Extra props for all the Scottish background. It truly adds a unique charm and authenticity to the story. The rich history, the beautiful landscapes, and the vibrant culture of Scotland all contribute to making this story not just a narrative but an immersive experience.

The Scottish background provides a backdrop that is both cool and captivating. It allows the reader to envision the characters and events in a setting that is full of character and personality. Whether it's the rolling hills, the ancient castles, or the bustling cities, the Scottish elements bring the story to life in a way that few other settings could.

Moreover, the Scottish background adds a layer of depth and complexity to the story. It gives the characters a sense of heritage and identity, and it allows them to interact with the world around them in a way that is specific to their cultural context. This makes the story more relatable and engaging, as the reader can identify with the characters and their experiences on a deeper level.

Overall, the Scottish background is an essential part of this story, and it truly makes it a cool and unforgettable read.

I picked this up from a little free library purely because it was a Susan Cooper book.

As a teenager, I was completely engrossed in her Dark is Rising sequence. Although I actually never finished it, I promise I will someday. I still have my battered old omnibus copy, which is stained by waterbombs thrown at me by boys from a local school in 1997.

Anyway, this was a surprisingly progressive story for its time (mid-1990s). It features very serious kids and a supporting cast that includes a female Korean gamer and a gay couple with an age difference. It is filled with good humour, intelligence, and pathos, particularly in the first chapter. It really evokes all the feels!

Casting a psychiatrist as a villain was a bit of a trope, and the 196 pages seemed to go very slowly. However, it was still a fun read. And the technology described in the book is a total nostalgia trip for children of the 80s/90s! It brings back memories of the early days of gaming and computing. Overall, it was an enjoyable book that I would recommend to others.

A Scottish boggart, an ancient being of the Wild Magic, has lived with the MacDevon clan for centuries in their island stronghold, Castle Keep. Prone to mischief but never intending real harm, he plays pranks on his family. When the last MacDevon dies and the castle is inherited by a distant Canadian relative, the Boggart accidentally finds himself in Toronto. There, he slowly settles in with the Volnik family and discovers many new things to enjoy, like peanut butter and electric gadgets. However, in the end, he realizes he doesn't really understand this new world and doesn't belong there. Will the Boggart manage to get home with the help of the Volnik children, Emily and Jessup?

I first read The Boggart in 1993 when it was published, full of anticipation as I was a big fan of Susan Cooper's The Dark Is Rising Sequence. While this book has a reference to the Wild Magic like the epic pentalogy, it is a more domestic form of fantasy. I recall enjoying it but also feeling a bit let down at the time. On this recent reread, I was pleasantly surprised to find that I enjoyed it much more. It is well-written, with an engaging story and likable characters. Emily and Jessup are sympathetic, but it's the Boggart who truly steals the show. Cooper does a great job of capturing his alienness while also making him relatable and making us root for his return home. The cover art by Trina Schart Hyman is an added bonus. Overall, I found this a highly entertaining and engaging read and would recommend it to middle grade fantasy fans and Susan Cooper devotees.

One detail that stood out to me on this reread was the scene where Welshman Dai and Scotsman Willie discuss the Boggart. They claim that such a creature is called a pwca in Wales and a boggart in Scotland. Dai, a former Welsh Nationalist, speculates that the English might have dogs instead of boggarts. I wasn't aware of this on my first reading, but apparently, the word boggart is actually English and comes from Lancashire, with the creatures more commonly called boggles or bogles in Scotland. Given Cooper's knowledge of folklore, I find it hard to believe she wasn't aware of this, so I wonder if the scene was some sort of inside joke?

I've been on a Susan Cooper kick lately, reading or rereading her works from the local library. Until recently, they had a complete set of this series. But a few weeks before I was ready to check them out, they were weeded. What a tragic loss! I feel sorry that the local children won't have the opportunity to discover this gem on the library shelves, which seem to be increasingly dominated by the latest titles, few of which I suspect will have the staying power of Susan Cooper's works.

A Sweet Story of Friendship and Celtic Myths

The author of The Dark Is Rising and The Grey King presents a charming tale. When the Volnik family from Toronto, Canada, inherits a Scottish castle, they unknowingly inherit the family Boggart too.

As the Volniks decide to sell the castle and send some heirlooms back to Canada, the Boggart hides in a desk. Now in a new world with a new family, his tricks cause chaos due to the clash of Old Magic and modern technology. It's up to Jessup and Emily, the Volnik kids, and their allies to send the Boggart home.

The outdated technology might catch the eye of some readers. Jessup's excitement over a black-and-white monitor computer with no audio and floppy disc technology seems quaint today. But instead of letting it overshadow the book, we can see it as a sign of the times when it was published in 1993.

The child characters are well-developed, making it easy for readers to empathize with their struggles against the Boggart and the disbelieving adults. While this can get tiresome for adults, the presence of a few understanding adult characters provides a nice balance.

Cooper's love for Scotland shines through in her descriptions of the countryside, lochs, and even the gloomy weather. Toronto, on the other hand, doesn't get as much attention, as the focus is mainly on the Boggart and the kids.

Overall, The Boggart is a standard adolescent novel with a skilled author at the helm. It may not be a modern classic, but it's definitely worth a read.

3 stars. The story was truly unique and charming. It had a certain allure that kept the readers hooked from the very beginning. The author managed to create enough tension throughout the narrative, which made it consistently engaging. One could not help but keep turning the pages to find out what would happen next. However, there was one aspect that detracted a little from the overall experience. There was a significant amount of excess description. It felt as if the author was trying to paint a very detailed picture, but at times, it became a bit overwhelming. If this excess description was stripped away, the resulting novella would be quite strong. It would have a more streamlined and focused narrative, allowing the essence of the story to shine through even more brightly.

I read this as a kid.

It was a time when I went through a phase of devouring a load of boggart stories.

The idea of these mischievous and often spooky creatures fascinated me.

I remember being completely engrossed in each tale, imagining the boggarts lurking in the shadows, playing tricks on unsuspecting people.

It was a thrilling experience that added a touch of magic and mystery to my childhood.

Now that I think about it, I really should reread this soon.

Revisiting these stories might bring back those wonderful memories and allow me to see them from a different perspective as an adult.

Who knows, maybe I'll discover something new and exciting in the pages that I missed when I was a kid.

It could be a fun and nostalgic journey that I'm looking forward to taking.

This is a fun and relatively light read. However, the story felt a little rushed at the end, lacking in substance.

For someone with an IT background like myself, the computer-related parts were a bit difficult to digest, but that's not uncommon.

Apparently, similar to many people in the world, Susan Cooper doesn't seem to understand how computers actually work.

The characters were likable enough, yet I never truly reached the point where I deeply cared about what happened to them.

Perhaps with a bit more development and a slower-paced conclusion, the story could have had more impact and made the reader more invested in the characters' fates.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read, but it left me with a sense that there was room for improvement.

David Rintoul’s voice acting is always a listening pleasure.

I was introduced to a new writer, who is well-versed in Scottish Folklore.

I read this book with only the general blurb and little to no prior information about it.

It was written in the late 90’s.

The main leads’ parents are boomers, which really bothered me. I’m not sure if this book deserves a 5-star review for the brutally honest portrayal of neglectful and self-absorbed parents or a 3-star review because, although it evokes strong emotions, it dragged a bit and relied on stereotypes.

However, there are many good aspects to this book. The narration, folklore, and storytelling are excellent. There is respect and a delayed tenderness in the story. I really enjoyed the fantasy elements and I’m sure children will love listening to this story.

I’m still undecided about whether the neglectful and self-absorbed parents were necessary in the story.

I will definitely look for more books written by Ms. Cooper.

This book was truly quite good.

It made use of an interesting collection of vocabulary words, which added depth and color to the narrative.

The author did a nice job of vividly describing the settings of both Scotland and the castle, as well as Canada.

The story itself was interesting, with a unique plot that kept the reader engaged.

However, at times, the action seemed to be a little bit slow, which might have caused some readers to lose interest for a moment.

Thankfully, though, the story definitely got better as it progressed.

The later parts of the book were more exciting and engaging, with more twists and turns that kept the reader on the edge of their seat.

Overall, this was a great book that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys a good adventure story with interesting settings and a well-developed plot.

I'm not entirely certain who that mysterious figure on the left side of the cover is meant to be. Perhaps it could be a young Tommy Wiseau. However, the captivating cover is not the sole reason that led me to pick up The Boggart. There are other factors at play here.

It's a charming story that has an emotional essence to it. Surprisingly, it's really quite touching. The boggart in this narrative is not like the terrifying bloodsucking creatures found in the Spook's Apprentice series. This particular boggart is invisible and immortal. It has the rather endearing habit of eating ice cream with its tiny "hands". When its master passes away and a distant Canadian relative arrives with his family to assess or put the Castle Keep on the market, the boggart accidentally gets trapped in a roll top desk and is shipped off to Canada.

Once there, for some reason, the magical properties of iron don't have as much of an impact on it. Maybe there simply isn't as much iron in the vicinity as I had initially thought.

Thankfully, everything works out in the end. And it just goes to show that Susan Cooper still has that magical touch in her writing, even when she's not penning something overly profound or沉重的.

I vividly remember reading and having a great liking for this particular story when I was a kid. It was full of charm and excitement that captured my young imagination. However, as an adult, when I attempted to reread it, my perspective had changed significantly.

I found that I simply couldn't sympathize with the mischievous nature of the Boggart any longer. It now seemed more like an annoying little bugger that should have just stayed stuck in the game where it belonged.

The once endearing antics that had brought a smile to my face as a child now grated on my nerves. It was as if growing up had made me lose the ability to see the humor and playfulness in its actions.

Maybe it's a sign of maturity, but it's also a bit sad to have lost that connection with a story that had once meant so much to me.

Really cute story!!!

Once upon a time, there was a little kitten. The kitten was very curious and loved to explore the world around it. One day, it wandered into a beautiful garden. In the garden, there were colorful flowers blooming everywhere. The kitten was so excited that it started chasing the butterflies.

As it chased, it didn't notice that it had strayed too far from home. But the little kitten wasn't afraid. It continued to enjoy the wonderful scenery in the garden.

After a while, the kitten felt a bit tired and hungry. It looked around and found a small bird's nest. In the nest, there were some delicious-looking berries. The kitten carefully picked a few berries and ate them. They were so sweet and delicious.

Finally, the kitten decided it was time to go home. It followed the path it had come and soon found its way back. The little kitten was very happy with its adventure in the garden.