Mistress Masham's Repose

Maria is the ten-year-old orphan mistress of the poverty-stricken remains of the old Malplaquet estate, and her life is misery. She's been placed in the hands of a governess and a vicar who despise her and her only friend is an absent-minded professor who spends most of his time lost in the past.

Then her life changes dramatically when Maria discovers there is a complete civilization of people, tiny people, only inches tall, living on an island in the far corner of her estate.

The strength of this book, like the strength of the other T. H. White books I've read, is how he creates—whether they are charming or vile—endearing characters. You can't help but be riveted when White's characters begin to speak. Each character is unique and compelling.