Synopses & Reviews
E. Nesbit's rip-roaring sequel to Five Children and It follows the wondrous adventures of Robert, Jane, Cyril, Anthea, and The Lamb as they discover a clever phoenix and a magic carpet that can take them anywhere they wish. With an introduction by popular fantasy author Bruce Coville, this classic novel will be sure to please.
From the Hardcover edition.
Synopsis
Puffin Classics bring together the very best children's stories for a whole new generation. In this sequel to FIVE CHILDREN AND IT, the magical adventures of siblings Cyril, Anthea, Robert, Jane and their baby brother continue.
It's startling enough to have a phoenix hatch in your house, but even more startling when it talks and reveals that you have a magic carpet on the floor. The vain and ancient bird accompanies the children on a series of adventures through time and space which, magic being what it is, rarely turn out as they were meant . . .
Introduced by award-winning fantasy writer, Robin McKinley.
Synopsis
It's startling enough to have a Phoenix hatch in your house, but even more startling when it tells you you have a magic carpet on the floor! In this popular sequel to Five Children and It, the Phoenix accompanies the children on their adventures throughout time and space.
About the Author
Edith Nesbit (1858 – 1924), was a mischievous, tomboyish child who grew up to be an unconventional adult. She and her husband were founder members of the socialist Fabian Society and their home became a centre for socialist and literary discussion. Their friends included some of the time’s greatest writers and thinkers, including George Bernard Shaw and H. G. Wells.
Everything about Edith showed her as a woman trying to break out of the mould demanded by English society at the time – she expressed her individuality through her clothes, hairstyle, lifestyle and her habit of speaking forcefully on almost any subject. She lived her socialism and late in life her charitable deeds brought her close to bankrupcy.
E. Nesbit – she always used the plain initial for her writing and was sometimes thought to be a man – started to write for children after years of successful writing for adult magazines. She was asked to write about her childhood but instead of facts chose to describe her happy girlhood in fiction. The result was books still read today, firm bestsellers for decades. She was brilliant at combining real-life situations with elements of fantasy and humour. Films –such as The Railway Children - have kept her stories in the public eye and her magical fantasies, including Five Children and It, continue to delight each new generation of children.