The Story of the Treasure Seekers (Nesbit) [Hardcover]

E. Nesbit (Author), Peter Glassman (Afterword)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 29, 2006 | Grade Level: 3 and up | Series: Nesbit

"This is the story of the different ways we looked for treasure..."

When their mother dies and their father's business partner runs off with most of their money, the six intrepid Bastable children are determined to restore their family's fallen fortunes. Theseresourceful children squabble, make up, and have many memorable adventures, from publishing their own newspaper to foiling a pair of real bandits and even becoming kidnappers themselves. But while the efforts of the Bastables are often ingenious, their good intentions always go hilariously awry. This lively, funny story perfectly captures these children's remarkable bravery and deep sense of honor. First published in 1899, this children's classic is available again for a new generation of readers with a magnificent cover illustration by Caldecott winner Paul O. Zelinsky.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

E. Nesbit (1858-1924) lived in England and had dreamed of becoming a poet since she was fifteen years old. After her husband fell ill, it was up to her to support her small family. For the next nineteen years, she published a number of novels, essays, articles, poems, and short stories. When The Story of the Treasure Seekers was published in 1899, her groundbreaking style of depicting realistic, believable children quickly gained a popularity that has lasted for more than a century.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books (June 29, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811854159
• ISBN-13: 978-0811854153
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #203,737 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars why isn't this book more well-known?, November 22, 2007

By 

Beelissa "beelissa" (upstate NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Story of the Treasure Seekers (Nesbit) (Paperback)

This book, and the two others about the same children (The Would-be-goods and the New Treasure Seekers) are excellent. I read them for the first time as a grown-up, based on the fact that I read that it was a favorite of J K Rowling. And I can see why she likes it so well. The characters are very well written, you can feel you really know them, they are real, not just paper, two-dimensional characters like so many books have, esp. books for kids.

As a parent, I found myself laughing out loud at the interactions between these clever and industrious set of siblings. I can't understand why this book isn't more well-known. But maybe it's marketing. I tried reading it to my 9 year old boy and he wasn't interested. Then I gave it to my 15-year-old boy and he was LOL. Though the stories are about kids, I think you enjoy them more as you're getting older and can laugh at the antics of kids.

5.0 out of 5 stars 6 children seek treasure to restore the family fortune with delightful results, November 12, 2011

By 

F. Orion Pozo "Orion Pozo" (Raleigh, NC USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Story of the Treasure Seekers (Nesbit) (Hardcover)

Edith Nesbit is one of my favorite children's writers and this first novel from 1898 is one of three written about the six Bastable children. In this book their widowed father has lost all his money and the children, who are not in school for lack of tuition, seek to find a treasure to restore the family wealth. They are well-read and left on their own much of the day as they develop plans to find a fortune.

Related from the point of view of one of the children, the narrative explores the way children see the world and try to solve problems through games, fantasy and role play. So what could be a sad tale of neglect and poverty, if looked at objectively, becomes an adventure story where each chapter finds the characters digging for buried treasure, becoming highwaymen, seeking to marry a princess, trying to save a rich man, going into business, and devising other schemes designed to get rich quick.

Nesbit wrote over 60 books for children and The Story of the Treasure Seekers is one of her most influential and famous. It is populated by good-hearted people so no real danger threatens as the children confront a hard world with imagination and creativity.

5.0 out of 5 stars Timeless - A Classic, September 7, 2011

By 

Sir Furboy (Aberystwyth, UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Story of the Treasure Seekers (Nesbit) (Hardcover)

This is a wonderful and timeless work. A first person narration by one of the Bastaple children who live in the Lewisham Road in the late 19th century. The family has come upon some hard times and the children seek to assist their Father's precarious financial situation by searching for treasure wherever it may be found.

There is plenty of wonderful and subtle humour that is appreciated all the more by thse looking back on childhood with adult eyes. The stories themselves are engaging, and provide a snapshot on late victorian life - at least for the middle classes. If nothing else it will help people understand pre-decimilisation currency!

But all in all this was an enjoyable read, and one I would not hesitate to recommend.