The Edith Nesbit Society

President: Dame Jacqueline Wilson, OBE

CHILDREN'S PAGE

Over 100 years before JK Rowling and Jacqueline Wilson were famous, Edith Nesbit, or E Nesbit, was writing especially for children.

Just like now every new book was eagerly awaited and enjoyed both by adults and children. Perhaps it was because it told stories of how children really behaved.

Many of the stories are about children getting into scraps and no doubt Edith drew her inspiration from her own childhood spent with her three brothers and two sisters in the town and country.

Probably her most famous story today is that of The Railway Children and on every family holiday the film, starring Jenny Agutter as Bobbie, is shown on television.

Many of the books are published in other countries and in many different languages, so although the books were published a long time ago they are still very popular all over the world.

Do you know the title of the book featuring the Bastable children and their expeditions into Greenwich Park?

The Five Children and It is based in Kent, but do you know what the 'It' is? If you have seen the film how do you think it compares with the book?

We all remember Bobbie's words in The Railway Children,when she sees her father on the platform 'Oh my Daddy, my Daddy!'
In The Enchanted Castle Edith uses exactly the same words at the very end of the book, 'Oh, my daddy! Oh, my daddy, my daddy'.