E. Nesbit

When their father's business fails, the six Bastable children decide to restore the family fortunes. But although they think of many ingenious ways to do so, their well meant efforts are either more fun than profitable, or lead to trouble...

A groom promises to be at the church on time, even if he has to come back from the grave to do it. A man inherits a property where he discovers a portrait of a woman that will change his life forever. Two newlyweds find their dream country cottage, unaware of an ancient curse from the previous owners. A gripping, unsettling and utterly chilling collection of short stories from a best loved storyteller.

In this much-loved children's classic first published in 1906, the comfortable lives of three well-mannered siblings are greatly altered when, one evening, two men arrive at the house and take their father away. With the family's fortunes considerably reduced in his absence, the children and their mother are forced to live in a simple country cottage near a railway station. There the young trio—Roberta, Peter, and young Phyllis—befriend the porter and station master.The youngsters' days are filled with adventure and excitement, including their successful attempt to avert a horrible train disaster; but the mysterious disappearance of their father continues to haunt them.The solution to that painful puzzle and many other details and events of the children's lives come to vivid life in this perennial favorite, a story that has captivated generations of readers and, more recently, delighted television and movie audiences. In this inexpensive, unabridged edition, it will charm a whole new audience of young readers with its warmth and appeal.

The five children find a cantankerous sand fairy, a psammead, in a gravel pit. Every day 'It' will grant each of them a wish that lasts until sunset, often with disastrous consequences.Never out of print since 1902. The Introduction to this edition examines Nesbit's life and her reading, showing the change in childrens' literature from Victorian times.

After they discover a mysterious phoenix egg wrapped in a magic wish carpet, Robert, Anthea, Cyril, and Jane embark on a series of adventures in which anything is possible

Jerry, Jimmy, and Cathy stumble upon a mysterious castle with a beautiful princess asleep in the garden. The princess is really Mabel, the housekeeper's niece, who is only pretending to be royalty. But when she shows them a secret room filled with treasure where they discover a magical ring, enchantment becomes a reality.

Considered the first modern writer for children, Edith Nesbit wrote wonderfully imaginative tales about magical adventures in the everyday world. In Five Children and It (1902), the children dig in a sandpit and find a small, bad-tempered sand-fairy, the Psammead, allowed to grant one wish per day. They wish for many things: to be beautiful, rich, grow wings. But none of the wishes turn out right. The magic does wear off at sunset. Will they survive safely?In The Enchanted Castle (1907) three children stumble on a mysterious house and discover an invisible princess and a magic ring. At first it is a great adventure. When the children need an audience for a play, they make one from old clothes, pillows, and umbrellas. Then things go inexplicably wrong. As the curtain falls, there is a ghastly applause. The creatures have come alive and most disagreeable!

At the end of Five Children and It the five children promised not to ask the Psammead for another wish as long as they lived, but expressed a half wish to see it again some time. They find 'it' again in a pet shop in Camden Town, and their magic adventures start over again. 'It' leads them to a magic amulet - half of it actually - which they use it to try and find the other half. It takes them back to ancient Egypt and Babylon. The Queen of Babylon visits them in London, bringing all her ancient customs with her - which is awkward. They visit the lost continent of Atlantis. They see Julius Caesar in the flesh, but none of these adventures run smoothly, and if they forget the 'word of power' or lose the amulet, what would happen to them?

Dragons — of all sorts — make for marvelous fun, and this collection of madcap tales is filled with them. Some of the legendary monsters are funny and mischievous, others are downright frightening, and a number of them are wild and unpredictable. There's a dragon made of ice, another that takes refuge in the General Post Office, a scaly creature that carries off the largest elephant in a zoo, and even a dragon whose gentle purring comforts a tiny tot.And who challenges these amazing creatures? Why, daring heroes, of course, as well as a wicked prince, and even an entire soccer team — which, unfortunately, meets its fate with a fire-breathing brute that flies out of the pages of an enchanted book.E. (Edith) Nesbit (1858–1924) was one of the pioneers of fantasy fiction for children. Her classic novels — such as The Railway Children and Five Children and It — have remained popular for more than a century. 24 illustrations.

Determined to be well-behaved children, the Bastables form a pact to be helpful to others, but their good intentions lead them into unexpected troubles

Philip Haldane builds a play city out of odds and ends that comes to life, when his beloved sister Helen marries Lucy's father. But the nurse tears down the city and traps Lucy. Peter, The Deliverer, must perform seven valorous deeds, opposed by the Pretenderette, a mysterious veiled woman who wants to be Queen. Noah builds an ark and adventures abound.

In Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare for Children, E. Nesbitt reproduces 20 of the greatest of Shakespeare's plays in charming prose simple enough for children to understand and enjoy them. Delightful period drawings and a classic design make this a must for every family library.

"When did two girls of our age have such a chance as we've got - to have a lark entirely on our own? No chaperone, no rules, no...""No present income or future prospects," said Lucilla.It's 1919 and Jane and her cousin Lucilla leave school to find that their guardian has gambled away their money, leaving them with only a small cottage in the English countryside. In an attempt to earn their living, the orphaned cousins embark on a series of misadventures - cutting flowers from their front garden and selling them to passers-by, inviting paying guests who disappear without paying - all the while endeavouring to stave off the attentions of male admirers, in a bid to secure their independence.

The famous Arden family treasure has been missing for generations, and the last members of the Arden line, Edred, Elfrida, and their Aunt Edith, have nothing to their names but the crumbling castle they live in. Just before his tenth birthday, Edred inherits the title of Lord Arden; he also learns that the missing fortune will be his if—and only if—he can find it before he turns ten. With no time to lose, Edred and Elfrida secure the help of a magical talking creature, the temperamental Mouldiwarp, who leads them on a treasure hunt through the ages. Together, brother and sister visit some of the most thrilling periods of history and test their wits against real witches, highwaymen, and renegades. They find plenty of adventure, but will they find the treasure before Edred’s birthday?

Cursed by the evil fairy Malevola at her christening, Princess Melisande grows up bald but finds herself facing another set of problems when her wish for golden hair is fulfilled. By the author of The Railway Children. Original.

At her imaginative best, Nesbit takes us through such tales as “The Cat-hood of Maurice,” “The Mixed Mine,” “Accidental Magic,” “The Princess and the Hedge-pig,” “The Related Muff,” “Justnowland,” “Kenneth and the Carp,” and more.

The charming Bastable children careen through more comic adventure as H.O. gets lost in a trunk, suspected of being a time bomb, and a dangerous man rents a room

When a young pair of newlyweds settle down into a small cottage in a quiet village, they look forward to a pleasant, pastoral life of domestic bliss. The husband, a practical man, dismisses the superstitious maid's tale of an ancient curse about the local church's marble statues who come to life each year on All Saint's Eve to wreak revenge. But then, on the fateful night, he discovers that the stone slabs on which the knights rest are empty. Is his young bride in peril?A gripping tale of suspense and terror which show a very different side of this famous children's book author, best-known for her Edwardian fantasies.

When four siblings journey to the seashore for a holiday, one of them unwittingly summons the sister of a mermaid who is captured by a circus, and the children set out to save the imprisoned being. After a daring midnight rescue, the children's reward is an incredible journey beneath the waves and into the hidden kingdom of the mermaids. But they soon find themselves in a race against time as they struggle to prevent a war and save their new underwater companions! Here is a triumphant tale by one of the finest storytellers to ever write for children, and a pioneer of fantasy literature for this age group.

The figure of my wife came in... it came straight towards the bed... its wide eyes were open and looked at me with love unspeakable' Edith Nesbit, best known as the author of The Railway Children and other children's classics, was also the mistress of the ghost story and tales of terror. She was able to create genuinely chilling narratives in which the returning dead feature strongly. Sadly, these stories have been neglected for many years, but now, at last, they are back in print. In this wonderful collection of eerie, flesh-creeping yarns, we encounter love that transcends the grave, reanimated corpses, vampiric vines, vengeful ghosts and other dark delights to make you feel fearful. These vintage spooky stories, tinged with horror, are told in a bold, forthright manner that makes them seem as fresh and unsettling as today's headlines.

"Elegant watercolors echoing the burnished gold tones of the rolling fields show well in storyhours." — School Library JournalJack can't seem to do anything useful for his poor mother. He can't even conduct an errand as simple as selling the cow; instead, he trades the beast for a handful of beans. But then, amazingly, those very beans sprout into a towering stalk, elevating Jack to a strange land ruled by a greedy giant. Jack must be clever and brave as he tries to return the giant's stolen treasures to their rightful owner. E. Nesbit's charming, wry retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk was first published in 1908. Preserving the author's unabridged text, this gorgeously designed edition features the dynamic artwork and dramatic perspectives of Matt Tavares, realized in full-color illustrations.

THREE TIMES THE MAGIC EQUALS THREE TIMES THE FUN All three of E. Nesbit's delightful fantasies about the "Five Children" gathered together in one convenient ebook. In each, five children (Robert, Anthea, Jane, Cyril, and "the baby") stumble on something magical. "Resulting inevitably in a totally delightful chaos," according to the Reader's Guide to Fantasy. "The children are wonderfully real - given a magic carpet their inventive mischief with such an object is awe-inspiring," the Reader's Guide continues. "Nesbit's magic is most original, hinting at great wonder and strangeness!" The guide also calls the Five Children Trilogy, Nesbit's "best work." You will see why when you read about what happens when the Five Children discover an amulet in the form of a horseshoe that grows until it becomes a gateway through which the children can enter the past and future, and the unintended affect their new-found magic ring has the maid! Here is a long-recognized classic that mixes fantasy and humor. Nesbit's world will enthrall and enchant and delight you all at once.

With the assistance of the magical Mouldiwarp, Edred and Elfrida travel back in time to earlier periods of English history, searching for clues. Harding's Luck is a sequel to The House of Arden, a great favorite of Nesbit fans; it's a story of injustice, poverty, deformity, magic, romance, suspense, sacrifice, and triumph over adversity that comes to its point with a fateful twist. . . .

An enduring story of the magic to be found in books. Young Lionel is very surprised to be made King, but he's delighted to discover the world full of books in the Palace library. When Lionel opens one called The Book of Beasts, he's in for an even greater surprise—out of the pages fly a butterfly and a blue Bird of Paradise! But when he opens the book again and releases a terrible Red Dragon, the trouble really begins. Can Lionel find another beast in this magical book to help him save his people? First published in 1900, this classic story by E. Nesbit, known throughout the world for her tales of fantasy and adventure, has been carefully abridged and beautifully illustrated by Inga Moore. Now published for the first time as a stand-alone picture book, The Book of Beasts is sure to delight a new generation of children.

A short collection of seven ghostly tales by the author better known for her works for younger readers, like The Railway Children and Five Children and It. Of the seven, two are extraordinarily slight (one has the feel of a retold urban legend), and most of the seven are a tad predictable in that they hinge on the meme of love being more powerful than death.

A man inherits a property where he discovers a portrait of a woman that will change his life forever.

"John Charrington's Wedding" is a short ghost story by the British author Edith Nesbit. It was written in 1891 and is included in Nesbit's 1893 anthology Grim Tales.The story's title character is a man who somehow always seems to get what he wants. John makes up his mind to marry May Forster, the prettiest young woman in the village. After John asks her to marry him several times, May finally agrees. John says that his love for May is so great that he would come back from the dead if that was what she wanted him to do. Two days before his wedding, John leaves to visit his seriously ill godfather. May begs him not to go because she has a feeling that something bad will happen. John reassures her that nothing will prevent him from arriving at his wedding on time.

Edith Nesbit is today best known for her works for children: her 1906 novel The Railway Children is a classic of the genre. Yet Nesbit had a much darker side, which revealed itself in her tales of terror and the supernatural. Most of these tales were written before the author established herself as a writer of children's stories, and were soon overshadowed, to be nearly forgotten—with one or two exceptions—for almost one hundred years.In 1988, Hugh Lamb edited In the Dark for the Equation Chillers series, and has now added a further seven stories for this expanded edition. Included are such famous tales as 'Man-Size in Marble' and 'John Charrington's Wedding', along with less well known—but equally chilling—stories of the supernatural and the macabre. In Nesbit's twilight world, the dead return from the grave; scientists pursue knowledge to the gates of death—and beyond; souls are bartered to the Devil in exchange for one last wish; a casual wager leads to madness; and a seemingly harmless maker of models exacts a terrible price for a wrong done years before.In his introduction, Hugh Lamb examines the colourful life of Edith Nesbit, painting a portrait of a woman whose unconventional life set her apart from her Victorian and Edwardian contemporaries in the ghost story genre. He also looks at some of the events and experiences which may have inspired Nesbit's supernatural fiction—events which, in the author's words, gave her 'nights and nights of anguish and horror, long years of bitterest fear and dread'.CONTENTS: Introduction by Hugh Lamb; Man-Size in Marble; Uncle Abraham's Response; From the Dead; The Haunted Inheritance; The Three Drugs; The Letter in Brown Ink; The Violet Car; John Charrington's Wedding; No. 17; The Pavilion; The House of Silence; The Mystery of the Semi-Detached; In the Dark; The Head; The Ebony Frame; Hurst of Hurstcote; The Five Senses; The Haunted House; The Shadow; The Detective; The Power of Darkness.

Caroline, Charlotte and Charles are staying with their Great Uncle Charles while their parents are away in India. They discover a book called The Language of Flowers and try various magical spells from the book. Whether the spells work or whether what happens can be put down to coincidence is left to the reader to decide. This edition has a preface by Earle Walbridge and is illustrated by H R Millar.

Twelve of Shakespeare's greatest tales come to life in this entertaining collection of short, lively stories specially adapted for young readers. Capturing the vital events and using some of the original wording, the stories serve as a perfect introduction to Shakespeare for preteens and as literate refreshers for older folks.Fulfilling a request from her own children, author Edith Nesbit turned twelve of the Bard's most famous plays into delightful tales of kings, queens, ghosts, and witches. Filled with tragedy, humor, and moral lessons, the stories — told with wit and grace — include Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, King Lear, As You Like It, Twelfth Night, The Merchant of Venice, The Tempest, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Cymbeline, The Taming of the Shrew, Pericles, and The Winter's Tale.Wonderfully transformed by the noted author of children's books, these classics are a great way to start a lifelong interest in the works of Shakespeare.