They're Alive

The Mennyms by Slyvia Waugh
Published: May 1, 1995 by Avon Camelot
First Published: August 27, 1993
Series: The Mennyms #1
Growing up I used to reread books all the time. (This could be off, but I'm guessing I've read this one book 6 times at this point.) Except as I've gotten more and more into book blogging and as my to-read pile grows exponentially I feel far too guilty to do much rereading. But I miss it, which is why on my 101 in 1001 list I included rereading 3 of my favorite childhood series as something I wanted to do. I have several I could have chosen, but decided for my first to go with The Mennyms.

The Mennyms are a family living in modern day (or 90s modern day when the book was written, which basically means pre-internet) England. There are two grandparents, two parents, two teenagers, 10-year-old twins, and a baby all living in the same house. They're a pretty normal family with money woes and teenage angst, except one thing is a little different... they're actually a family of rag dolls. Life-sized rag dolls that realize how much of a novelty they could be to others if they were ever found out, but that doesn't stop them from finding a way to navigate the world around them through tricks they've learned.

I've heard of others going back and rereading childhood favorites to find they don't quite had the magic they remember, but thankfully these do for me. I do think it's interesting reading them before and loving Appleby (their teenage daughter) the best, but now it's really Soobie (their teenage son) that stands out. I do think it's a testament of how well the story is written that there's so many different characters, yet you really feel like you know each and every one.

I think the main observation I can make from reading these books so many times is how easily I notice the foreshadowing. I have to wonder if I read them for the first time now, would I have quite figured out the plot twist or would I have been just as surprised as I was reading these in elementary school?

5/5

Today I'm linking up with Blonde Undercover Blonde for Book Club Friday!