trying to remember a childrens book i once read

October 20, 2005 5:30 PM

Does anyone remember a childrens book about a place where its dark all the time except for one day a year when the sun comes out? In the story the little gets locked in a closet by other kids on the one day of sun? thanks!
posted by butterball to Writing & Language (21 answers total)

Ray Bradbury's All Summer in a Day
posted by flavor at 5:34 PM on October 20, 2005

Thank you. I saw a video adaptation as a child, but never knew what it was.
posted by NucleophilicAttack at 5:43 PM on October 20, 2005

I saw the video adaption as a PBS "Wonderworks" (or something close to that) special. I believe they also did a Chronicles of Narnia adaptation.
posted by sohcahtoa at 6:32 PM on October 20, 2005

I saw it too! I remember how horrified I was. Thanks, flavor.
posted by luckypozzo at 6:34 PM on October 20, 2005

I wouldn't call it a children's book, isn't it just a short story? In any case it's one of the saddest stories I've ever read.
posted by ORthey at 6:44 PM on October 20, 2005

Wow
posted by bondcliff at 7:13 PM on October 20, 2005

It's just a short story, not at all a children's book.
posted by interrobang at 7:45 PM on October 20, 2005

(This is kind of a common question to people who work in science-fiction bookstores. That and "where's the travel section?")
posted by interrobang at 7:45 PM on October 20, 2005

I read that story in, I think, middle school (I was going to say Asimov, actually, but it was Bradbury). Since it's already been answered there's not much more to say.

It was a good story, and it's odd that I knew exactly what you were talking about in your question.
posted by delmoi at 9:08 PM on October 20, 2005

I would love to find a copy of the film.

When you look it up on IMDB you find comment after comment after commment posted by people who saw the short film version around 6th or 7th grade and were incredibly moved by it. This is true for me as well.

In fact, I've been thinking about this film a lot since last week (I live in New England) and was going to post here asking for help locating a copy of the film. I hope one of you ask.me geniuses out there can solve this mystery.
posted by palegirl at 9:25 PM on October 20, 2005

Thank you for asking this. I saw the film as a kid and I never knew what it was.
posted by misterbrandt at 10:05 PM on October 20, 2005

I saw this video as well in school and have thought about it from time to time since. I remember that it rained all the time and there was one day where the sun came out.
posted by KathyK at 5:38 AM on October 21, 2005

Holy sh*t ! I saw the video adaptation and always wondered what it was. Thanks !
posted by Frasermoo at 5:49 AM on October 21, 2005

I too have seen this movie when I was a kid! It was in school and I remember why we watched but there's still a couple scene from it that are etched into my mind. I wonder why this movie seems to have stuck in people's brains as long as it has when I have no recollection of other movies I've seen from the same period...

When I remember that movie now I'm thankful that I don't live in a place like that...I need the sun.
posted by LunaticFringe at 5:54 AM on October 21, 2005

I live in a place like that, it's called Britain. Bloody weather.
posted by Frasermoo at 6:22 AM on October 21, 2005

That was one of the saddest stories I've ever read... just about as sad as this:


posted by ducksauce at 7:19 AM on October 21, 2005

ducksauce, that is truly sad.

.
posted by widdershins at 9:06 AM on October 21, 2005

a childrens book about a place where its dark all the time

A title popular with the kids these days is the peculiar City of Ember by Jeanne Duprau. If it weren't for their electric lights, it would be dark all the time in Ember. But I'm guessing the question's really about that place where it rains all the time except one day a year, which is of course Bradbury's "All Summer in a Day", one of the short stories compiled in his Medicine for Melancholy (and it's not what I'd consider an appropriate story for kids -- too nightmarish).
posted by Rash at 9:19 AM on October 21, 2005

I also saw this a long time ago and it's stuck with me ever since. Thanks for asking the question, butterball.
posted by deborah at 7:13 PM on October 21, 2005

I saw a similar film in a high school class for generating discsussion, but can't recall the name of it either. It was about a school on Venus that had to go thru daily light exposure and the one day that the sun ever came out in a year, the kids got to frolick in the sunlight. Is this the same story? I specifically remember the aspect of it being on Venus because of the near-incessant cloud cover.
posted by vanoakenfold at 1:42 AM on October 22, 2005

Yes, vanoakenfold, it's the same story.
posted by interrobang at 5:44 PM on November 1, 2005