Name: The railway children
Rating: 3.97 (50 reviews)
ISBN: 0486410226

Edith Nesbit

When their father is sent away to prison, three London children move to the country where they keep busy preventing accidents on the nearby railway, making many new friends, and generally learning a good deal about themselves.

The railway children

E. Nesbit

When Father goes away one evening, the lives of Roberta, Peter and Phyllis are shattered. They and their mother have to move from their comfortable London home to go and live in a simple country cottage, They soon come to love the railway near their cottage and all associated with it.

The Railway Children

ikkychan

Just finished reading "The Railway Children" by E. Nesbit. Knowing that she is a renowned author of children's books like Enid Blyton and Francis Hodgson Burnett, it's rather hilarious that I first read her book now, when I was already in my 30's. Well, better late than never, I guess. Like most bookish kids, my adolescence was filled with western children books like Enid Blyton's 'Famous Five' series, Francis H. Burnett's 'A Little Princess', Mark Twain's 'Tom Sawyer', Robert Arthur J's "The Three Investigators" series, and "S.T.O.P" series by Stefan Wolf. Because of that, whether consciously or not, I've been drawn to tales of adventure and developed a keen taste of mystery investigation by a bunch of teenagers from a very young age. That interest soon grew into an advanced exploration of teen manga and young adult mystery books, which is probably why the E. Nesbit collection hasn't been on my list for so long. One trait that most children's books share is the easy-going manner all of the events fall into place, no matter how dangerous it is in actuality. This band of kids, some of them are still in their pre-teen years, are engaging in magical adventures, facing real danger and solving big-time crimes in a happy-go-lucky fashion, with uncharacteristic resourcefulness and atypical maturity. All of the characters would have to pool their unique talent and combine their strength to solve the imminent crisis together so it all ended with a sense of communality and camaraderie. They could have been fighting face-to-face with the head of a mafia group holding loaded guns but nothing would defeat the power of friendship and innocent bravado, creating this feel-good story where we would initially expect an all's-well-ends-well outcome and know that everything would eventually end happily. While it's true that "The Railway Children' share such tropes, E. Nesbit managed to turn the extraordinary adventures to closer reality where instead of having the kids roam the hidden underground tunnel to escape the forbidden treasure island, they face each day coping with serious family trouble in their own natural optimism that is almost magical in itself. The story follows three siblings; Bobbie, the sensible oldest; the headstrong middle child Pete; and last but not least the soft-hearted Phyllis. The three children find themselves in a most unfortunate predicament of riches-to-rags crisis following Daddy's sudden departure. They who have been living cozily in a well-off household with their own maids, cooks and chauffeur, now find themselves moving from their roomy town house into a little cottage in the countryside where they have no school and no friends and nothing to do. Contrary to Mommy's understandable dispirited mood, the children welcome this change with expectant enthusiasm. They take the fuzziness of packing and moving houses like a fun game, seizing the diminutive garden with prospects for future plantation, and most of all waving at passing trains bound for London as their favorite pastimes. I must say, the children's mental attitude that perceives situations in a constructive way is really something to admire. Their tendency to focus on positive actions or selectively processed information that promotes positive judgment about themselves, others, or even animals and objects is a very strong attribute, especially when they are obviously not in their best circumstances in life. It helps them focus on the best side of everyone and in turn, unconsciously drive other people around them to mirror their positivity. The three siblings were determined to make the most of everything. With their good-natured kindness, courage, honesty and innocent mischievousness, they make their way into the townspeople's heart; particularly the Doctor, the railway station's Master and Porter and the Old Gentleman who always waves back from the train everyday when the children send their regards to their absent father. While it's true that this trait made them susceptible to misguided perception and be strikingly less cautious when making judgment, but in this story at least, the odds did favor a sanguine outcome as they jump from one adventure to another. They stopped a train from a terrible accident, they helped a lost Russian with their makeshift French, they celebrated an old man's birthday (with the help of the entire village), they saved a child (and a dog) from fire, rescued an injured boy in the railway tunnel in the dark night and finally all their deeds help them to bring the father back home. I'm aware that being an Edwardian children's story, this book has its share of gender essentialism, particularly the part where Pete was lectured by the Doctor about the 'fragility' of women. Pete has always had this annoying side of him in positioning himself as his sisters' counterpart by being 'masculine' and 'playful' as (in his mind) they represent boy's traits and avoid anything resembling feminine traits such as being emotional and mellow. But the idea was soon protested by his sisters, particularly Bobbie, as she has shown just as much bravery and strength as any other boys, more specifically mental fortitude as she is the only one of the three who has a good grasp of the situation and developed an inner, quiet sympathy for her struggling mother. I'll take it as E. Nesbit's way to instigate revolutionary ideas in discussing men-women dynamic among the young minds.

Jacqueline Wilson

C. E. Brock

Jelena Lijić

All English children's classics are so heartwarming and this one was no exception.

The railway children

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