Leading animation maker Studio Ghibli Inc. and Toho Co. will adapt "The Borrowers," an acclaimed fantasy novel by British children's author Mary Norton, for release next summer.

Set in present-day Japan, "Karigurashi no Arrietty" (Arrietty the Borrower) follows the adventures of Arrietty, a girl who stands just 10 centimeters, and her encounters with an ordinary boy.

Norton's 1952 novel revolves around a family of "little people" who live underneath the floorboards of a house and make a living borrowing things from humans.

Ghibli director Hayao Miyazaki wrote the script and 36-year-old Hiromasa Yonebayashi will direct the film, making him the youngest person to be put in charge of a Ghibli film.