Five Children and It by E. Nesbit

Born in Kennington, Surrey, England, on August 15, 1858, Edith Nesbit spent her childhood travelling between Brighton, Germany, France, Spain, and Buckinghamshire with her family. The Nesbits later settled in Halstead, Kent, which would be an inspiration for her children’s novel The Railway Children. Nesbit’s writing career began in the early 1880s. A prolific writer with an interest in socialism, she is considered one of the earliest modern writers for children. Nesbit published almost forty children’s books including picture books, novels, and short story collections. The Story of the Treasure Seekers (1899), The Wouldbegoods (1901), The Revolt of the Toys (1902), Five Children and It (1902), and The Railway Children (1906) are among her best-known works in children’s literature. Nesbit breathed her last on May 4, 1924. Her works continue to be widely read and appreciated.