protection. He’s nothing to be scared of.’”
A Favourite Humorous Quote: “‘They oughta have pistols or a sword to fight it out,’ said Rufus.
“But [the motormen] didn’t need pistols. Their tongues did quite as well. Such a row there was as quiet Second Avenue had never before heard. Mrs. Squire said she would write a letter of complaint to the newspaper and recommend that the new Second Avenue line be removed. The town of Cranbury had gotten along for centuries without it and could again. Newfangled notions, these one-man trolleys with their one-track contraptions! But one one paid any attention to her. They were listening to the motormen. Except for the firemen, of course. They were crawling over and under the two trolleys looking for the fire. And everyone was listening too hard to what the motormen were saying to tell them that there was no fire.”

[The Dusty Jacket · Rating 4 out of 5]

The yellow house on New Dollar Street was the best house on the whole block. Because it stood exactly half-way down the street, you could see all the way to both corners: all the way down to Elm Street where the trolley ran and all the way down Wood Street where the railroad tracks ran. Perhaps what made it even more special was the fact that it was home to the Moffats: Mama, Sylvie, Joe, Jane, Rufus, and Catherine-the-cat. Yes, everything was as perfect as perfect can be on that fine late summer day until Mr. Baxter, Cranbury’s off-jobs man, nailed that horrible “For Sale” sign on their wonderful yellow house. But times were hard and there seemed to be little interest in the yellow house. Perhaps Jane and her family still had loads of time to do what Moffats do best—turn an ordinary day into an adventure!

In 1941, Eleanor Estes introduced readers to the Moffat family. Over a span of forty-two years and four books, the Moffats have captured the hearts and imaginations of multiple generations with their charm, humor, and abiding optimism. Rather than a seamless story, The Moffats is presented in delightful vignettes that see our four siblings encounter an attic ghost, a dancing dog, a trolley stand-off, a box of kittens, mean ole Peter Frost, and those nosey Murdocks. Each story touches upon some memorable life lesson centered around such topics as pride, indulgence, selfishness, generosity, courage, and honesty and is long enough to fully immerse the reader in a well-developed escapade while short enough to keep even the smallest attention span fully engaged. Although the family is fatherless, Estes doesn’t belabor the point and avoids portraying the family as victims or outsiders. Instead, they are a strong and tight family unit with their own unique set of quirks and talents.

So much is said about the Moffat’s yellow house, that I looked upon it as the seventh family member. It served as the stabilizing foundation for this wonderful brood and gave them a tangible link to a father taken from them too soon. But as author M. K. Soni once wrote, “A house is made of brick and mortar, but home is made by the people who live there.” It’s those people, the Moffats, who remind us that no matter what life throws your way or where life might take you, you’re never far from home as long as you’re with family.

[Whitney Newby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Our family loved this sweet read-aloud about a family with four children. It’s wholesome, innocent, and packed with charming stories that made us smile. Highly recommend!

[Cleo · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a surprisingly delightful book. I had previously delayed reading it because I thought it might be too cutesy, but instead it was simply lots of fun! Mrs. Moffat is a single mother living in Cranbury, Connecticut (a stand-in for West Haven) with her four children, Sylvia, Joe, Jane and Rufus. The book's chapters contain all the adventures of the children and their delightful outlook on life. It's a nostalgic look back at life when it was still difficult but somehow more simple and meaningful. A wonderful read!

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

4-1/2 Stars

Delightful, nostalgic, and utterly charming!

[CindySR · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish I had a grandchild to read this to at bedtime. So many old timey things to learn about!

It takes place in the early 1900s when the term "helicopter parent" was non-existent. I especially appreciated chapter 7. Rufus comes down with scarlet fever and the family has to go into lockdown, mother has to wear a mask, the groceries get delivered to the doorstep. The more things change, the more they stay the same!

[Michele Casper · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up this book (copyright 1941) at a thrift shop. I love reading children's books, especially the old-fashioned, heartwarming kind. I didn't give this book 5 stars because it is perfectly profound, but because it is perfectly simple. It is just what it appears to be--an everyday story about everday people. The Moffat family, a widowed mother and her four children, live in the fictional town of Cranbury, Connecticut. The mother is a seamstress, who barely makes ends meet. The story is told with innocence and enthusiasm from the perspective of the children, who don't really think much about being poor. The illustrations are delightful and the stories will make you smile. I don't know how I missed the Moffat books growing up, but I hope to have the chance to share them with my grandchildren!

[BookSweetie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Get ready to smile and sigh and shake your head in wonder as you meet 10 year old Janey and 5 1/2 year old Rufus Moffat, and the rest of the Moffat family -- Mrs. Moffat, Joey, 12, and Sylvie, 15 -- who live in the town of Cranbury, CT in a yellow house with kerosene lamps and a very unwanted For Sale sign.

Life for the Moffat children revolves largely around a warm family unit in a neighborly world in early 20th century times where children had freedom for commonplace adventures -- and financial times could sometimes be tough.

Eleanor Estes (1906-1988), a notable children's writer who is remembered mostly for simple, humorous family stories that capture the logic and feelings of young children, has created THE MOFFATS, the first of several classic juvenile books set in fictional Cranbury, CT during the 1910s (the setting also for Newbery winner GINGER PYE and its sequel PINKY PYE.)

First published in 1941, THE MOFFATS received a Lewis Carroll Shelf Award in 1961. Additional books about the Moffat family followed: THE MIDDLE MOFFAT, a Newbery Honor book, RUFUS M., also a Newbery Honor book, and the lesser known THE MOFFAT MUSEUM.

Readers who are aware of certain facts of the author's own biography --for example, Estes was raised in the early 1900s in West Haven, CT along Long Island Sound by a widowed mother who supported her children as a seamstress -- will recognize parallels in her fictional work THE MOFFATS where the widowed Mrs. Moffat supports the 4 Moffet children as a dressmaker. The author loosely modeled Janey after herself, and Rufus after her younger brother.

This is a great book to read aloud to young elementary aged children whose reading skills may not quite be ready for the small print and multiple chapters, but for whom the storyline may be most appropriate.
Adults who read this one will not find much that is objectionable in this wholesome story and likely will find more than a few moments of humorous recognition --

or possibly even laugh-out-loud chuckles, rather like the police chief who unleashed tears of laughter upon hearing Janey reluctantly tell the improbable series of events that led to her hiding for several hours in the wooden breadbox in front of the store where she'd dutifully gone to buy 5 pounds of sugar...

or moments of astonished relief upon Rufus's safe return at the end of his first memorable day of school, a day when Rufus is caught between his own good sense and wishes, and his perceived duty to obey a respected adult.

And, those free dance lessons! Oh, how I could grin in recognition at Janey's dance recital woes, though the surprising show stealer turns out to be the self-described terrible and highly reluctant dancer Joey, who is oh-so-relieved to be assigned only a NON-dancing role for the day ushering and standing at the piano, turning pages for the pianist.

There are trolleys, horse-drawn carts (with a Salvation Army Captain the kids accidentally lose from his own wagon), a Halloween attic ghost prank to scare a boy who's been mean, as well as a windy, cold trip to buy coal with the last five dollar bill Mama expects to have for awhile.

By the end of the book, when the yellow house has been sold and the Moffats must move, most readers will wonder what happens next. I know I do.

However, wwhen the Moffat books are all done, don't forget to call in the PYES. You might enjoy the books about that other Cranbury family as much -- or possibly more!

[Shanna Gonzalez · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Moffats, who live in the same town as the owners of Ginger Pye, are a close-knit family of four children and a hard-working seamstress mother, whose bust "Madame" occupies a central position in the family's little brown house. Although the children are essentially good-hearted, they get into an astounding amount of mischief, making for a sometimes uproarious family story full of warmth and love. Mother is the source of the family's security: her understated courage in the face of sickness, poverty, and the challenge of supporting four children sets the mood of the little brown house, providing her children a great sense of security despite the absence of their deceased father.

Estes' engaging characters, living in the context of a sweetly old-fashioned small town, hold an undeniable appeal that has caused this story to endure for 70 years.

[Stefan Hull · Rating 4 out of 5]

First up in our road trip audiobook list. We all enjoyed it. The Moffat kids were a bit cheeky but very sweet. We loved the way the kids in this time period had real responsibility and each had an important role in the family.

[Ashley Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a cute story about a family who may be forced to move out of their house. I loved the strong family connections and good morals throughout. I enjoyed listening to it on audio with my two youngest boys.

[Victor The Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Moffats (My Kindle Review)

Estes’ novel centers on a widowed dressmaking mother and her four children all living in their little yellow house in Connecticut. We mainly follow the oldest Moffat child Sylvia and her younger siblings Joey, Janey and Rufus on their many adventures which include going back to school, a case of scarlet fever and having their home being put up for sale.

It’s a very nice, charming story about family and the Moffat kids are certainly a fun bunch. A simple and nice read. A- (91%/Excellent)

[Michelle Fournier · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up because my 9yo laughed so much and thought this book was hilarious. I did Not care for the audiobook reader and I think that affected my reading experience.
Overall a funny family story. My 9yo also really related to the children’s feelings about moving and I found it very interesting how much that affected him.
I did prefer Ginger Pye and Pinky Pye.

[Linore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, my! This was perhaps my best-loved childhood book—and there are many I loved—that I discovered at age nine. I read my copy so many times that the cover fell off, but I still have the book. (An earlier edition than the one shown here.) I count Eleanor Estes as one of the writers who influenced my own writing. This book is funny, touching, nostalgic of a long-ago America now, and filled with deftly drawn characters, both sympathetic, hilarious, or ominous. Estes, in my opinion, is a brilliant children’s writer who doesn’t waste many words. (And I STILL enjoy this book,unlike many
other children’s books that I’ve re-read as an adult. Most seem to somehow lose their magic when re-visited. Not this one.) Got an elementary school-aged child in the family? Get the book.

[Grace Lin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another classic I've reread--holds up very well and still very relate-able. Estes was a great writer, wonderful at writing child characters!

[Hallie (Hallie Reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Keri Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to love The Moffats, but this wasn’t nearly as funny or interesting as I thought it would be. I felt bored throughout. It had some cute moments pop up here and there, but overall this was a dud for me. I’d definitely recommend the Betsy-Tacy series over The Moffats for better humor, a more interesting plot, greater depth, and a similar focus on historical setting.

[Bradyn Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

needed a palate cleanser after so much fantasy. i knew nothing about this book but i really liked the cover so i decided to read it blindly. it was really fun and refreshing to read a book i would’ve enjoyed as a child.

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

My 6 year old boy and I loved this classic early 1940s family story. So wholesome. Great characters and adorably mischievous adventures. We were both so absorbed in the story and can’t wait to read more stories from these kids in the sequels.

FYI he gave it 5 stars!

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

My son loves the Melendy Book series by Elizabeth Enright, so I was looking for something similar. We listened to this as a Full cast Audibook, and we enjoyed it.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt pretty neutral about this one. The stories are nice. It’s not the worst but not my favorite either. Then again, we did start this after Narnia so I might have liked it more if it wasn’t following something so great.

[Ann Checketts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fun, sweet story. My kids and I loved listening to it.

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really fun read-aloud! My kids loved it and were totally invested. I didn’t have to skip over anything or filter a thing. Def a recommend!

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Upon the finishing of the book--

K: "Nooo! I want there to be more!"

A more resounding commendation could not be given. The perfect first read-aloud for a new year.

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful writing and accurately describes a 10 year old’s thoughts. Excited to read the others!

[Whitney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet little book, listened with the kids. They were pleasantly entertained but didn't ask for more.

[Emma Geng · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Moffats" is about a family of five. There is Mama, Sylvie, Joey, Janey, and Rufus. The Moffats live in a yellow house on New Dollar Street. At the time Mama is struggling to get money for the family. So the yellow house is for sale! The children continue to find adventures in their small town of Cranbury. Rufus may be the youngest but he is the most mischievous. He once snuck out of kindergarten and took a boxcar to the next town over! Janey loves to play in the yellow house with her dolly, Hilgerade. Joey is the most responsible and is always looking after everybody. Sylvie loves to sing, and she does it all the time. At the end of the story the yellow house gets sold and a new adventure awaits the Moffats.
The genre of this book is realistic fiction. I recommend this book to all ages. Overall I really enjoyed this story. It is really funny and intruiging. I rate this book a 4.5 out of 5 stars!