When the five children meet 'It' in the gravel pit their lives suddenly become a lot more interesting. This magical (but grumpy!) creature will grant them one wish per day, but as the children discover, you should always be very careful what you wish for ... This charming tale is the latest addition to the Oxford Children's Classics series from the author of The Railway Children.
Oxford Children's Classics: Five Children & It Synopsis
If you love a good story, then look no further. Oxford Children's Classics bring together the most unforgettable stories ever told. They're books to treasure and return to again and again. When five children go exploring in the gravel pit they never expect to find 'It' ...a Psammead who can grant them one wish per day. But this old Sand-fairy has to be in the right mood to grant wishes, and as the children discover having your wishes come true may sound like fun, but can actually turn into a whole heap of trouble ...
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.
