By: Edith Nesbit
Genre: Fiction, Children’s Classics
Publication Date: 1905
Publisher’s Description
“When Father goes away with two strangers one evening, the lives of Roberta, Peter and Phyllis are shattered. They and their mother have to move from their comfortable London home to go and live in a simple country cottage, where Mother writes books to make ends meet. However, they soon come to love the railway that runs near their cottage, and they make a habit of waving to the Old Gentleman who rides on it. They befriend the porter, Perks, and through him learn railway lore and much else. They have many adventures, and when they save a train from disaster, they are helped by the Old Gentleman to solve the mystery of their father’s disappearance.”
Our Take
This story follows the lives of three children after their father mysteriously disappears and their mother, who is suddenly thrust into the role of the sole bread-winner. They must leave their home and the city behind to live in the country, where Mother uses her gift of writing stories to earn a living. She tries her best to care for them financially and emotionally, all while keeping the secret of their father’s disappearance at bay. This is the story of a mother’s love and endurance, as well as one of how childlike faith and hope serve to get us through even our toughest times.
food to share
on the menu:
- Muffins
- Veggie Sticks and dip
- Cupcakes
- Sweet Tea
craft
In the story, a fallen tree blocks the railroad tracks as an oncoming train approaches. the children tear up pieces of a red petticoat to make flags to wave as a warning to the train’s conductor. They end up saving the lives of everyone on the train that day, so We made these cute red pennant flags for the kids to heroically wave around like the railway children did. We also created these adorable railroad themed toppers for our muffins to really get into the railway spirit.
discussion
- The Railway Children experience a Big change from a life in the city to one in the country. How do you think you would react in that situation?
- Do you think that Mother is brave? Why?
- “I think everyone in the world is friends if you can only get them to see you don’t want to be un-friends.” The Children show kindness and friendship everyone they meet. How does that help them during their difficult season of being uprooted from their home and being without their father?
- “Now listen,’ said Mother, ‘it’s quite true that we’re poor, but we have enough to live on. You mustn’t go telling everyone about our affairs—it’s not right. And you must never, never, never ask strangers to give you things. Now always remember that—won’t you?” Mother insists on not accepting money or gifts from people, even when it would greatly benefit her family. Would you have made the same decision?
- Do you think that The Old Gentleman is like a fairy godfather to the children?
quotes
“Don’t you think it’s rather nice to think that we’re in a book that God’s writing? If I were writing the book, I might make mistakes. But God knows how to make the story end just right—in the way that’s best for us.”
“I think everyone in the world is friends if you can only get them to see you don’t want to be un-friends.”
“Mother did not spend all her time in paying dull calls to dull ladies, and sitting dully at home waiting for dull ladies to pay calls to her. She was almost always there, ready to play with the children, and read to them, and help them to do their home-lessons. Besides this she used to write stories for them while they were at school, and read them aloud after tea, and she always made up funny pieces of poetry for their birthdays and for other great occasions, such as the christening of the new kittens, or the refurnishing of the doll’s house, or the time when they were getting over the mumps.”