Five Children and It

by E. Nesbit

Overview

When Cyril, Anthea, Robert, Jane and their baby brother go digging in the gravel pit, the last thing they expect to find is a Psammead - an ancient Sand-fairy! Having a Sand-fairy for a pet means having one wish granted each day. But the children don't realize all the trouble wishes can cause . . . A timeless classic with an introduction by Quentin Blake, award-winning illustrator and first-ever Children's Laureate (1999-2001).

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780141321615
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	09/11/2008
Series:	Puffin Classics , #1
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	5.10(w) x 6.90(h) x 0.90(d)
Lexile:	980L (what's this?)
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

About the Author

Edith Nesbit (1858–1924) began writing stories for children after a popular children's magazine of the time approached her to write pieces about her childhood. The result was a series of bestselling children's books that have remained firm favourites, including The Railway Children, The Story of the Treasure Seekers and The Phoenix and the Carpet.

Read an Excerpt

*  CHAPTER 1  *
(Continues…)

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Excerpted from "Five Children and It"
by .
Copyright © 2008 E. Nesbit.
Excerpted by permission of Penguin Young Readers Group.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Table of Contents

1. Beautiful as the Day
2. Golden Guineas
3. Being Wanted
4. Wings
5. No Wings
6. A Castle and No Dinner
7. A Siege and Bed
8. Bigger Than the Baker's Boy
9. Grown Up
10. Scalps
11. The Last Wish

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

Winner of the 2012 Fifty Books/Fifty Covers show, organized by Design Observer in association with AIGA and Designers & Books

Winner of the 2014 Type Directors Club Communication Design Award

Praise for Penguin Drop Caps:

"[Penguin Drop Caps] convey a sense of nostalgia for the tactility and aesthetic power of a physical book and for a centuries-old tradition of beautiful lettering."
—Fast Company

“Vibrant, minimalist new typographic covers…. Bonus points for the heartening gender balance of the initial selections.”
—Maria Popova, Brain Pickings

"The Penguin Drop Caps series is a great example of the power of design. Why buy these particular classics when there are less expensive, even free editions of Great Expectations? Because they’re beautiful objects. Paul Buckley and Jessica Hische’s fresh approach to the literary classics reduces the design down to typography and color. Each cover is foil-stamped with a cleverly illustrated letterform that reveals an element of the story. Jane Austen’s A (Pride and Prejudice) is formed by opulent peacock feathers and Charlotte Bronte’s B (Jane Eyre) is surrounded by flames. The complete set forms a rainbow spectrum prettier than anything else on your bookshelf."
—Rex Bonomelli, The New York Times

"Drool-inducing."
—Flavorwire

"Classic reads in stunning covers—your book club will be dying."
—Redbook

Editorial Reviews

I love her books - particularly the Five Children and It sequence

If Britain is to children's fantasy as Brazil is to football, then Edith Nesbit is our Pele - endlessly surprising and inventive. But she is more than that. There were fantasy writers before Edith Nesbit but she is the one that brought the magical and the mundane together in a moment of nuclear fusion. She opened the door in the magic wardrobe, pointed the way to platform nine and three quarters. She even had a hand in building the Tardis. And these are among her minor achievements. She is also simply the funniest writer we have ever had, while being the one who could most easily and sweetly break your heart with a phrase. Just try saying 'Daddy oh my Daddy' without catching your breath. She made the magic worlds feel as near as the Lewisham Road and she bathed the Lewisham Road in magic

The cheerful, child-centred anarchy of Five Children and It is still my inspiration and delight—Kate Saunders, Guardian

My all-time favourite classic children's author

I love E. Nesbit - I think she is great and I identify with the way that she writes. Her children are very real children and she was quite a groundbreaker in her day—J. K. Rowling

She speaks to the reader, and it's almost as if though you could hear her voice—Quentin Blake

From the Publisher

The perfect children’s story…uniquely satisfying…timeless.”

Examiner.com

The faithful depiction of the children and the horrendous bish-ups they make with the best of intentions keep Nesbit’s [tale] timeless.”

Guardian (London)

Their first time in the country is filled with magical escapades for five children in this classic tale of adventure…[A] humorous story about magic in the real world.”

Children’s Literature

First published in 1902, Edith Nesbit’s novel tells the story of four children (and their burdensome baby brother), whose boring summer is turned on its ears when they discover an unlikely fairy capable of fulfilling one wish per day. As their friendship with the grumpy, furry, bug-eyed creature grows, the children learn to be careful what they wish for. With musical elasticity, Virginia Leishman speaks to the listener, matching the author’s conversational style, guiding this classical flight of fancy. Leishman’s magnetic tongue holds the listener’s attention as she brings the children, and their wishes, to life. S.E.S. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine

APR/MAY 01 - AudioFile