The Twelve and the Genii by Pauline Clarke, 1962

Read it up in the attic with your toys

What a delight it was to read the story and say, "But this was exactly what I wanted when I was a child!" I wanted my little Skipper doll to comb her hair; I wanted my little plastic farm animals to baa and moo on top of the dining table. If I had toy soldiers like in the story, I'd love for them to do little parades and to tell me tales of campaigns in Africa. I wanted my toys to surprise me, speak to me, have ideas of their own! Children will surely see themselves as Max, playful eight-year old, benevolent protector and guide to the Twelve - wooden soldiers each with their own histories and temperaments. Max, after finding them under a floorboard of their new home in Haworth, quickly became enamored. But their days of playing couldn't last too long. A Bronte scholar from America just offered a huge sum to buy twelve toy soldiers that belonged to the family of writers. Now the whole town is bent on finding them. How will Max keep his wards safe forever? Not only does this book fire up the imagination, like a good story should, but it also encourages further reading especially for those who have not read The History of the Young Men. A wonderful book to be enjoyed up in the attic with your toys.