[.ca] The Railway Children (ISBN 0582417902)

Stands up:
It would be tempting these days to dismiss Nesbit's Edwardian chestnut as sappy and sentimental; however, upon rereading it, I find this is simply not the case. Sure, there is innocent charm aplenty in this tale of three children whose father is mysteriously called away. The family (Roberta, the eldest girl and main character, Peter, and Phyllis) go with their mother to live in the country, and while mother tries to make ends meet by writing stories, the children explore the area, make friends with people at the train station and on the passing train, and involve themselves in a couple of daring rescues. Each chapter is like its own little adventure, but always there lingers the question of where has father gone, and how will the family pull through its crisis. Sunny the author's outlook may be, but it is not sentimental, as evidenced when the children throw a surprise party for Perks the porter and he is angered rather than glad, fearing they do it our of charity. The children fight amongst themselves, and worry, and fret, like real children of that or any era might. Throughout the story, the reader comes to enjoy this country town and its cast of ordinary but amusing characters. The story's ending is actually very moving in its simple way. A classic.

Wonderful story...:
This is one of my favorite children's books! The characters are lovable and (for the most part) believable, the story is exciting, and the ending--well, the ending is marvelous! It is the kind of book you can read over and over again(I have) and never get tired of it(I haven't). I am not, in general, the type to cry over books, but I must admit I cry every time I read the end!:) They are tears of joy, though. If you love a good story with a happy ending, read this book!

Not bad, but a little bland:
I read this for school,and I must confess I enjoyed parts of it. However, some parts of it were just drop-dead boring. It would have been better as a collection of short stories, because that's what it really is (it's just told in novel form). This book deserves a 3 out of 5, no more and no less.

BORING:
I absoloutly hated this book, it is extremely pointless and stupid and I couldnt make out much of a plot. It is interesting how it has been kept in print after 100 years. "Look here comes the train" "Lets wave flags at it and stand in the middle of the track to make it stop!" "Roberta get out of the way!" "But it hasn't..." SPLAT!! Thats what should have happened, if you read this book you will see why. There is nothing more to say.

An unforgettable classic:
I just finished reading through The Railway Children with my 8-year old daughter, and I can honestly say that we both enjoyed this book immensely. Like all E. Nesbit's books, the style is one from another time and place--the characters say things like "That was a jolly ripping good time," and "I say!" quite a lot. If turn-of-the-century British slang turns you off, you might want to skip this one. However if you are able to appreciate the book for being from a different time and place, you will find a group of characters that is truly memorable and a story that warms the heart. While the language might be outdated, the themes and events are those that affect children of every time and place. Roberta, Peter and Phillys are regular children, who play, squabble, make friends, seek adventures, try to be helpful to their mother (most of the time), and most of all, wonder what has happened to their inexplicably absent father. The children have many adventures surrounding the railway and the people of the town in which they are living, which are very entertaining to read. My daughter and I both laughed and cried many times during the reading of this book. The best part though is the ending, which is beautiful in its simplicity. If there is an overall theme to the book, it is that love and friendship will conquer all. Although bad things happen in the story, everything turns out all right in the end we are left with a warm happy feeling. I would highly recommend this lovely book to be shared between parents and children aged 6-10. Probably it could be read alone by ages 8+. Even sensitive children will enjoy this one because, as I said, nothing *really* bad happens and at the end of the book, all is right with the world.