The Railway Children [Paperback]

E. Nesbitt (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1990

The Railway Children

Product Details

• Paperback: 214 pages
• Publisher: Grosset&Dunlap (1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0448054264
• ISBN-13: 978-0448054261
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,505,676 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pray for all prisoners and captives, August 18, 2000

By 

Rodeo Queen of the K-Bar-F Saloon - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Railway Children (Puffin Classics) (Mass Market Paperback)

The Railway Children is a wonderful book. When the book begins, the three children, Roberta (Bobbie), Peter and Phyllis are living a lovely, secure life at Edgecomb Villa. Their father returns home after being away on business, two unknown men come to visit him in the evening after supper, and he simply disappears. Neither the reader nor the children know what has happened to him until Bobbie makes a chance discovery and learns the horrible truth.

In the intervening time, their mother, a capable and charming woman, takes her children to live in the country near a railway station, because they must "play at being poor for a while." The children handle their new situation with grace and wit, spending hours hanging about the railway station and generally keeping themselves busy, and in the process becoming fast friends with the porter, Perks, and the station master. They also become acquainted with their own old gentleman who lends a hand to help them time and again.

Bobbie is the oldest and sweetest of the children, with a longing to be truly good. Peter is the boy, who is madly in love with trains, stubbornly refuses to pushed around, and exhibits an extraordinary courage in the rescue of a baby and a young man in a train tunnel. Phyllis is the youngest, a funny, clumsy child with good intentions that often seem to go awry.

I read this book to my four year daughter. She loved it. As the adult, I enjoyed reading it. And, you'll be happy to know, it all comes out right in the end.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fantastic summer read!, June 28, 2000

By 

stephanie (Oklahoma City) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Railway Children (Puffin Classics) (Mass Market Paperback)

I just finished reading this book with ten rising fifth graders. It was a "stretch read" for most of the children because the text is heavily colored by the time period, language, and general style. BUT! This was a very worhty read. Each chapter reads similarily to a short story in that there is an adventure, resolution, and moral to the story. The students responded positively to the daily challenge of the chapter length, the sophisticated language, and the romanticism of the setting. This was a very good choice for us. As a mother and a teacher--I recommed this novel enthusiastically!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Plain?..., March 3, 2001

By 

"favoritebooks" (US) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Railway Children (Dover Children's Evergreen Classics) (Paperback)

This is an exceptional book about 3 children who live near a railroad and thoroughly enjoy it.. They live and let live until one day their relatively ordinary lives come to a screeching halt as it did when their father went away. They are friendly with an old man who helps them find out the mystery of their father's abrupt disappearance. They finally get the family back together and the live happily ever after etc. etc. etc. Though this may seem common and uninteresting, there is some other force that made me sit up late into the night to finish the book. You may understand why I did that when you read the book. It is very enjoyable, (but that may be because I am a child) and I thoroughly recommend it to children . Enjoy! Cheers!!!!!!!!! : )