The hobbit or there and back again

Seldom has a story been as widely praised as "The Hobbit" - by parents, teachers, reviewers, and especially by children themselves. Within a few years its hero, Bilbo Baggins, has taken his place among the ranks of the immortals: Alice, Pooh, Toad... As with all such classics enjoyment burgeons at each successive reading, and grown-ups as well as children feel the potency of its spell.<br/><br/>It is a tale of high adventure, undertaken by a company of dwarves, in search of a dragon-guarded gold. A reluctant partner on this perilous quest is Bilbo Baggins, a comfort-loving, unambitious hobbit, who surprises even himself by his resourcefulness and skill as a burglar.<br/><br/>Encounters with giant spiders in the labyrinths of Mirkwood and the evil goblins that live among the roots of the Misty Mountains, the palpitating delicacy of Bilbo's conversations with the dragon, Smaug, and the grand climax of the Battle of the Five Armies, are supremely exciting incidents. But there are homelier moments too: good fellowship and welcome meals along the road, laughter and song and all "the freshness of an early world".<br/><br/>"The Hobbit" is in itself a complete and marvellous tale which may be read to the very young, or given to children of any age to read for themselves. But it is also a prelude to "The Lord of the Rings", in which the true significance of Bilbo's success in riddles and the nature of Gollum's 'Precious' are revealed.<br/><br/>These books - and first of all "The Hobbit" - speak of he nobility and delight of life. They speak too of the triumph of good over evil, and reaffirm our secret hopes that, whatever the odds, right will be victorious over might.