Rereading: THE FIVE OF US—AND MADELINE by E. Nesbit

Illustrations by Nora S. Unwin

The last book by Nesbit, published in 1925, the year after her death. It’s similar to her books about the Bastable family, in that the oldest child, Clifford, is the narrator of the family’s adventures. They are entertaining adventures in several locations, as the family’s fortunes change from rich to poor and back to sort of rich again. As with all Nesbit’s children, these are quite realistic and believable, and their escapades arise out of boredom or trying to right a wrong, or escaping from adult authority. Madeline is a cousin who arrives several chapters in, and at first she and the family don’t get on well, but gradually they learn to work together. The stories include burglary (to get some things that should not have been sold or given away), finding lost treasure, trying to stop burglars, camping in an abandoned house, and accidentally falling into a large cave. One chapter has a little fantasy in that Clifford has a dream in which he turns into a worm, and after the end of the main book, there’s a reprint of one of Nesbit’s dragon stories from many years earlier, but mostly this is non-magic. Still well written and fun to read.

Recommended.

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