I remember loving this book as a kid, so when I found it again I decided to re-read it and see what I thought of it as an adult. It is a great book! No wonder I loved it as a kid. It is also pretty timeless - I think kids today would enjoy it - I'm going to try to get some students to read it! ( )

This book is about three children that live with their nanny while their dad is working at a tin mine. Mrs. Coverlet gets called away suddenly and the children have to take care of themselves until she gets back. There are some funny things that happen and they make a lot of money.
I would recommend this book to kids who like exciting stories. I'm glad my mom kept it from her childhood. ( )

Home alone! What fun! As usual, I was most disappointed when the adults reenter the story. The kids seemed to be doing just fine on their own! I think most children love those books that show how kids can be in charge. ( )

Mary Nash wrote three loosely connected books about the Perserver children and their housekeeper Mrs. Coverlet. Or rather, the three Perserver children and the absence of their housekeeper Mrs. Coverlet, as evidenced by the title of the first book While Mrs. Coverlet Was Away.

In the book, Malcolm, Molly and "Toad" (short for Theobold) are living at home with their trustworthy housekeeper Mrs. Coverlet while their father is away for the summer trying to get a mine in New Zealand that he inherited up and running. Things are fairly normal until Mrs. Coverlet's daughter in Duluth breaks her leg and Mrs. Coverlet has to go away to help take care of her infant grandchildren. The Perserver children are supposed to send Toad to stay with their neighbor, the smothering Eva Penalty, and have their local pastor, the Reverend Forthright come and stay with the two older children. Toad reacts quite negatively to this scenario, and after Mrs. Coverlet leaves in a rush (such a rush that she relies upon the children to inform everyone that he has left), Malcom and Molly agree to keep Mrs. Coverlet's absence a secret and live on their own until she returns. Some moderate adventure then ensues as the children try to take care of themselves and prevent anyone from finding out they are on their own, or that the supply of money their father left them for the summer is running out.

One element of the story that grated a bit for me, but probably would not be a problem for a younger reader, was the fact that everyone seems to be named for their job or their personality. The pastor is Reverend Forthright. The veterinarian is Dr. Furry. The grocer is Mr. Romaine. The annoying and nosy neighbor is Eva Penalty. And so on. Another element that grates somewhat is Nash's frequent use of the narrative device of telling the reader "I must say . . ." and then conveying some information. The book is told from a third person omniscient viewpoint, so these asides are pretty much unnecessary, and could have been worked into the narrative much better without the author inserting themselves into the story in this way.

But these are fairly minor quibbles. The book is silly fun, as the Perserver children try to provide for themselves and get into some low-key adventures in doing so. They do seem to have a fair amount of luck in their endeavors, but that's not entirely unexpected for a children's book. I have to question whether the special sauce would be such a success, given that it is apparently purple, and I just don't think putting purple sauce on hamburgers, steaks, and oatmeal would seem particularly appetizing. This is pretty close to being a fantasy story though, so this sort of thing is probably best overlooked.

While this book probably isn't a classic of children's literature, it is a lot of fun, and makes for an enjoyable read. Even though it was written in the 1950s, the book holds up surprisingly well, although the small town setting of the book is quickly vanishing from reality. For a child looking for a light story about plucky and headstrong kids having the best summer of their lives, this is perfect. ( )

I read this book over and over again as a child! Three children are cared for by a kindly housekeeper, but when she has to go away, a very mean neighbor takes over their care. They are about to go crazy from her forced vegetable eating when the youngest finds a way to make her go to sleep for a LONG time! They have lots of adventures during her long sleep...wacky and funny!