Product Description
The year 2006 marks the hundredth anniversary of book publication of the final volume of the Psammead trilogy-Five Children and It (1902), The Phoenix and the Carpet (1904), and The Story of the Amulet (1906)-a remarkable series of fantasy novels for children by an equally remarkable writer, Edith Nesbit. The essays collected in this volume celebrate the completion of the Psammead trilogy, probably Nesbit's best-known and most beloved books. Written by both established and new scholars in England, Canada, and the United States, these essays employ differing critical strategies and place Nesbit in various contexts to assess her achievement. Such fantasies truly are classics of children's literature. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Essays, NOT the Trilogy
Please note that this is a collection of 13 essays on the trilogy by E. Nesbit, not the trilogy itself!

E. Nesbit is a must read
E. Nesbit's writing is superb. She doesn't preach down or dumb down but fully expects children to be as alert interested, articulate and imaginative as they are if you let them.I read her books at around 12 years old and enjoyed and remembered them. My smart 7 year old has had many of her books read to him a few times but the adult who reads it gets as much pleasure and interest as he does.There's nothing cutesy or predictable. Her stories are about real children who act, feel and think like three dimensional children. Gore Vidal felt,in the Dec.3rd 1964 New York Review of Books, that E.Nesbit was crucial childhood reading. He says it better than me so google it. The Psammead is an ancient curmudgeonly wish granter. The fact of receiving what one wishes for may not be as ideal as one hopes for and the varied scrapes these children find themselves in are interesting. Their relationships as older and younger siblings are dealt with in a real and lively way. E. Nesbit wrote in England during the Victorian era and so the settings and trappings are of the period but her expression of human thoughts ,feelings and behavior are very fresh and not at all stilted.The children are trying hard to live up to the values they believe in and often fall short but find ways to try to repair any problems they have caused or tripped into. E. Nesbit was a very interesting character ahead of her time in many ways (again Google and Wickipedia provide more than I can). Her books teach ethical, honorable and compassionate behavior without a hint of preachiness. They also teach kids to think for themselves clearly and creatively. They are a lot of fun. She wrote about 40 books for children so you wont run out soon! ... Read more

Product Description
An autobiographical account by the author of "The Railway Children" and other children's books, in which she describes a childhood spent sometimes within the security of her family and sometimes apart from them in schools she detested. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A Peek into Victorian Girlhood
This patchwork of a young girl's childhood on two shores is really a collection of 12 sketches by a Victorian lady novelist who is mainly known for her delightful fantasy tales written for children.Edith Nesbit has culled a dozen vignettes from her garden of memories to share with readers who might have wondered what it was like to grow up in the 1860's.

Due to her older sister's poor health the family undertakes many moves-seeking sunnier climes, especially in France.Thus Daisy, the baby, makes the unhappy rounds of boarding schools on both sides of the English Channel.Sensitive and timid the little girl suffers terrors both real and imaginary from the ages of 7 -10, as she is repeatedly sent away from the loving security of her mother's presence.A hapless victim of nasty kids and heartless teachers, little Daisy endures great psychological torture, rarely finding happiness in her peregrinations.The only connecting thread among these vignettes is her tremulous attitude toward Life and her deep-rooted desire to be safe and loved at home. The various incidents are charmingly brought to life by the pen and ink sketches of artist, Edward Ardizzone for the 1966 edition.Ah, sacred childhood!Savor it while ye may!

The book of my childhood.
This book was one of my favorites when I was a kid.I never read it in English, I did not even speak English back then. I read it in Polish and now I want to see if it's as good in English as well.It's a book thatmakes one want to be at the places that are described, see and feel, touchand live with people who are characters of this book.I read this bookhundreds times and I still grabbed it tonight, even though I am alreadytwenty.And it still takes me into the author's childhood.Not only that,it takes me into my own childhood as well.It is truly an amazing book. ... Read more