I bought The Railway Children last December as a Christmas gift for my wife. It was a favorite of hers as a kid, and I knew that she wanted to have it as part of our collection together.
I had read The Boxcar Children when I was little, but I wasn’t familiar with The Railway Children. After being told they had nothing to do with each other, I figured I’d give it a shot.
I was a little nervous during the first 30-40 pages, because there wasn’t that much happening. Some might say that a lot was happening, but, as far as I’m concerned, the book didn’t really get going until 40 pages in (give or take a few pages). But once the story really got going I found the book very entertaining.
The children referred to in the title are 3 siblings with rather wealthy parents. Something happens to their dad, and the mother & children are forced to leave their house, sell their nice things, and move into a small house in the country.
The majority of the book is filled with adventures of these children who have little to do besides explore the railway near their new home. Their mom spends her days writing stories to provide for them financially, and the children have to find ways to occupy their time.
Similar to Owls in the Family and Anne of Green Gables, this story is a reminder of the experiences children have when they get to explore and have fun outside.
I enjoyed reading about the friends they made along the railway, and it was exciting to see them save the day multiple times by being in the right place at the right time.
How the railway functioned before they moved there, I’ll never know.
Denver Nay Blogs 