Nesbit, E. Books

The House of Arden (New York Review Children's Collection)

E. Nesbit

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Phantastic Literature of the best kind - to be reread again 5 out of 5 stars.
44 of 45 people found this review helpful.

Two 10-year-olds are the last survivors of a long line of english aristocrats.The family castle lies in ruins, but the children are determined to restore it to its former glory with the help of the long-lost family treasure. The task seems daunting, but they soon discover there's some intricate, powerful magic in the family crest.. Subsequently the treasure hunt hurtles along at breathtaking pace. The magic includes frequent trips into the turbulent (and dangerous) times of England's feudal past to discover the exact time and place where the treasure was hidden.. This book and it's sequel (or prequel?!) "Harding's Luck" can't be recommended enough. They are children's classics of the nicest kind - not the least bit sirupy - but full of adventure and magic

Editorial Review:

The famous Arden family treasure has been missing for generations, and the last members of the Arden line, Edred, Elfrida, and their Aunt Edith, have nothing to their names but the crumbling castle they live in. Just before his tenth birthday, Edred inherits the title of Lord Arden; he also learns that the missing fortune will be his if—and only if—he can find it before the turns ten. With no time to lose, Edred and Elfrida secure the help of a magical talking creature, the temperamental Mouldiwarp, who leads them on a treasure hunt through the ages. Together, brother and sister visit some of the most thrilling periods of history and test their wits against real witches, highwaymen, and renegades. They find plenty of adventure, but will they find the treasure before Edred’s birthday?

Five Children and It (Puffin Classics - the Essential Collection)

E. Nesbit

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 28 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

A Fan Of Magical Adventures 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Five Children and It

While their mother is away, caring for their ailing grandmother, Cyril, Anthea, Robert and Jane find a sand fairy, called a Psamead. He hadn't been uncovered since the days of the dionsours, and had no idea about modern children, and their wishes. The sand fairy, the childern call `It', says he will grant the children's wishes. The already peculiar looking fairy, puffs himself up, before granting wishes. He reluctantly agrees to grant one wish, per day, for one week.

When wishes aren't planned out, they don't tend to go so well. With a wish for gold, a pile of gold appears, so large, it fills the sand pit. Although the children have pockets full of gold, they have to use their own pocket change, to make their purchases.

An off-handed wish for everyone to like their baby brother, who they call the Lamb, results in a near kidnapping of the baby. A wish for a castle comes with guards carrying swords. Other wishes include Indians, who want to scalp the children, and jewels that are really stolen property. Lucky, or not, all wishes disappear at sunset.

Five Children and It will both entertain you, and have you making your own wishes, that you are sure won't be revoked at sunset.

Jill Ammon Vanderwood
children's author:
Through the Rug
Through The Rug: Follow That Dog (Through the Rug)

Editorial Review:

A long-time favorite story of five children who discover a magical creature who grants wishes.

The Phoenix and the Carpet (Puffin Classics)

E. Nesbit

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Wonderful, Classic Literature 4 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

Exceptional writing! Many of the children/youth books now-a-days, lack the ability to capture and draw the imagination the way that Nesbit can. She was truly a remarkable author. I can't wait to dive in to more of her works. If only I had been introduced to her writing sooner. Clean, inviting and witty.

Adventuresome Kids 4 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

Ms. Nesbit spun an amusing yarn of four easily bored privileged siblings (plus a baby brother) who stumbled quite fortunately on a supernatural bird and a flying carpet. The bird and the carpet fulfill wishes therefore the result is an utterly grand time for the little rascals each time they venture for a ride. And, how they make full use of the magical duo! The author's method of story telling is pretty exciting - there are asides to further relay useful information to the readers which are mostly quite witty. One could even learn how to play tricks on cooks and housemaids from the story. It might at first seem that the carpet would just take the children to one place after another in order to sate their curiosities. Don't be too sure because at the end, the reader will find himself/herself struck by the realization that all their journeys are tied together to complete a tale worth telling. Ms. Nesbit was a genius at attracting her readers' attention. It is a well-told children's fiction.

Editorial Review:

It's startling enough to have a phoenix hatch in your house, but even more startling when it talks and reveals that you have a magic carpet on the floor. The vain and ancient bird accompanies the children on a series of adventures through time and space which are rarely straightforward, but always exciting. This book is a sequel to "Five Children and It".

The Enchanted Castle (Puffin Classics)

E. Nesbit

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 29 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

A plot summary makes this story sound ordinary by children's literature standards: the summer adventures of four children who discover an enchanted castle and a magic ring. But Edith Nesbit's adored classic (written in 1907) is so much more than the description suggests. Right from the start, the author plays with the idea of magic, teasing us with a sleeping princess who turns out to be a fake. Elsewhere, the magic is "real" as can be--in fact, though written nearly 100 years ago, The Enchanted Castle prefigures the magical realism of modern novels in the matter-of-fact way it weaves the uncanny into the children's everyday life. And, while few authors are confident enough to parody bad writing, Nesbit does it hilariously (and ever so gently) through one character's tendency to "talk like a book": "'To brush his hair and his clothes... was to our hero but the work of a moment,' said Gerald." Things turn scary when the Ugly Wuglies, fake people made from painted cardboard masks, old clothes, and broomsticks, come to life. But on the whole this book about enchantment--much praised by such luminaries as H.G. Wells and Noel Coward--is, simply, enchanting. (Ages 6 and older) --Richard Farr

The Story of the Treasure Seekers: Complete and Unabridged (Puffin Classics)

E. Nesbit

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 14 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Cultural Reference "Let dogs delight..." 4 out of 5 stars.
16 of 17 people found this review helpful.

Some of the cultural references in the book are obscure, but finding what they mean can be a lot of fun. Here is the context of "Let dogs delight..." It is from an old hymn to encourage children to get along with each other. Here is the text:

Song 16. Against quarrelling and fighting. (8,6,8,6)
Let dogs delight to bark and bite,
For God has made them so:
Let bears and lions growl and fight,
For `tis their nature, too.
But, children, you should never let
Such angry passions rise:
Your little hands were never made
To tear each other's eyes.
Let love through all your actions run,
And all your words be mild:
Live like the blessed Virgin's Son,
That sweet and lovely child.
His soul was gentle as a lamb;
And as his stature grew,
He grew in favour both with man,
And God his Father, too.
Now, Lord of all, he reigns above;
And from his heavenly throne
He sees what children dwell in love,
And marks them for his own.

Editorial Review:

When their father's business fails, the six Bastable children decide to restore the family fortunes. But although they think of many ingenious ways to do so, their well meant efforts are either more fun than profitable, or lead to trouble...

The Railway Children (Nesbit)

E. Nesbit

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Editorial Review:

Nearly a hundred years after its original publication, The Railway Children is still one of E. Nesbit's most beloved and delightful stories. Roberta, Peter, and Phyllis were very happy living in a comfortable house surrounded by a cook and servants and two loving parents, until one evening when there was a knock at the door and their father was mysteriously taken away by two men. Suddenly alone, their mother moves the family to a small cottage in the countryside. There, the children begin a series of exciting adventures, from saving a train filled with passengers from a landslide, to rescuing a baby from a fire, to aiding a penniless Russian exile, to eventually unraveling the mystery of their father's disappearance. Featuring a new jacket illustration by Caldecott medalist Paul O. Zelinsky, as well as all nineteen of the original black-and-white line drawings by C. E. Brock, this classic story is perfect for home and classroom libraries.

The Story of the Amulet (Puffin Classics)

E. Nesbit

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

80 out of 100 4 out of 5 stars.
12 of 16 people found this review helpful.

I liked "The Story of the Amulet", by Edith Nesbit. It is a well written and thought-provoking book. The children introduced in "The Five Children and It" and seen again in "The Pheonix and the Carpet" are back once more to finish the trio. As in "The Pheonix and the Carpet", this is a travelling book. However in this book the children travel in both time and space to search for the other half of an amulet that, when joined, will give the children their heart's desire. I removed a star for a few reasons. One, out of the five books by Nesbit that I have read, this is ranked 5th. That is not to say that this was a bad book. It's just that I thought the other ones were better. Two, I like the books where the characters are granted wishes best, as in "The Five Children and It". However, I would recommend this book to anyone who likes magical happenings, time travel, and those who liked other Edith Nesbit books.

Editorial Review:

At the end of "Five Children and It" the five children promised not to ask the Psammead for another wish as long as they lived, but expressed a half wish to see it again some time. They find 'it' again in a pet shop in Camden Town, and their magic adventures start over again. 'It' leads them to a magic amulet - half of it actually - which they use it to try and find the other half. It takes them back to ancient Egypt and Babylon. The Queen of Babylon visits them in London, bringing all her ancient customs with her - which is awkward. They visit the lost continent of Atlantis. They see Julius Caesar in the flesh, but none of these adventures run smoothly, and if they forget the 'word of power' or lose the amulet, what would happen to them?

The Story of the Treasure Seekers (Nesbit)

E. Nesbit

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

why isn't this book more well-known? 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

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.

Editorial Review:

"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.

7 Books in 1: The Railway Children, Five Children and It, The Phoenix and the Carpet, The Story of the Amulet, The Story of the Treasure-Seekers, The Would-Be-Goods, and The Enchanted Castle

E Nesbit

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 9 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

They were not railway children to begin with. I don't suppose they had ever thought about railways except as a means of getting to Maskelyne and Cook's, the Pantomime, Zoological Gardens, and Madame Tussaud's. They were just ordinary suburban children, and they lived with their Father and Mother in an ordinary red-brick-fronted villa, with coloured glass in the front door, a tiled passage that was called a hall, a bathroom with hot and cold water, electric bells, French windows, and a good deal of white paint, and 'every modern convenience', as the house-agents say. There were three of them. Roberta was the eldest. Of course, Mothers never have favourites, but if their Mother HAD had a favourite, it might have been Roberta. Next came Peter, who wished to be an Engineer when he grew up; and the youngest was Phyllis, who meant extremely well.

Mother did not spend all her time in paying dull calls to dull ladies, and sitting dully at home waiting for dull ladies to pay calls to her. She was almost always there, ready to play with the children, and read to them, and help them to do their home-lessons. Besides this she used to write stories for them while they were at school, and read them aloud after tea, and she always made up funny pieces of poetry for their birthdays and for other great occasions, such as the christening of the new kittens, or the refurnishing of the doll's house, or the time when they were getting over the mumps.

The Railway Children (Evergreen Classics)

E. Nesbit

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 30 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Still Fresh at 100 Years Old 4 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

The Railway Children was originally published in 1906. It's different from many of Edith Nesbit's books, in that it doesn't feature any magic. The Railway Children is the story of three children, Roberta, Peter, and Phyllis. At the start of the story, the children live with their loving parents in a nice, modern house in London. Their lives change drastically, however, when their Father is called away unexpectedly and mysteriously. Their Mother takes them to live in an older house in the country, with only a single part-time servant, where they quickly realize that they are now poor. Mother spends all her time writing stories and poems, to submit them for publication, instead of playing games with them and teaching them, as she had done previously. The children are left largely to their own devices, with no lessons to distract them.

The house that they live in, Three Chimney's, is located near to a railway line and a small railway station. The railway quickly becomes a source of friends. The Stationmaster and the Porter (most especially the Porter, Perks) become major figures in the children's lives, as does a friendly "Old Gentleman" who waves to them every morning from the 9:15 train.

And the adventures begin. Through bravery and ingenuity (and through the coincidence of always being in the right place at the right time), the children avert not one, not two, but three separate disasters. They also get into trouble through their innocent attempts to help their Mother, and through their own sibling rivalries, and eventually help a Russian stranger newly escaped to England. Through it all, they miss their Father, and wonder what's happened to him, and why their Mother is so sad.

The constant adventures in this book make it a lot of fun. It does feel a little bit dated in places. There's a scene in which the local doctor tells Peter to be kinder to his sisters, for example, because they are "so much softer and weaker" than he is. But overall, I think that Edith Nesbit did a wonderful job of making the girls strong characters, too.

This book has lots of messages about bravery and right and wrong, and what makes up charity vs. friendship. And how to be good without being priggish. Some modern-day children might find it a little bit preachy in this area, though it is generally lightened with humor. But hopefully the adventures, and the realistic imperfections of the children, will win new readers over anyway. I know that I love this book (despite having a slight problem with the number of coincidences) and that the end brings tears to my eyes. If you haven't read it, The Railway Children is well worth checking out.

This review was originally published on my blog, Jen Robinson's Book Page, on April 30, 2006.

Editorial Review:

Three children, forced to alter their comfortable lifestyle when their father is taken away by strangers, move with their mother to a simple cottage near a railway station where their days are filled with excitement and adventure. First published in 1906, this beloved children’s classic has charmed generations of readers and more recently, has delighted TV and motion picture audiences.