Kate Saunders

An epic, heart-wrenching follow-on from E. Nesbit's Five Children and It stories. The five children have grown up and World War I has begun in earnest. Cyril is off to fight, Anthea is at art college, Robert is a Cambridge scholar and Jane is at high school. The Lamb is the grown up age of 11, and he has a little sister, Edith, in tow. The sand fairy has become a creature of stories ... until, for the first time in 10 years, he suddenly reappears. The siblings are pleased to have something to take their minds off the war, but this time the Psammead is here for a reason, and his magic might have a more serious purpose. Before this last adventure ends, all will be changed, and the two younger children will have seen the Great War from every possible viewpoint - factory-workers, soldiers and sailors, nurses and ambulance drivers, and the people left at home, and the war's impact will be felt right at the heart of their family.

Five Children on the Western Front

Christine

5.20.23 - sometimes I get into stupid dumb idiotic moods where I desperately look for a good book to read bc I read/watched something that completely changed my brain chemistry (in this case it was Why Didn't They Ask Evans? the new one) and then can't find anything to read because absolutely nothing matches the vibe I crave so badly even though I literally don't have a CLUE what that vibe IS and then i just end up lying half off my bed for like an hour trying to find a book before giving up in disgust because this is Stupid and Useless and Everything Sucks and I should Go To Bed or Do Adult Things. In capital letters because I definitely had better things to be doing than losing my mind over absolutely nothing yet there I was. 
& then I decided to reread a children's book I've read three times already instead of touching a single book on my literal thousand book goodreads TBR thumbsUP. speak of good decisions. do I regret it? no lol I don't think I'll ever regret a reread of anything but. Sob yeah this IS a good book even if I STILL just want to dropkick the Psammead in this one compared to the original books and I am very much on Lamb's side about it. But yeah idk? for a new sequel to an old classic series, I hold this one close to my heart something about it just. Pain. also for some godforsaken reason I did not really consciously make the Osman/Tulap & Haywood/Anthea connection until now. like I knew it was there I just never really figured it out ??? my brain is strange and that is why i reread books. I got the other one very obviously and it still drives me crazy insane in a good way which was probably why I picked this up instead of any other book I could've read because I knew it would do that. Why am I like this!! Lilian Winterbottom :)!!! I am as feral over that as the little black barn cat who will not let me get anywhere near her. also "to the next adventure" there are not words to express what i feel every time i read those words. maybe I should stop reading children's books
rereading books multiple times is so funny bc I just remember all the other times I've read it. like the first time I read this was in a car dealership side room at 12 & I can remember the exact moment I pretended to not be on the verge of tears. the second was half asleep on a bus during a summer camp in August 2019. the third was lying on the couch two days after my 17th birthday, three weeks into my senior year and conscientiously ignoring college apps. and now the fourth is going to be permanently ingrained in me as the time I read snatches of this while sweeping hay in feedlot while the rain pounded and Katriel tried to coax the feral black cat to her. isn't that cool and fun. Memory is a cool thing. I am typing in here just to not go to bed el EM ay OH i am normal. How was 2017 six years ago I don't get it. 
What the world am I going to READ after this I am still in that particular indescribable hist fic mood that landed me here in the first place. this week is CHA week i have way way way too much time on my hands what do I read. who knows. i love using goodreads as a journal for myself please tell me no one actually reads these ugh HECK chores are half an hour earlier for the BTR I really need to go to bed if I don't get to wrangle that I'll be sad oh man I am gonna be sore from jumping Diego today aren't I wowzers core who don't know her
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9/14/21 - rereading this VIOLENTLY reminded me of when i almost started crying in a car dealership the first time i read this. i was 12 and im 17 now time goes quickkk
i wanted to punt the psammead basically every single time he showed up but otherwise, brilliant and painful 3

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2017:
I read the original Nesbit trilogy a while ago. and I loved it. it was hilarious reading about the Pemberton's adventures with the Psammead (haha I don't know if I spelled that right) and the Phoenix. 
And this book does full justice to E. Nesbit's originals.
I first saw this one in a local Barnes and Nobles and opened right to chapter 20 and basically freaked out
and went home to place a hold on it in my library system
I read it today in an hour
and oh my gosh it was so good
but the ending
I basically died
i'm not going to give any spoilers except to say READ IT
(also I really liked the hilarious accidental wishes of the Lamb and Edie and the Psammead himself, they landed in the most absurd situations sometimes xDDD)


2019: yaaallllllll sometimes i forget this book exists but i meAn it's still as good as it was 2 1/2 years ago yeeehehe

Imzy

DNF. It was so slow and I didn't really like the writing style.

Five Children on the Western Front

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