This is the nanny who takes wild and rebellious children and reforms them. The magical, ugly, tough, no-nonsense nanny who only comes when you don’t want her and leaves as soon as you do. And the movie is equally delightful, albeit a bit different. Setting aside the cheats that Nurse Matilda gets to employ, is this a book that is worthy? Is it true, is it good, is it beautiful? Yes. This is where Nurse Matilda (and books like it including Mary Poppins) are a bit tiresome for the mother out there who longs for that magical shortcut to good old-fashioned parenting. If I had a magical staff, and could creatively bind my children to their bad behavior, such that they want to change it themselves, how much easier would my life be? But I can’t do that. And while her magic is part of what makes her endearing, it’s also what makes her frustrating. I really don’t think there’s anything objectionable in the book, but I cringe because I don’t have Nurse Matilda’s magical staff. Wearing the hat of a mother, however, I cringe ever so slightly. Wearing the hat of my inner child, I adore the book. When I consider recommending it, however, I realize that I have to wear two different hats. Nurse Matilda by Christianna Brand is one of those books that the child in any of us would enjoy.
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