The Railway Children

i adored this book so much. it was gentle, and kind, and comforting, and sweet. the characters were so emotionally intellectual–they constantlt considered the feelings of everyone around them. it allowed children to be who they are and be equal with the adults around them. i love bobbie so much–she reminds me so much of myself. and i loved the voice of the narrator when she spoke. it was as if she was my friend telling me a story. this is my favorite book of the year so far.

“If everybody thought of everything, there'd be nothing left for anybody else to think about.”pg 164I read [b:Five Children and It 45181 Five Children and It (Five Children #1) E. Nesbit https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327882197l/45181.SY75.jpg 975095]in 5th grade and disliked it. For years I had a bad taste in my mouth when I heard the name E. Nesbit. Then, recently, I read one of her ghost stories in the [b:Weird Women: Classic Supernatural Fiction by Groundbreaking Female Writers: 1852-1923 52974605 Weird Women Classic Supernatural Fiction by Groundbreaking Female Writers 1852-1923 Leslie S. Klinger https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1575591998l/52974605.SX50_SY75.jpg 73796202] collection and thought maybe I should try her again. Here's the thing, I see why this charmed so many people for so long. It's got the total Anne of Green Gables feel to it, and the afterword in my edition compares it to A Little Princess. But it's so....twee. I mean, my teeth hurt while reading it because it's over the top sweet. And I know that is how some people want their stories to be, but for me it's grating. I also wanted to spank Peter for being an idiot. He never once talks to his sister without calling her “silly” or a “prat”. But if one looks at the time this was written, some of it is forgivable. I'd love to overhear a parent explain to their modern children why the Railway Children are running around train tracks and quarries unsupervised but as a child of the 80s ...it's not shocking.

i only found out about Nesbit this year, and I'm loving everything she writes. Her books are just full of wholesomeness, goodness and humanity. They're also really funny.

I liked it. I did.

Why, then, did it take me almost a month to read this small children's book?

I don't know.

The book is clever. It has likable characters. It has a compelling plot.

I just don't know. It is definitely worth reading. But it may take you a while.

It is so refreshing to read a children's story sometimes. This one has all the makings of something that is woven through a time that, rather sadly, is not around anymore: children who Wander around being kind to a Mother with this capital letter and worry about a Father who is gone and left everyone pauper. They make tons of friends because they are sweet, and naive, and honorable, and there is a bit that actually made me cry (Perks' birthday). These are the moments when I do think of having children and surrounding them with books and love.