Take a photo of a barcode or cover
![Five Children and It: E. Nesbit (Classics, Literature) [Annotated] by E. Nesbit](https://cdn.thestorygraph.com/97aam85yqpbfmzo3v04k0l2nim55)
3.69 AVERAGE
3.69 AVERAGE
Five Children and It was E. Nesbit's is the first of a trilogy, the other two in the series being The Phoenix and the Carpet and The Story of the Amulet. In it she takes an otherwise dull summer of living with the servants and turns it into a a series of adventures and lessons stemming from eleven wishes gone awry. Fortunately each wish only lasts until sunset and the servants can't see the effects of the wishes, allowing the household to continue on as normally as possible. Unfortunately eleven wishes is really more plot than this little book can handle. The last two or three chapters drag towards the conclusion of the story.
I’m trying to read a bunch of classic children’s books I missed out on reading as a child, and this is the first one I picked up. As a story it’s alright, I was slightly bored at times but that may be because I’ve already seen the film so I knew what was going to happen. The main message behind this book is ‘Be careful what you wish for’ and that’s spread heavily throughout this book as all the children’s wishes keep going wrong. I am glad I read it, just so I can say that I did, but I won’t read it again. I do see that there are two other books that follow this, and I definitely won’t be picking them up, I’ve already read more than enough.
This was such ridiculous fun, even more enjoyable reading as an adult than a child, I dare say. As a child, I could never get past the first chapter, so disgusted was I by the fused animal nature of the Psammead. This time I persevered and thoroughly enjoyed this rollicking romp though it has dated somewhat, particularly the chapter about 'Red Indians'. Never has a story so aptly demonstrated that old chestnut, 'Be careful what you wish for'! I really look forward to reading more adventures involving these rascally children, and revisiting The Railway Children when I need something a little calmer.
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
This was a delightful, old-fashioned, children's fantasy. Set in England and dating to the early 20th century (1902), it has an innocence to it that is lacking in today's writing. It also has a more complicated vocabulary and writing style than much of today's kid lit. Because of its date it does suffer from that era's world view and prejudices. It's the story of 4 children (2 girls, 2 boys), their baby brother, and a kind of fairy, the Psammead, which grants wishes. The plot is simple: be careful what you wish for. This is a classic of children's literature and I'm glad I read it for my 2016 Reading Challenge "read a book more than a 100 years old" (PopSugar 2015).
One of my friends at work said she loved to read Nesbit as a child so I thought I'd give her a shot. The book was really enjoyable and has this tone that older children's novels always seem to have... I don't quite know how to describe it, but it's comforting and makes me happy. In this particular novel, a set of children are given a wish a day and all sorts of antics and problems ensue.
Loved reading this book. Have seen several televised versions but it was refreshing to read the original text.