The Railway Children
by Edith Nesbitt
So many things happen in this tale of three children and their mother. They moved from their wealthy villa near London to an isolated village somewhere in the English countryside. They are suddenly very poor and their father is mysteriously away for a long time.
Being poor doesn’t seem to bother the children as they enjoy the freedom of exploring the countryside and are fascinated with the railway that goes by. They make friends with the station master, the porter, and especially the “old gentleman” they wave to him everyday as he rides the 9:15.
The children, Roberta, Peter, and Phyllis, are normal, everyday children with plenty of arguing and mis-behaving. But they manage to have lots of fun. The book is filled with their heroic adventures such as these:
- They witness a landslide onto the train tracks and then attempt to signal the oncoming train
- They befriend an old bedraggled old man who speaks no English
- They rescue a boy from inside the railway tunnel
Although the book was written over a hundred years ago, it is still appealing for children today. It’s probably best for readers age 10 to 12. (The children in the story are about 12, 10, 8.). this abridge version is simple and easy to understand.
Adapted from http://joyfullyretired.com/2009/01/20/railway-children/
