The Railway Children

The Railway Children

• Genre: Fiction; Children's novel
• Originally Published: 1906
• Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 640L; Middle-grade; Grades 4-7
• Structure/Length: 12 chapters; approximately 188 pages; approximately 6 hours, 43 minutes on audiobook
• Protagonist/Central Conflict: The central conflict in the story revolves around the Waterbury children—Roberta, Peter, and Phyllis—whose lives are upended when their father is mysteriously taken away. They move to the countryside near a railway station and befriend various railway workers and passengers. The novel follows their adventures, friendships, and their quest to uncover the truth about their father's disappearance. "The Railway Children" explores themes of family, resilience, and the magic of the ordinary.

E. Nesbit, Author

• Bio: Born 1858; Died 1924; English author and poet; known for her contributions to children's literature, particularly her inventive and imaginative stories; a founding member of The Fabian Society, a socialist organization; influential in the development of children's fantasy literature; works continue to be cherished by readers of all ages.
• Other Works: The Wouldbegoods (1901); Five Children and It (1902); The Phoenix and the Carpet (1904); The Story of the Amulet (1906); The Enchanted Castle (1907); The House of Arden (1908); The Magic City (1910); The Magic World (1912).

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Guide:

• Reversals of Fortune: Privilege versus Adversity
• The Importance of Kindness and Friendship
• The Nature of Justice
• The Edwardian Ideals of Motherhood and Femininity

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Teaching Guide, students will:

• Gain an increased understanding of the social and cultural contexts around privilege that drive central concerns in the novel.
• Discuss paired texts and other brief resources to make connections via the text’s themes of Reversals of Fortune: Privilege versus Adversity, The Importance of Kindness and Friendship, The Nature of Justice, and The Edwardian Ideals of Motherhood and Femininity.
• Plan, create, and present a representation of the railway and its influence on the characters, based on text details.
• Examine and appraise the author’s purpose and techniques to draw conclusions in structured essay responses regarding the theme of the Nature of Justice, the children’s relationship with nature, and other topics.