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Type of bind: Paperback
EAN num: 9781434651631
ISBN number: 1434651630
Label: BiblioBazaar
Manufacturer: BiblioBazaar
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 150
Printing Date: September 04, 2007
Publishing house: BiblioBazaar
Age index: Ages 9-12
Release Date: September 04, 2007
Sale Popularity Level: 1209346
Studio: BiblioBazaar
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Editor's Notes and Comments:
Product Description:
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...
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Rated by buyers 
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I've read this one. It's by Captain Marryat http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1853261106/qid=1130814728/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/102-3667137-5119336?v=glance&s=books&n=507846
A historical fiction of 4 wealthy children left poor orphans during the English civil war. Quality piece of literature, that is. There is also a video of the story.
Rated by buyers -
I find it odd that a book should be faulted because a reader doesn't understand all the references. For me as a child, puzzling out what phrases like "Let dogs delight" meant was fun -- even when I never did figure it out, or didn't figure it out until years later when I came upon the source. That was fun, too: to be reading something else or traveling in England and suddenly get the reference -- and think "So THAT's what she meant!"
But the references are a minor detail.
This was one of my favorite books as a child and I now think it is one of the greatest books ever written for children: funny, insightful, well-written, inspiring -- and unexpectedly moving in places, too. I still laugh out loud when I read it, and I still admire the children enormously: for their imaginations, resourcefulness, kindness to each other, loyalty, and, perhaps most of all, for their very English courage -- the way they deal with what drearier people would complain about.
Philosophically, I very much object to the idea that everything in a book should be easy to understand and known already to the readers. Surely one of the joys of reading is to be exposed to new ideas, people, places -- to learn?
Another great writer for children, PL Travers, the author of MARY POPPINS, writes about the enormous pleasure and stimulation she (as a child) derived from trying to puzzle out the meanings of phrases in adults' conversation, such as "she lived on her capital." (She phrases it better than I do here -- but she as a child imagined this aunt as a sort of ogress, nibbling on her own fingers and toes during an afternoon nap.)
It's probably true that E.Nesbit's writing is not for everyone-- but what is? I for one think it's great that children still love her -- and despite all the efforts that have been made to dumb their books and everything else down,that they still enjoy puzzling out (or simply accept and move on from) what they don't understand at a very first glance.
Many authors -- Noel Streatfield and CS Lewis to name two more - have paid tribute to E.Nesbit. Noel Coward kept copies of her books by her bed. She still makes me laugh out loud, and very few authors from any era can do that.
Rated by buyers 
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Some of the cultural references in the book are obscure, but finding what they mean can be a lot of fun. Here is the context of "Let dogs delight..." It is from an old hymn to encourage children to get along with each other. Here is the text:
Song 16. Against quarrelling and fighting. (8,6,8,6)
Let dogs delight to bark and bite,
For God has made them so:
Let bears and lions growl and fight,
For `tis their nature, too.
But, children, you should never let
Such angry passions rise:
Your little hands were never made
To tear each other's eyes.
Let love through all your actions run,
And all your words be mild:
Live like the blessed Virgin's Son,
That sweet and lovely child.
His soul was gentle as a lamb;
And as his stature grew,
He grew in favour both with man,
And God his Father, too.
Now, Lord of all, he reigns above;
And from his heavenly throne
He sees what children dwell in love,
And marks them for his own.
Rated by buyers -
The Treasure Seekers is written from the point of view of a young British boy trying along with his siblings to recover "the lost treasures of the house of Bastable."
The book is crammed with hilarity. To begin with, the speaker says that he will not give away who he is - "While the story is going on you may be trying to guess, only I bet you don't." Throughout the book, he makes little digs about his siblings, and adds things like, "Oswald often thinks of very intersting things. And directly he thought of it he did not keep it to himself, as some boys would have, but he told the others."
His writing is very straightforward and honest (if biased), like a boy. And he does not try to be funny at all. Some ironies are obvious to the reader, making us chuckle while Oswald is very serious about them.
On the whole, Oswald is very likeable and understandable and creative, as are Dora, Dicky, Alice, Noel, and H.O. They get into scrapes with their good intentions, but the ending (in Oswald's words) "is like what happens in Dickens's books; but I think it was much jollier to happen like a book."
Rated by buyers -
The Treasure Seekers
The six Bastable children are determined to restore their family fallen fortunes. They do not know exactly what it was that made their fortunes "fall" but it had something to do with mother dying, father being sick and his business partner running away. This depressing information is brought about casually and is merely the background for what is about to follow - a (very funny) treasure hunt practiced upon in different ways. Dora, Oswald, Dicky, Alice, Noel and H.O. all have different plans to get to their goal, ranging from helping an elderly gentlemen in distress (absence of apparent distress is a small obstacle) to answering a newspaper ad promising 2 pounds a week earned in your spare time - and are about to systematically try out all of them.
The story is told by one of the Bastable children, one that does not wish to reveal his identity. It is a great wonder therefore that Oswald gets such a favorable description..."Oswald put lumps of coal on the fire with his fingers, so as not to make a noise. He is a very thoughtful boy, and he did not wipe his fingers on his trouser leg as perhaps Noel or H.O. would have done..."
This is a lesser-known story of Edith Nesbit but is the very first book published by her and a real masterpiece. This book is just as lovely as her more famous "Railway Children" and like that story works on both the adult and the child level. The book is full of detailed descriptions of conversations, food (very British), grave decisions and pretend play. The Bastable children do not feel miserable unless reminded and the book is a great, very amusing read. The language (which can sometimes be quite difficult for the modern reader) is, as Oswald explains, sometimes taken out of books and especially the "Jungle Book" ("Good Hunting" they wish each other). Contrary to other reviewers, I enjoyed the "air of another time" even if I did not always understand all the expressions.
This is a story of children in another era, trying to entertain themselves when they cannot afford school and need to struggle alone without the presence and explanations of adults (their self made explanations to unclear expressions, such as "seven times removed from the queen" are hilarious). The story is very cosmopolite in the sense that these are really stories of human kindness and nobility in all its forms. This is something adults and children alike can share, each according to his perceptions. The story is so rich with a sense of a different time, adventure, humour and human sociology that anyone can find something to suit his heart.
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