The Railway Children

E. Nesbit, 1906

Children's classics

Three children discover a different life when their family moves from suburbia to the country.

Read the book Contents

Length: 14 chapters
Reading time: About 4 hr 9 min
Words: 59,165

About the book

Roberta, Peter and Phyllis begin as comfortable suburban children, with a mother who shares stories and games. A sudden change takes them to a much less comfortable home, where the nearby railway becomes a focus for curiosity and activity.

Nesbit keeps the children's perspective close without pretending they understand every adult difficulty. Practical problems, imaginative projects and sibling disagreements sit together in the narrative. The contrast between their old security and their new surroundings makes small acts of resourcefulness matter, while the railway connects their private world with unfamiliar people and places.

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Children's classics

This edition

Text from Standard Ebooks, who proofread and typeset it and dedicate their edition to the public domain. E. Nesbit died more than 70 years ago, so the work is out of copyright in the UK. Includes the original dedication.