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Time at the Top #1
Time at the Top
It's strange enough when Susan Shaw disappears without a trace on a wintry March afternoon. It's stranger still when her uninformative note is found in the hallway of her apartment building, along with a black cat that no one has seen before. And it's strangest of all when she suddenly appears again, wearing clothes that are eighty years out of date, and tells a wild story about an old woman with a fly-away hat, an elevator that travels into the past, and a distressed family that only she can save. Who is going to believe such a tale? Certainly not her father. But Susan is determined to prove to him that it's all true. And she has other plans for him as well...
Who, in fact, could believe such a tale? Even the author, who takes part in the story, has his doubts. But just as those doubts are all laid to rest, the mystery thickens once more. This time it's a double disappearance...
Who, in fact, could believe such a tale? Even the author, who takes part in the story, has his doubts. But just as those doubts are all laid to rest, the mystery thickens once more. This time it's a double disappearance...
191 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1963
28 people are currently reading
1465 people want to read
About the author
Edward Ormondroyd
22 books19 followersEdward Ormondroyd grew up in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, and Ann Arbor, Michigan. During WWII he served onboard a destroyer escort, participating in the invasions of Okinawa and Iwo Jima.
After the war he attended the University of California at Berkeley, where he received a bachelor's degree in English. Later he went back for a master's degree in library science.
He lived in Berkeley for 25 years, working at various jobs while he wrote children's books. He and his wife Joan moved to upstate New York in 1970. They live in the country near Ithaca, in a house designed and partly built by Edward. Their seven children are all grown and independent. They have two grandsons and a granddaughter. Edward's interests include studying piano, gardening, books, birds, flowers (wild and tame), and listening to classical music.
After the war he attended the University of California at Berkeley, where he received a bachelor's degree in English. Later he went back for a master's degree in library science.
He lived in Berkeley for 25 years, working at various jobs while he wrote children's books. He and his wife Joan moved to upstate New York in 1970. They live in the country near Ithaca, in a house designed and partly built by Edward. Their seven children are all grown and independent. They have two grandsons and a granddaughter. Edward's interests include studying piano, gardening, books, birds, flowers (wild and tame), and listening to classical music.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews
March 18, 2018
4.5 stars, this was a fast paced really enjoyable story. We didn't enjoy the first chapter much, day to day life in a noisy block of flats holds no interest for us but as we read on and became hooked we could see that this was setting a scene that our protagonist was desperate to escape from.
We loved the way the story started at the end and along the way we could pick up threads that tied in to the start. The time slip part was really interesting, the characters interesting and some likeable and others not. We enjoyed the plot to rid Mrs Walker of unwanted attention and the treasure seeking was fun.
The end in some ways was tied up neatly with some believable evidence from the narrator but in other ways left us on the edge of our seats and we don't have the next book!
The illustrations by Peggy Bach are beautiful.
We loved the way the story started at the end and along the way we could pick up threads that tied in to the start. The time slip part was really interesting, the characters interesting and some likeable and others not. We enjoyed the plot to rid Mrs Walker of unwanted attention and the treasure seeking was fun.
The end in some ways was tied up neatly with some believable evidence from the narrator but in other ways left us on the edge of our seats and we don't have the next book!
The illustrations by Peggy Bach are beautiful.
May 13, 2007
I loved this book. It’s about an intelligent, imaginative, dramatic, kindhearted, and resourceful New York girl named Susan and her adventures “at the top” This takes place in New York in the early 1960s and goes back about 100 years. It’s an adventure tale for girls. Interesting that in the early 60s the author and Susan were talking about how the pace of life was too fast and there seemed to be longing to long ago more peaceful times. This is a fun read and I’ve read it many times. One of my favorite books from childhood and worth a reread at least once every decade.
August 31, 2012
A charming, breezy read perfect for a summer's afternoon. Here is the story of Susan Shaw, a tween in the early 1960s, utterly disgruntled with just about every aspect of her life (except her dear father). Susan has a penchant for acting and a yearning for something more interesting than taking a chorus role in the school play and waking up to the annoying blare of the neighbor's television every morning, and her imagination runs wild when an old woman promises her "Three" (three what, though?) in gratitude for Susan helping her with a grocery bag one afternoon. "Three wishes!" Susan guesses; but it turns out to be something else, but with the potential to give Susan everything she always wanted. You see, Susan is granted three trips to the top of the old elevator in her apartment building; three trips to the year 1881 and the beautiful country home with the type of family she dreamed of belonging to. Victoria, the daughter of the house, believes that Susan is there in answer to her own wish--for they need someone to get rid of the too-polished, handsome, black-hearted gold-digger after their mother's hand in marriage--and her fortune.
I thoroughly enjoyed Susan's story. It's told in an interesting and engaging way, as Mr. Ormondryod places himself in the story, as one of Susan's neighbors, and recounts the story from what he witnessed and overheard during the police hunt for the missing Susan, and from what the housekeeper overheard (and glibly conveyed to him) when Susan returned home (this is not much of a spoiler as she comes home early on in the book and the story of her time in 1881 is then shared). The period details are enjoyable without being too overwhelming, and I think this would charm many girls from about ages eight or nine on up. There's even a cute black cat ;-> The illustrations by Peggy Bach are charming and really add to the story, especially in conveying the period clothing, furnishings and architecture. The end is satisfying while also hinting at a sequel, and I look forward to reading more of Susan's adventures. Many thanks to my friend Lisa for recommending this book!
I thoroughly enjoyed Susan's story. It's told in an interesting and engaging way, as Mr. Ormondryod places himself in the story, as one of Susan's neighbors, and recounts the story from what he witnessed and overheard during the police hunt for the missing Susan, and from what the housekeeper overheard (and glibly conveyed to him) when Susan returned home (this is not much of a spoiler as she comes home early on in the book and the story of her time in 1881 is then shared). The period details are enjoyable without being too overwhelming, and I think this would charm many girls from about ages eight or nine on up. There's even a cute black cat ;-> The illustrations by Peggy Bach are charming and really add to the story, especially in conveying the period clothing, furnishings and architecture. The end is satisfying while also hinting at a sequel, and I look forward to reading more of Susan's adventures. Many thanks to my friend Lisa for recommending this book!
October 19, 2007
Warm and fun, this tale of a time-traveling girl and the adventures she has in the past is set off brilliantly by the author's wry presence as a character. Delightful.
August 12, 2016
I discovered Edward Ormondroyd's charming time travel fantasies, Time at the Top and All in Good Time, years ago when I was eight or nine; then I forgot about them for a long time until I happened upon a used copy of the first book (leading me on a long search for the second, which was much harder to track down). Upon rereading them for the first time in a few years, I find that they still hold up very well.
Susan Shaw is having a bad day, but when she stops to help an elderly woman with her flyaway umbrella and unwieldy packages, the old woman tells her, "I'll give you three." Three what, wonders Susan. When she takes the elevator in her apartment building up to the top floor and finds herself back in time eighty years, she figures out that "three" means three trips in the elevator to the past, where Susan meets Victoria and Bobbie Walker and their beautiful widowed mother, who are having troubles which only Susan (with the eventual assistance of her also-widowed father) can solve. These are simply charming light fantasies, with wonderful characters, particularly the spunky, clever Susan.
Susan Shaw is having a bad day, but when she stops to help an elderly woman with her flyaway umbrella and unwieldy packages, the old woman tells her, "I'll give you three." Three what, wonders Susan. When she takes the elevator in her apartment building up to the top floor and finds herself back in time eighty years, she figures out that "three" means three trips in the elevator to the past, where Susan meets Victoria and Bobbie Walker and their beautiful widowed mother, who are having troubles which only Susan (with the eventual assistance of her also-widowed father) can solve. These are simply charming light fantasies, with wonderful characters, particularly the spunky, clever Susan.
February 25, 2022
I believe this wonderful story about Susan, who time travels via a falling apart elevator, is back in print.
My review: http://perfectretort.blogspot.com/202...
My review: http://perfectretort.blogspot.com/202...
April 3, 2017
Another middle-grade book that I probably would have loved as a kid. In this one, a girl named Susan has a brief excursion into the past via the elevator in her apartment building. As per usual with books for this age group written in the 50-70s, everything wraps up very neatly in the end when the kids save the day. I'm not sure if they made a WISE choice in the end Oh well. What can you expect by allowing a child to make drastic life decisions like that? Her dad obviously wasn't doing a great job at adulting, that's for sure....
August 12, 2008
Oddly enough, I've read far more children's books as an adult than I have as a child. As a young person, I was offended by the very idea of a children's book or a special part of the library for children. I was a Reader and I didn't want any babyish books, thank you very much. The idea that the best children's books (and, indeed, the best books of any genre) can transcend their target audience and be enjoyed by all sorts of readers had not yet impressed itself upon me.
Still, children's books are pretty much all you get in an elementary school library--supposing your school is big enough for a library an not just a few shelves and a colorful bean bag or two--and I read what I could get, often while sitting in bean bags.
I was a fast reader, which was a good thing, because my family was on the move and I might already be gone by the time the due date on the book came around. Even fast readers can get caught out, however. I can remember, quite vividly, the irritation I felt when I was unable to finish this particular edition of Time at The Top, with its yellow cover and pen-and-ink illustrations. I soon forgot the book, but I remembered the irritation and years later, I'd be wandering around bookstores trying to remember the name of the book or the author of it. Finally, I re-discovered it through a friend on goodreads.
It is strange to encounter evidence of a former self. Not only is there very little in this book my adult self finds interesting, but I have a hard time believing my child self liked it, either. It just doesn't jibe with my self-identity. Yet here it is, the book I remember being sad to leave behind and not a little tempted to steal when I moved.
The best I can figure is that this is a story about a child who is able to arrange a better life for herself and her family--through time travel, which is probably less incredible to a child's imagination than the half-guessed realities of adult life.
Still, children's books are pretty much all you get in an elementary school library--supposing your school is big enough for a library an not just a few shelves and a colorful bean bag or two--and I read what I could get, often while sitting in bean bags.
I was a fast reader, which was a good thing, because my family was on the move and I might already be gone by the time the due date on the book came around. Even fast readers can get caught out, however. I can remember, quite vividly, the irritation I felt when I was unable to finish this particular edition of Time at The Top, with its yellow cover and pen-and-ink illustrations. I soon forgot the book, but I remembered the irritation and years later, I'd be wandering around bookstores trying to remember the name of the book or the author of it. Finally, I re-discovered it through a friend on goodreads.
It is strange to encounter evidence of a former self. Not only is there very little in this book my adult self finds interesting, but I have a hard time believing my child self liked it, either. It just doesn't jibe with my self-identity. Yet here it is, the book I remember being sad to leave behind and not a little tempted to steal when I moved.
The best I can figure is that this is a story about a child who is able to arrange a better life for herself and her family--through time travel, which is probably less incredible to a child's imagination than the half-guessed realities of adult life.
August 14, 2018
Lovely little time-travel story in the vein of
Half Magic
and
The Story of the Amulet
.
Magical elevator gives a 1960s city girl a chance to visit a quieter time and life. As in the best of books, nothing goes smoothly with magic. Don't miss the sequel, All in Good Time .
September 29, 2019
This was another I'm-not-the-target-audience-but-what-the-hell read. Trouble is, I'm not only not the target audience (early teens?) but also not in the right era (mid-1960s). This time-travel tale is cute but wholly predictable. It probably was entertaining in its time, but kids today (for better or worse) wouldn't have the patience with it.
January 6, 2019
Enjoyed this very much, and I think my 9-year-old self would have enjoyed it even more. Interesting decision for Ormondroyd to set himself up as the narrator and then make us wait 44 pages before finally showing us Susan at the top. It's hard to imagine editors supporting this nowadays.
March 30, 2022
Couldn't have loved the ending more! I've been a children's librarian most of my adult life and can't imagine how I missed this book.
May 29, 2023
This review also appears on my blog, Read-at-Home Mom.
When Susan Shaw disappears suddenly one afternoon, her father and others in her apartment building fear that she has been kidnapped. In reality, though, Susan has ridden the elevator to the top floor and slipped through a time warp that has transported her back to 1881. There she meets Victoria and Robert, a pair of siblings who are concerned about a smooth-talking gold digger who is after their widowed mother's money - and her hand in marriage. When Susan strategizes to help them scare the suitor away, her own fate becomes magically wrapped up with theirs in a way that will eventually alter history.
I think I was a little bit unfair to this book as I was reading it because I could not stop comparing it to the brilliant novel that is Tom's Midnight Garden. The comparison is virtually unavoidable, since both books are time slip stories where ordinary kids step into other eras by simply exploring different parts of their own homes, but it still felt like I was constantly thinking, "This isn't how Philippa Pearce would handle this." Time at the Top simply isn't as emotional as Tom's Midnight Garden. The story is told in the voice of the author, who has purportedly heard Susan's story secondhand from their mutual neighbors, and who is one of the few who believes wholeheartedly in what eventually happens to Susan. The story is written more like a report than a reflection on an experience, which makes it more difficult to empathize with the characters.
That said, if I don't compare the two books, Time at the Top is an interesting novel on its own. I like that the entire story is told in the first couple of chapters from the logical, reality-based point of view of Susan's father and other adults, and then retold in detail from Susan's perspective in the remaining chapters. I also like the ending. Susan has an idea which is not entirely unpredictable, but it is thoroughly surprising that she is able to pull off what she plans. I wasn't sure I liked the ending at first because it is told in Ormondroyd's voice as the narrator, and we don't get to find out Susan's feelings at the final moments of the story, but then I found out there is a sequel (All in Good Time), and I realized the ending really is one heck of a good set-up for a follow-up story. I only hope I can find a copy of that second book!
Time at the Top is the exact kind of fantasy novel I tolerate best. There isn't a complicated explanation of how the magic (in this case, time travel) works, but it's not so vague that I was constantly distracted or confused. I always felt that I could completely believe in what was happening, and that Susan, despite many obstacles, would eventually come out okay. A really enjoyable and quick read appropriate for all ages.
When Susan Shaw disappears suddenly one afternoon, her father and others in her apartment building fear that she has been kidnapped. In reality, though, Susan has ridden the elevator to the top floor and slipped through a time warp that has transported her back to 1881. There she meets Victoria and Robert, a pair of siblings who are concerned about a smooth-talking gold digger who is after their widowed mother's money - and her hand in marriage. When Susan strategizes to help them scare the suitor away, her own fate becomes magically wrapped up with theirs in a way that will eventually alter history.
I think I was a little bit unfair to this book as I was reading it because I could not stop comparing it to the brilliant novel that is Tom's Midnight Garden. The comparison is virtually unavoidable, since both books are time slip stories where ordinary kids step into other eras by simply exploring different parts of their own homes, but it still felt like I was constantly thinking, "This isn't how Philippa Pearce would handle this." Time at the Top simply isn't as emotional as Tom's Midnight Garden. The story is told in the voice of the author, who has purportedly heard Susan's story secondhand from their mutual neighbors, and who is one of the few who believes wholeheartedly in what eventually happens to Susan. The story is written more like a report than a reflection on an experience, which makes it more difficult to empathize with the characters.
That said, if I don't compare the two books, Time at the Top is an interesting novel on its own. I like that the entire story is told in the first couple of chapters from the logical, reality-based point of view of Susan's father and other adults, and then retold in detail from Susan's perspective in the remaining chapters. I also like the ending. Susan has an idea which is not entirely unpredictable, but it is thoroughly surprising that she is able to pull off what she plans. I wasn't sure I liked the ending at first because it is told in Ormondroyd's voice as the narrator, and we don't get to find out Susan's feelings at the final moments of the story, but then I found out there is a sequel (All in Good Time), and I realized the ending really is one heck of a good set-up for a follow-up story. I only hope I can find a copy of that second book!
Time at the Top is the exact kind of fantasy novel I tolerate best. There isn't a complicated explanation of how the magic (in this case, time travel) works, but it's not so vague that I was constantly distracted or confused. I always felt that I could completely believe in what was happening, and that Susan, despite many obstacles, would eventually come out okay. A really enjoyable and quick read appropriate for all ages.
September 20, 2021
Still in a state of revolt regarding my library's decision to weed books like this, I borrowed my husband's academic ILL account and got this one.* I was a bit nervous. I loved it as a kid and what if my memories were wrong?
So I was so happy to find that my memories were largely correct.This is a lovely little historical novel, with a touch of fantasy that Ormondroyd introduces and sets up in a very creative way. Just letting the author describe the sights and sounds of the country is therapy when contrasted with the usual action packed into your newer novels for MG/YA. It would make a great TV/streaming movie. (Hint, hint)
*Husband, getting PhD. Has used ILL once.
Wife, not getting PhD. Has used ILL 10 times. And mostly for nostalgic purposes. Take that, Library system.
So I was so happy to find that my memories were largely correct.This is a lovely little historical novel, with a touch of fantasy that Ormondroyd introduces and sets up in a very creative way. Just letting the author describe the sights and sounds of the country is therapy when contrasted with the usual action packed into your newer novels for MG/YA. It would make a great TV/streaming movie. (Hint, hint)
*Husband, getting PhD. Has used ILL once.
Wife, not getting PhD. Has used ILL 10 times. And mostly for nostalgic purposes. Take that, Library system.
February 9, 2009
I read this book some thirty years ago in elementary school and it lit a spark inside of me about time travel that has yet to die. Since then, I have read this book with my children ( six of them ) who have all enjoyed it.
July 16, 2008
A great tale of time-travel, brilliantly and amusingly told by the author, who places himself as a character in the story. I loved the ending. Nice illustrations, too!
May 10, 2011
Enjoyed by a 6 and 12-year-old as a fast read-aloud, I liked it a lot when I first read it as a child.
February 4, 2022
Time at the Top by Edward Ormondroyd
One unremarkable afternoon in the month of March some time in the 1960s, a girl called Susan Shaw vanishes from the New York apartment building where she lives with her widowed father. After several days of frantic searching by the local residents and police, she suddenly reappears and relates a bizarre tale involving an eccentric old woman she met on the street, an elevator ride back in time to 1881, and an adventure with two children who are anxious to prevent their mother from making a terrible mistake.
Susan’s father and the eavesdropping cleaning lady naturally have trouble accepting her version of events. Susan has always seemed a very sensible girl, even if she does have a flair for dramatics and enjoys taking the lead in school plays.
Ormondroyd’s writing is light, quirky and humorous, and the pace of the story carries the reader along with enough tension to arouse curiosity about what is going to occur next and how the problems which arise are to be resolved.
Part of what makes the story successful is the fact that the author includes himself as one of the tenants living in the apartment building, makes wry comments about the various happenings, and relates an account of the adventure which he heard firsthand from Susan.
While this book does not have much depth to it, it is nevertheless intelligent and imaginative. The time-travel mechanism is original, and the conclusion is somewhat unexpected. In my opinion, it is definitely worth reading if you are interested in children’s timeslip literature. Although the plot is wrapped up in a satisfying way, there is a sequel, All in Good Time, which continues the tale.
One unremarkable afternoon in the month of March some time in the 1960s, a girl called Susan Shaw vanishes from the New York apartment building where she lives with her widowed father. After several days of frantic searching by the local residents and police, she suddenly reappears and relates a bizarre tale involving an eccentric old woman she met on the street, an elevator ride back in time to 1881, and an adventure with two children who are anxious to prevent their mother from making a terrible mistake.
Susan’s father and the eavesdropping cleaning lady naturally have trouble accepting her version of events. Susan has always seemed a very sensible girl, even if she does have a flair for dramatics and enjoys taking the lead in school plays.
Ormondroyd’s writing is light, quirky and humorous, and the pace of the story carries the reader along with enough tension to arouse curiosity about what is going to occur next and how the problems which arise are to be resolved.
Part of what makes the story successful is the fact that the author includes himself as one of the tenants living in the apartment building, makes wry comments about the various happenings, and relates an account of the adventure which he heard firsthand from Susan.
While this book does not have much depth to it, it is nevertheless intelligent and imaginative. The time-travel mechanism is original, and the conclusion is somewhat unexpected. In my opinion, it is definitely worth reading if you are interested in children’s timeslip literature. Although the plot is wrapped up in a satisfying way, there is a sequel, All in Good Time, which continues the tale.
May 12, 2020
“Read” - well that’s an understatement. I ‘read’ this book over and over as a kid. My mom inhaled books; breathed them in like air. I struggled with reading and really didn’t have the interest. But there we were in our local library every week. Sometimes it was just me - dropping off and picking up.
I revisited this same Library not so long ago (well ok, maybe about 30 years ago), when my own children were young. There it was! Still on the shelf, right where I left it! I picked it up and looked at the card tucked into its pocket inside the cover. Scrawled almost 20 times, practically filling up that card, was my name.
I just borrowed the book again from my online account with Libby. Not sure which Library, I’m a member of several! I loved rereading those words and traveling back in time to my own childhood as I lay down on my bed and followed the adventures of Susan.
I’m now a real Book Junky - thank you Mom and thank you to Edward for this little gift. Hope as I write this that you and your family are doing well and Spring is blooming for you all around. Stay safe and keep well. - May 12, 2020
I revisited this same Library not so long ago (well ok, maybe about 30 years ago), when my own children were young. There it was! Still on the shelf, right where I left it! I picked it up and looked at the card tucked into its pocket inside the cover. Scrawled almost 20 times, practically filling up that card, was my name.
I just borrowed the book again from my online account with Libby. Not sure which Library, I’m a member of several! I loved rereading those words and traveling back in time to my own childhood as I lay down on my bed and followed the adventures of Susan.
I’m now a real Book Junky - thank you Mom and thank you to Edward for this little gift. Hope as I write this that you and your family are doing well and Spring is blooming for you all around. Stay safe and keep well. - May 12, 2020
December 21, 2021
If I had been lucky enough to read this book as a kid, it would have been one of my very favorites! It is a fun, fast-paced story about a girl from 1960 who finds herself back in 1881. Will she ever make it back home to her dad? Will she be able to save her new 19th century friends from financial ruin?
I loved Ormondroyd’s writing style. He makes the characters and situations feel fairly believable, while keeping the whole thing light and fun. He himself is a character in the book, and the various snarky remarks other characters make about “people who claim to be writers” had me giggling.
As far as content goes, there is a part where the main character and her friends tell a lie in an effort to prevent something bad from happening. The story makes it very clear that it was a lie, and the characters feel conflicted about it… but later it turns out that what they thought was a lie was in fact quite true (unbeknownst to them). Other than that, I didn’t notice any other issues. Ages 9 and up.
I loved Ormondroyd’s writing style. He makes the characters and situations feel fairly believable, while keeping the whole thing light and fun. He himself is a character in the book, and the various snarky remarks other characters make about “people who claim to be writers” had me giggling.
As far as content goes, there is a part where the main character and her friends tell a lie in an effort to prevent something bad from happening. The story makes it very clear that it was a lie, and the characters feel conflicted about it… but later it turns out that what they thought was a lie was in fact quite true (unbeknownst to them). Other than that, I didn’t notice any other issues. Ages 9 and up.
September 19, 2017
Adored this book as a child and its still a fun read. Cute the way the author is both the narrator and a minor character. And who knew the author was a Berkeley guy?
Understand why Susan wants to live in the past and would probably have felt the same in her position. Yet, worry that she will have her beloved quiet world for not very long. Probably within fifty years of her arrival in the past--when she is a mere 60 years old (really, not that old) the beautiful mansion will be at risk of teardown and replacement by the apartment building that Susan is living in at the start of the story.
Understand why Susan wants to live in the past and would probably have felt the same in her position. Yet, worry that she will have her beloved quiet world for not very long. Probably within fifty years of her arrival in the past--when she is a mere 60 years old (really, not that old) the beautiful mansion will be at risk of teardown and replacement by the apartment building that Susan is living in at the start of the story.
June 8, 2020
This was a favorite book of mine as a girl so I thought I would read it to my girls. They enjoyed it and I had fun reading it to them. As I was reading it, I thought it would make a good play and was happy to discover it was made into a movie, I think in 1999. The story is creative and creatively told and entertaining as it flips between centuries. I haven't read the sequel and look forward to reading that at some point.
September 7, 2017
very original story and conclusion. there were some places where the writing just really got on my nerves, though. I can't quite explain it without direct quotes, but it was like the author was trying to be funny, but was very much falling that for me. luckily, such ill-fated attempts at humor only occur a few times
May 22, 2020
I read this book in elementary school. It had a yellow cover and was on the O shelf. I don't know how many times I read the story, but I loved it. I'm going to look for a copy for my granddaughter who I think will also love it.
August 25, 2023
I’m sure my young self would have appreciated this - not sure how I totally missed that it’s a young/teen book. It was fun and I can see kids liking the fantasy part if it - but a bit old fashioned and cheesy for today.
July 27, 2024
A re-read from childhood. I remember reading this book and writing a little "review" for a 4th or 5th grade project. I love time travel stories so this is/was right up my alley. Didn't like that the wish granter was a "witch." She was barely in it; could have just been magical.
June 26, 2018
A quick, fun, innocent read I devoured in a few hours. Not sure how I feel about the ending, though. I certainly wouldn't choose to live in the 1880s over the 1960s.
May 13, 2019
My favorite book of all time. A beautiful book for young, precocious, daydreamers...
August 8, 2019
Quite a lovely little tale about a time-travelling phone booth elevator and the little girl who loves it.
April 18, 2020
Susan takes her apartment elevator--to 1881!
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