The Diamond in the Window (The Hall Family Chronicles)

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Summary: This is one flawless diamond!
Review: A couple of months ago, my 28 year old son Christopher called me and asked about some long forgotten books of his. He is mentoring some young children who are not book lovers and thought that some of his most beloved books could change their minds about reading. I pulled the box filled with his childhood treasures down from the top shelf of his old closet. Insided, I found not only rusting Hot Wheels and baseball cards, but the book, "Diamond In The Window". I caught my breath, for suddenly I was again a young mother reading to her 9 year old son. I admit to having forgotten about this story through the intervening years, but the moment I looked at the cover, the images came flooding back. Not only did the images come back, but I was immediately compelled to read this book once again. Even after a span of nearly 20 years, between the first time I read this book to now, I can honestly say that this is one of the best children's stories I have ever read. The story revolves around a brother and sister who discover a riddle that mysteriously appears in the attic window of their home. The riddle leads them to another dimension and some long...and very lost relatives. It is up to the children to solve the ever evolving riddle that will bring their relatives back to the present...and in the process, save the entire family from ruin and disgrace.Well, I contacted my son and told him about my "discovery" and mailed him the book. He called the other day to let me know that the book had worked the miracle he was after. After he received it, he began each Saturday morning by reading a portion of the story to the children he mentors. By the third Saturday, the kids were so hooked they insisted that Christopher take them to the library so they could get their own copy of the book and finish reading it! Not only did they finish "Diamond In The Window", but have been back twice to the library to check out more books! This then, is a book I can heartily recommend for any kid at heart...no matter their age...even a 51 year old mother and a 28 year old son. Buy it. You won't regret it.

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Summary: The ultimate children's fantasy book
Review: I first read this book when I was in elementary school, and it took me about 10 years to find my own copy (from amazon, nonetheless). Although I think the stuff about transcendentalism and Emerson and Thoreau might be a little deep for the average 7 or 8 year old, I highly recommend this fantasy for children and adults of all ages. You won't want to leave the world of dreams-that-turn-nightmares that Eleanor and Eddy are drawn into, and I love figuring out which part of the riddle goes with which dream. All in all, a book I am sure to read again and again and enjoy every time.

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Summary: A Treasure from Childhood
Review: I recommend this book and its two sequels, to anyone who has children. It has it all...fantasy, experience, mystery, and history. Even today (I am almost 50) I re-read The Diamond in the Window every year...just to keep my imagination intact. Buy it!

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Summary: Fantastic
Review: I started to read this book in third grade and was prevented from finishing by the school librarian. Having finally found it again in my thirties, it is even better than I remembered. I love the riddles solved in dreams and the references to Transcendentalism that I would not have understood as a child. I especially liked Eddy's palindromes, a really believable character quirk. (For another great palindromist character, read The Poisonwood Bible.) Still captures my imagination, exploring a rambling Victorian house to find hidden treasures.

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Summary: "Leave Behind Us Footprints in the Sands of Time..."
Review: Much of Jane Langton's classic Hall Family Chronicles is based on her obvious love for Concord, Massachusetts and its rich literary heritage and historical importance; in particular Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thereau and Louisa May Alcott, all of whom appear in "The Diamond in the Window" in one way or another. Langton was seemingly so greatly inspired by them, it may be a good idea if children reading this book are given a short introduction to exactly who these people are beforehand, to save them being rather puzzled as to who the philosopher, the naturalist and the author actually are.

Edward and Eleanor Hall live in a strange old house with their aunt Lily and their somewhat crazy uncle Freddy, all of whom are put under threat by the grumpy Mr Preek the bank manager, who promises to evict them should Lily not be able to pay her proper dues in time. Meanwhile, the children discover a secret room with a key-hole window at the very top of the house that seems to be just waiting for two children. As it turns out, the room once belonged to children their ages - Nora and Ned, who disappeared into thin air many years ago. Along with the children was Prince Krishna of India, who had stayed with the family and was very great friends with the children and the fiancee of aunt Lily. After Ned and Nora disappeared however, it was only a matter of days before he too was gone.

Beguiled by this strange adventure, Edward and Eleanor decide to investigate further, especially into the part of the story that told of Krishna lavishing expensive gifts upon the children - if they can find the treasure, they can save their home! Following the clues of the poem Krishna etched on the key-hole window for the amusement of Ned and Nora, the two present children find themselves drawn deeper and deeper into the game that the Eastern Prince devised so long ago. With each dream they experience in the attic room they are delighted by magical adventures and lessons to be learnt about the true nature of "treasure", though there is a hint of danger: nightmarish components creep into the game till they fear that their very lives are in danger - and they seem no closer to finding the elusive Ned and Nora.

"The Diamond in the Window" is a rather difficult book to class - part fantasy, part history and part domestic life, it combines all three in an unusual mix that is mostly made up of the children experiencing a strange dream, and waking up with further insights into their self-growth. A word of caution: some of these adventures can get a bit extreme - the children face drowning, a homocidal jack-in-the-box and at one stage Edward gets badly physically hurt. These events are nothing that most kids can't handle, but the seriousness with which they are treated with was a little unexpected for a children's book.

The dream sequences are brought to life very imaginatively, from experiences as mice, to exploring a conch shell, to floating about in giant bubbles and the mounting tension as the children get closer and closer to their goal is well drawn out. The villain of the piece isn't that interesting, as he isn't even identified until *after* he's defeated, but the mystery surrounding Prince Krishna compensates for this.

The patriotic nature of Langton's book mean Americans will get the most out of reading it (not that that's a bad thing), though in terms of gender equality, it is beginning to date a little. For instance, when the children find themselves in a hall of mirrors reflecting their possible future selves, Edward sees himself as a scientist, a mathematician, a professor, a lawyer, an explorer and the President. Eleanor however gets the choice of artist, mother, teacher or "lady-doctor". Oh dear!

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Summary: Mysterious Dreams
Review: My mother read this to my brother, my sister, and me as we were growing up. I always remember with great vividness the keyhole shaped window (which both my sister and I are going to put in our own houses someday), the gruesome and grotesque Jack-in-the-Box, and a stuffed peacock. This book, which not only has themes suitable for children and adults, has stirred my imagination for years. And I am often haunted by the dreams that help solve the riddles of the two children, Ned and Nora, especially the dream where they must choose their way through a maze of mirrors, in which the children choose how they themselves will be as they grow older and the consequences of their choices. This book is still a favorite!

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Summary: Thrills with a touch of Transcendentalism - and treasure
Review: The Diamond in the Window is the start of Jane Langton's Concord series (for children, unlike much of her writing). It is, without question, one of the true classics of children's literature, fit to stand next to E. Nesbit, Edward Eager, and J.K. Rowling.

In The Diamond in the Window, Eleanor and Edward discover a boarded up room in their attic - and with it, a family mystery. Their Uncle Ned and Aunt Nora disappeared, years ago, from that attic room, and a few days later, so did a houseguest. While investigating the disappearances, they find a poem written on the stained glass window of the attic, which leads them to adventure and treasure.

One of Langton's great strengths is the amount of adult references she can pack into a book without alienating her child audience. Diamond is full of Transcendentalism and the history of Concord, but the information is presented in a way that makes it accessible to readers of all ages. This is an ideal book for reading aloud to an older kid (6 - 10) - sure to promote discussion, and able to hold interest for both adults and children.

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Summary: Imagination Abounds!
Review: This was such a great book, I read it when I was a kid and recently something jogged my memory so I bought it. I read it again and it was still just as great, perhaps even better than when I was a kid. A classic. I'm going to pass it on to my kids!

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Summary: A book for all ages.
Review: While I was a voracious reader as a child, there are a very few books from my childhood that stand out in my memory like beacons. This is one of those books. I was probably eight or nine when I first read it, and I still remember to this day lessons I learned from this book -- like putting the interests of others before your own, for example. One of the author's gifts is that she was able to teach such important lessons without this reader realizing he was being taught. As far as I was concerned at the time it was a vastly entertaining and enjoyable read. It was also my first introduction to the writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau (albeit at a level a child could comprehend). If this book were required reading for every child, our world would be a better place.