The Railway Children
by E Nesbit, illustrated by C E Brock
Interest age: 9 to 13
Reading age: 9+
Published by Vintage Publishing, 2012
About this book
Now nearly 100 years old, this story centres on the lives of three children whose comfortable, middle-class existence ends when their father has to go away unexpectedly.
Roberta, Peter and Phyllis leave their London home and move with their mother to a small cottage in the country where life is very different. With their mother now busy writing to earn money, the railway becomes a source of fascination and solace to the children.
They make friends with Perks the Porter and the station master, and discover new and exciting things about the trains. However, mystery remains - where is their father? Then the terrible truth is discovered.
This charming story deals sensitively with the subject of an absent parent, and the challenges of living in changing circumstances.
About the author
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