When the Dolls Woke

by Marjorie Filley Stover

Book Overview

Long neglected dolls come awake and help their new owner and her elderly aunt find a treasure hidden in their dollhouse years ago. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 059044624X
• ISBN13: 9780590446242
• Release Date: January 1987
• Publisher: Scholastic
• Weight: 0.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 5.2" x 7.5"
• Age Range: 9 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 4 to 7

Customer Reviews

Another book from me childhood

Well written and a great follow up story to "Midnight in the Dollhouse" made me want to repair my American families' old dollhouse. The book was marked up quite a bit, yet still easy to read.

Loved it as a child

When I was a little girl I read this book over and over. Then I read the prequel call Midnight in the Dollhouse. I love this book still, and if I have the flu and am stuck in bed I'll still pull it out and read it for fun.

Lonely Gail misses her old life, then the dolls come ...

Gail has to move from her old school and leave her best friend. Shy and unhappy, she doesn't make friends in her new neighborhood until Great-Great-Aunt Abby sends her an old dollhouse that has been in the family for a hundred years. Aunt Abby, Gail's namesake, had promised her own father, Captain Vance Wurling, that she would always keep the dollhouse in the family. When Aunt Abby comes for a long visit, she and Gail fix up the dollhouse, and Gail even finds common ground with a schoolmate whose friendliness Gail had ignored in her unhappiness. The front of the book gives a family tree that was very helpful. Sadly, we don't hear much more about Melissa, the little girl of the previous book, "Midnight in the Dollhouse," but reading this one after that one gave me chills at times, knowing who some of the characters were, how alive they were a century before, and being able to envision the little girl within the old lady. Also, time is different for dolls, and the dolls long for a little girl who will care for them and provide the spark that makes them able to do anything she can imagine. It was fun to see how Sir Gregory, Lady Alice, and the other familiar dolls adapted to the adventures and customs of a new century, while their personalities stayed so much the same from the previous book. The chapter headings are spoilers for what happens in the chapter, and there's no way to avoid them, so you always know what's going to happen, but that was my only complaint. I never read this book as a kid, but it is a wonderful read for adults who like fast-paced children's books or who didn't play with dolls themselves and would like to know how it is done.

When the Dolls Woke

Couple of years after reading "Midnight at the Dollhouse", I discovered "When the Dolls Woke". I felt like I had read a book somewhere like it.Then I remembered about Melissa, her falling- off-the-tree accident and that her brother had built the dollhouse for her. And how Captin Wurling had brought Miss Cherry and Miss Blossom, Martinique, and all the beautiful treasures. If you're wondering what "When the Dolls Woke" is about, this is it:Abigail(Gail)'s Great-Great-Aunt Abby has promised to keep the beautiful old dollhouse in the family. So when the local musuem offers to buy the dollhouse, she turns down the offer, and instead gives it to Gail. Gail has just moved from her "crowded" apartment to the suburbs and is delighted with the lovley house and its residents. But ageing causes the once brand-new dolls and dollhouse to be soiled, ripped, stained, and dirty.So Gail, along with Aunt Abby, fix the dolls and dollhouse untill they seem brand new. But there is a mystery about the dollhouse; there is a note saying that there is a fortune hidden in the dollhouse. Aunt Abby always belived that there was no fortune, but Gail sure believes the note. With the help of Sir Gregory, the "papa" doll, they discover the hidden treasure of the family dollhouse.

Wonderful Sequel!

After reading "Midnight in the Dollhouse", I went to the library and much to my surprise, found there was a sequel to the book. After I finished "When The Dolls Woke", I was totally in love with the whole story line, which spans serveral generations.Her Great aunt Abigail has decided to send Gail an age old Dollhouse, rather than sell it off to a museam. Gail is quickly attracted to it and the doll family consisting of Sir Gregory, Lady Alice, Maribelle, Tommy and Baby Winky. She notices a motto on the fireplace and wonders what it means-could there really be treasure hidden in the tiny victorian mansion? When her aunt comes to visit she has bad news-she doesn't have as much money as she thought! Can the dolls give Gail a clue to where the treasure is hidden? Or is it too late?Whatever your age may be, I highly reccomend this book to anyone who loves mysterys involving dollhouses, dolls, and their young owners.

Captivating!

This is one of my all time favorite books. I'm 18 and still pick up this book and read it when I feel the need to escape to an enchanting world. I've read this book so much it's sadly lost its cover. It inspired me to start up my own heirloom dollhouse with its very own "real" doll family (whom are all named after the one in the book of course). A GREAT book. The first book in this 2 book series "Midnight in the Dollhouse" Is an extra special treat!