#78 in Children’s books
Roverandom
- 143
- Pages
- about 2.5 h
- Reading time
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About the book
Roverandom is a novella by J. R. R. Tolkien, originally told in 1925, about the adventures of a young dog, Rover. In the story, an irritable wizard turns Rover into a toy, and Rover goes to the Moon and under the sea in order to find the wizard again to turn him back into a normal-sized dog. The author wrote Roverandom for his son Michael to amuse him upon the loss of his favourite toy, a little leaden dog which he lost on a beach of grey shingle stones the same size and colour as the toy. The work is in tone a children's story, but contains many allusions and references in the manner of Farmer Giles of Ham.
Where the score comes from
The sources average 7.6 across 67 ratings — not yet many, so the reader vote carries 27% of the weight and the rest pulls toward the Children’s books average of 8.0. That is how 7.9 comes out.
| Source | Average | Ratings | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Library | 8.7 | 6 | 9% |
| Hardcover | 7.5 | 61 | 91% |
Reader voices
The most-liked reviews on Hardcover (credited to their authors).
“2 stars, Metaphorosis reviews Summary Rover, though a toy dog made of lead, is aware, and capable of limited motion. But when he bites a nearby wizard, he sets off a chain of adventures. Review I very much enjoy some of Tolkien's non-Lord of the Rings stories: Smith of Wooton Major, Leaf by Niggle, etc. And this is a nice edition of Roverandom, which began, as many of his stories did, as one told to his children. It's got unobtrusive endnotes, color plates of Tolkien's own accompanying art, etc. Unfortunately, I find - just as on previous readings - that there's just not much story here. De…”
Frequently asked
What is Roverandom rated?
7.9 out of 10, from 67 reader ratings across 2 independent sources.
Is Roverandom worth reading?
Readers give it 7.9/10 from 67 ratings, which puts it ahead of 42 % of the Children’s books shelf.
How long does it take to read Roverandom?
About 2.5 hours at an average reading pace — 143 pages.
Where does Roverandom rank?
#78 in Children’s books on the current snapshot.
What age is Roverandom for?
Roverandom sits on the Children shelf in the sources we use, which by convention means roughly ages 5–10. This is a guide from the book’s category, not a publisher’s age rating. It has 143 pages — shorter than 97% of the ranked books in Children’s books.
If you liked this
The same shelf — Children’s books — and a score of 7.9, the closest to this book.
