The Railway Children (Puffin Classics) [Paperback]

E. Nesbit (Author), C. E. Brock (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up | Series: Puffin Classics

When Father has to go away for a time, the three children and their mother leave their London house and go to live in a small house in the country. They seek solace in the nearby railway station, making friends with Perks the porter and with the station master himself. But the mystery remains: where is their father and is he ever going to return?

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-7-This dramatic adaptation of the 1906 classic by E. Nesbit is read by an ensemble cast of four actors. They read with conviction and help the story come alive. The story is told from the monster's point of view, a more immediate and engaging way than Nesbit's use of a narrator. It presents a loving family of three children who pull closer to their mother after their father mysteriously disappears one evening after dinner. The family is forced to move from their rather posh home in the city to a simple one in the country, and often have to "make due." The railway plays an important part in their lives. The adaptation includes all of the major events in the book, and there is a smooth transition from one adventure to another. Minor characters are foils against which the family reacts and there is no real character development, more just a series of incidents and coincidences building to the father's return. This is a comforting version for fans of Nesbit, and one that will attract new converts.
Edith Ching, St. Albans School, Washington, DC
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

About the Author

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 and has been in print ever since.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Puffin (November 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140366717
• ISBN-13: 978-0140366716
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #265,141 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #48 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Where We Live > Country Life

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

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

By 

The Queen of Creative Invective - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Railway Children (Puffin Classics) (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) (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!!!!!!!!! : )