The Railway Children

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'"Stand firm'" said Peter, "and wave like mad!"'

They were not railway children to begin with. When their Father mysteriously leaves home Roberta (everyone calls her Bobbie), Phyllis and Peter must move to a small cottage in the countryside with Mother. It is a bitter blow to leave their London home, but soon they discover the hills and valleys, the canal and of course, the railway. But with the thrilling rush and rattle and roar of the trains comes danger too. Will the brave trio come to the rescue? And most importantly, can they solve the disappearance of their Father?

BACKSTORY: Find out all about steam trains and learn what it was really like to be a child in Edwardian times.

It's a story that was written more than 100 years ago, yet The Railway Children commands the affections of the British people like few other fictions
Daily Telegraph

So what makes these different to any other set of classics? In a moment of inspiration Random House had the bright idea of actually asking Key stage 2 children what extra ingredients they could add to make children want to read. And does it work? Well, put it this way...my 13-year-old daughter announced that she had to read a book over the summer holiday and, without any prompting, spotted The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas...and proceeded to read it! Now, if you knew my 13-year-old daughter, you would realise that this is quite remarkable. She reads texts, blogs and tags by the thousand - but this is the first book she has read since going to high school, so all hail Vintage Classics!
National Association for the Teaching of English

About E Nesbit

Edith Nesbit was a mischievous child who grew up into an unconventional adult. With her husband, Hubert Bland, she was one of the founder members of the socialist Fabian Society; their household became a centre of the socialist and literary circles of the times. E. Nesbit turned late to children's writing. Her first children's book, The Treasure Seekers, was published in 1899 to great acclaim. Other books featuring the Bastable children followed, and a series of magical fantasy books, including Five Children and It also became very popular. The Railway Children was first published monthly in the London Magazine in 1905, and published as a book in 1906, which has been in print ever since.

Details

Imprint: Vintage Children's Classics
Published: 02/08/2012
ISBN: 9780099572992
Length: 320 pages
Dimensions: 189mm x 19mm x 131mm
Weight: 217g
Price: £6.99

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Paperback 2012
Ebook 2012

The Railway Children

Format:

Buy the book from:

It's a story that was written more than 100 years ago, yet The Railway Children commands the affections of the British people like few other fictions

Guaranteed to jerk a tear from the most stony-faced child

The Railway Children was one of the first children's classics I ever read. I wasn't sure I was going to enjoy it. I started reading the story and was immediately gripped. E. Nesbit remembered exactly what it felt like to be a child

Her child characters were remarkable in her day because they are so entirely human. They are intelligent, vain, aggressive, humorous, witty, cruel, compassionate. . . in fact, they are like adults

About E Nesbit

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