While Mrs. Coverlet Was Away

Mrs. Coverlet #1

by Mary Nash

When their father is away on a business trip and the housekeeper is called home, the three Persever children manage the house and find ways to make money.

Genres: Fiction, Childrens, Middle Grade, Novels

157 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1958

Reviews

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely wonderful! Warm, wise, humorous, delightful. Nash really knew the hearts and minds of children--and adults. Yes, in many ways it is deeply rooted in the world of the '50s and I doubt they could/should ever get away with living alone all summer in this day and age--but it's a wonderful fantasy for children of today while reminding all of us how capable young people can be if we let them. A classic, in my book! I love it dearly.

[CLM · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this story of three siblings who take care of themselves when their father and housekeeper are forced to travel unexpectedly. The younger brother spends most of the book trying to coax his cat's appetite back, with hilarious results. This is book 1 in another series I found in my elementary school library.

[Sheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grabbed this at a used book store because I read it and loved it as a child. Now I regret not tracking it down when the kids were younger! Not that they suffered from lack of books, heaven knows, but this book is a rare gem.

The characterization is thin, but it's thin the way the characterization in a myth or a fairy tale is thin. There is a sense where most of the characters represent archetypes or symbols as much as they represent individuals. Few modern books achieve this level of resonance within modern rules of plot and characterization and whatnot.

While the surface appeal is obvious -- kids living through the summer with no adult supervision -- an added bonus is that the story is constructed in such a way that it could actually work. The kids are alone in the house, but they also have reliable adults close to hand, and a strong motive to maintain the patterns the adults in their own home set down. And the story presents the downside of their choice in retrospect -- it's no fun to be a kid "shutting the house down" and going to bed knowing you're in charge -- but in a gentle way that is not frightening to a smaller child and does not discount or undercut what the kids have accomplished.

A very satisfying book for a child, and I remember that satisfaction well reading it as an adult.

[Sheri S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book as a young person and thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to read it to my oldest daughter. I appreciated the imaginative nature of the children and their spirit of independence and desire to help their father. I have always loved cats and they figure into this story as well. While there are some moral lessons to be learned (and explained), I find this to be a fun and inspirational read.
(I think I've read this book four times by now, which is the most I've read any book. Also, I was happy to recently learn that this is just one book of a series of three books. I'll be reading the others now!)

[Li · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a happy re-read for me - for like the millionth time. I've owned and loved this book since age 8 years, which is a long time. In my opinion, it is quite simply the best children's chapter book ever written! I love the innocent summer adventures, assertion of independence and creativity, love for family and pets, and responsibility detailed within its pages.

[Kathryn McCary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Remember when everyone in children's fiction (except for clearly identifiable villains) was quintessentially nice? And the problems could be and were solved by the end of the book? That's this book. Soothing, comforting, a nostalgic read.

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of those random books my mom owned and I read several times and had fond memories of, so when I was at her house i grabbed it to read to my boys. It’s very light and funny and we all enjoyed if.

[Kristin Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another absolute favorite childhood book

[Hannah Hancock]

See my review here. https://oldoriginalthoughts.blogspot....

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

A local school is trashing several boxes of books, so I got to rescue some. Picked this up because it was vintage Scholastic. Great story of kids holding down the house on their own.

[Orinoco Womble (tidy bag and all) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another battered Scholastic Book Service re-read, thanks to the Internet Archive. My sister bought a copy of this book back in the late 60s. I remember she read it aloud to my mother and me, though I was usually the designated reader-aloud, one summer week. The characters' surnames are purposely silly, though I didn't catch the meaning of "the Toad" until this reading. I'm sure he was based on the Toad from The Wind in the Willows, the braggart naughty little boy who thinks he has the answers to everything and blunders through in spite of all, patting himself on the back while others keep him from harm. It's all very impossible, even for the time it was written, but there's a time anda place for that. This afternoon I devoured it in a sitting.
Oh and by the way--there are male tortoiseshell cats, they're simply all sterile! It made me laugh that the kids expect their "female" cat to produce kittens any day...like all on her own. But then all the cats are allowed to roam free--I'm sure she would have eventually, if she had been able.

[Qt · Rating 5 out of 5]

4 1/2 stars. Thoroughly enjoyable, charming, and perfect for summer! I think I would have really liked this when I was little, too. I think the only reason I gave it 4 1/2 instead of 5 was--I just wanted it to be longer! I felt like they needed to have MORE adventures to share with me :-D I had never read any of the author's other books but I will definitely be on the look out for them.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I never realized until tonight that this a series of three books. I wish I could find the other two. I loved the cat in this book and wanted one just like it so bad. I never really questioned the lack of adult supervision over the kids just found their adventure fabulous when I first read it.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a pleasant little story. Funny and imaginative. I read it as a child and now again with my children.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really a 3.5 stars. A quick read, fun and light. Nice kids, decent adults.

[Stephanie Fosnight Regester · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has been one of my favorites since childhood. So wonderful!

[Robin Tzucker · Rating 4 out of 5]

An article about a tortoiseshell cat sparked the memory of this book for me and almost 50 years after first reading it, I managed to track down the title and a copy of the book. Lovely book and just as much fun as I remembered. I wish I'd had this in my possession when my own kids were young. I suspect they would have enjoyed it as much as I did/ do.

[Heidi Hertzog · Rating 4 out of 5]

These are just my kind of vintage children’s books. I’m sorry I never read this as a child as it’s just the kind of book I enjoyed. Sadly I think too many children these days might not enjoy it as much as they might not be able to relate to the times the book was written in without a parent explaining some things. Maybe I’m wrong, but I’m glad I found it at a used book store.

[Katherine Spivey · Rating 4 out of 5]

just as I remembered it!

[Wendy Spedale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilarious!

[Janice Gard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I originally read this book to my daughters many years ago and I enjoyed it as much upon this rereading as I did then. The Persever children are a likeable lot.

[Angela Colson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story. Not my favorite. I think the story became more interesting toward the last quarter of the book.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really don't like this cover. I like the SBS one way better. 🤷

[Lia · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
Definitely a nice story for kids

[Keryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

My mom read this to me when I was in first grade and I remember loving it, so I decided to read it as an adult. Cute chapter book--quick read, clever and fun!

[Victoria · Rating 3 out of 5]

I certainly liked this little story about three children who secretly stay home alone while their father and their housekeeper are away. They make some money in a very unexpected way, acquire a family of cats, and even end up inventing and marketing a miraculous new product. However, the characterization is pretty thin(except for Theobold, a.k.a "Toad") and there isn't a lot to the story overall, but it's a cute book and actually pretty clever in places. I do love Toad's malapropisms though, like these gems:

-"..deliver me from Eva"
-"...Repulsive, Repulsive, let down your hair."

...and my personal favorite:

-"The Little Mashed Girl"

Rather oddly, all the characters seem to have last names matching their profession or character. For example: Mr. Romaine the grocer, Reverend Forthright, Dr. Furry the vet, the somewhat prickly neighbor Eva Penalty, the Persever family(like the word "persevere", perhaps?), etc.

I didn't think this was at all a great book, but it's a quick and pleasant read that doesn't become too moralistic or cutesy.

[Joanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book!!! Was looking for a quick read in Lauren's bookshelf and saw my original copy - it was $0.60 - I'm old! I remember reading it when I was about Jacob's age and loving it. How great to relive it! I highly recommend this if you like Beverly Cleary books. I'm reading it to my boys now.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Home alone! What fun! As usual, I was most disappointed when the adults reenter the story. The kids seemed to be doing just fine on their own! I think most children love those books that show how kids can be in charge.

[Love Flowers · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a charming children's book suited for primary school children.

This book is for sale on eBay:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/171200915171?...

[Savannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Its was so funny its about children who has a babysitter but the babysitter needs to go help her daughter so she leaves those children alone. So they go crazy.