The Borrowers by Mary Norton

Imagine a world of tiny people who live in the nooks and corners of your house, inside a clock, or under the floorboards, in the heating ducts and among the plumbing pipes. They seldom see the sun, because the only safe time for them to venture into the domain of human beings is at night, and even then it’s risky. Someone could see them! But venture they must, because it’s the only way they can survive.
This is the world of the Borrowers, as imagined by Mary Norton. Borrowers have to borrow from humans to obtain the materials they need to make clothing, furniture, books, tools, and of course, food. Their greatest fear, aside from being seen, is of what most humans do after seeing them: Get a cat!
Aside from their size, the Borrowers are very much like humans. They look the same, have mostly the same needs, and have very similar feelings. In this first book, Pod and Homily Clock live with their daughter Arrietty. Arrietty is bored with her very restricted life, so when her father decides it’s time to teach her how to become a successful Borrower, she’s terribly excited. But on her very first trip to the outside world, the unthinkable occurs: She is seen by a human boy. And life for the Clocks changes dramatically.

This is a great book! Read it!