A timeless collection of 21 tales for all ages

BBC Classics Children’s Library

An irresistible anthology of folklore, fables and perennial favourites, including four novels and 17 short stories 
 
This superlative collection of children's stories brings together a feast of fantastic fiction, read in full by a host of top narrators and with a comprehensive track listing for ease of listening. Comprising everything from fairytales for little ones to thrilling adventures for pre-teens, these unabridged readings are ideal for families to keep, treasure and dip into as their children grow. 
 
Listed by suggested age range and with track numbers provided, the stories are as follows: 
 
Ages 4+ 
1-12 Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (read by Carolyn Pickles) 
13 Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter (read by Jonny Holden) 
14 The Elves and the Shoemaker by the Brothers Grimm (read by Sam Dale) 
15 Too Clever By Half by E Nesbit (read by Helen Capp) 
16 Tom Thumb by the Brothers Grimm (read by Shaun Mason) 
 
Ages 7+ 
17-25 The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame (read by Michael Bertenshaw) 
26 How the Camel Got His Hump by Rudyard Kipling (read by Kenny Blyth) 
27 The Emperor's New Clothes by Hans Christian Andersen (read by Shaun Mason) 
28 The Raspberry Worm by Zacharias Topelius (read by Debbie Korley) 
29 The Tongue Cut Sparrow by Yei Theodora Ozaki (read by Sean Baker) 
30 The Elephant's Child by Rudyard Kipling (read by Tony Turner) 
31 The Magic Bed by Hartwell James (read by Chris Pavlo) 
32 How the Rhinoceros Got His Skin by Rudyard Kipling (read by Tony Turner) 
33 The Tortoise and the Rain by MI Ogumefu (read by Kenny Blyth) 
34 The Baba Yaga by Katharine Pyle (read by Susan Jameson) 
 
Ages 9+ 
35-41 The Call of the Wild by Jack London (read by Joseph Ayre) 
42 Finn and the Scottish Giant by Harold F Hughes (read by Paul Hickey) 
43 The Children's Joke by Louisa May Alcott (read by Catherine Cusack) 
44 The Ants and the Treasure by MI Ogumefu (read by Kenny Blyth) 
45 The Happy Prince by Oscar Wilde (read by Tony Turner) 
46-59 The Railway Children by E Nesbit (read by Sarah Ovens) 
 
Production credits 
First broadcast on BBC Sounds, 21 December 2018-1 November 2019 
 
Produced by Simon Richardson (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, The Tortoise and the Rain, The Elephant's Child, The Ants and the Treasure, How the Rhinoceros Got His Skin, How the Camel Got His Hump, The Elves and the Shoemaker, The Happy Prince), Karen Holden (The Wind in the Willows), Martha Littlehailes (The Call of the Wild), Anne Bunting (The Railway Children), Anne Isger (Too Clever By Half, The Tongue Cut Sparrow, The Emperor's New Clothes, The Children's Joke, Finn and the Scottish Giant) and Mabel Wright (Tom Thumb, The Raspberry Worm, The Magic Bed, The Baba Yaga, Peter Rabbit) 
The Raspberry Worm edited by Andrew Lang 
 
 
© 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (p) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Five Children and It

A set of 6 much-loved stories from classic English literature for children, brought together by Puffin Classics in beautiful paperback cover designs. 
 
When Cyril, Anthea, Robert, Jane and their baby brother go digging in the gravel pit, the last thing they expect to find is a Psammead - an ancient sand fairy! Having a sand fairy for a pet means having one wish granted each day, but the children don't realize all the trouble wishes can cause... 
 
 
Collect them all: 
 
9780241430620 PETER PAN 
9780241430637 THE GREAT ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES 
9780241430644 OLIVER TWIST 
9780241430651 ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND 
9780241435076 FIVE CHILDREN AND IT 
9780241434529 GULLIVER'S TRAVELS

A set of 6 much-loved stories from classic English literature for children, brought together by Puffin Classics in beautiful paperback cover designs. 
 
When Cyril, Anthea, Robert, Jane and their baby brother go digging in the gravel pit, the last thing they expect to find is a Psammead - an ancient sand fairy! Having a sand fairy for a pet means having one wish granted each day, but the children don't realize all the trouble wishes can cause... 
 
In the same collection: 
PETER PAN 
THE GREAT ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES 
OLIVER TWIST 
ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND 
FIVE CHILDREN AND IT 
GULLIVER'S TRAVELS

The Railway Children

With an Introduction From Jacqueline Wilson

The Sisterhood

When Father is taken away unexpectedly, Roberta, Peter, Phyllis and their mother have to leave their comfortable life in London to go and live in a small cottage in the country. The children seek solace in the nearby railway station, and make friends with Perks the Porter and the Station Master himself. Each day, Roberta, Peter and Phyllis run down the field to the railway track and wave at the passing London train, sending their love to Father. Little do they know that the kindly old gentleman passenger who waves back holds the key to their father's disappearance. 
 
One of the best-loved classics of all time, The Railway Children is one of The Sisterhood, a collection of six unforgettable Puffin Classics, brought together for International Women's Day in a stunning set in celebration of some of the most iconic female writers of the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Including an introduction from writer and feminist activist Scarlett Curtis, curator of Sunday Times Bestseller Feminists Don't Wear Pink. 
 
 When Father is taken away unexpectedly, Roberta, Peter, Phyllis and their mother have to leave their comfortable life in London to go and live in a small cottage in the country. 
 
 The children seek solace in the nearby railway station, and make friends with Perks the Porter and the Station Master himself. 
Each day, the children run down the field to the railway track and wave at the passing London train, sending their love to Father. 
 
 Little do they know that the kindly old gentleman passenger who waves back holds the key to their father's disappearance. . . 
 
 The Sisterhood collection celebrates the best-loved classics, written by some of the best female authors in history for International Women's Day. Read the rest of the collection: 
 
Little Women 
 Heidi 
 Pride and Prejudice 
 A Little Princess 
 Anne of the Green Gables

Edith Nesbit was a mischievous child who grew up into an unconventional adult. With her husband, Hubert Bland, she was one of the founder members of the socialist Fabian Society; their household became a centre of the socialist and literary circles of the times. E. Nesbit turned late to children's writing. Her first children's book, The Treasure Seekers, was published in 1899 to great acclaim. Other books featuring the Bastable children followed, and a series of magical fantasy books, including Five Children and It also became very popular. The Railway Children was first published monthly in the London Magazine in 1905, and published as a book in 1906, which has been in print ever since.

The Story of the Amulet

At the end of Five Children and It the five children promised not to ask the Psammead for another wish as long as they lived, but expressed a half wish to see it again some time. They find 'it' again in a pet shop in Camden Town, and their magic adventures start over again. 
 
'It' leads them to a magic amulet - half of it actually - which they use it to try and find the other half. It takes them back to ancient Egypt and Babylon. The Queen of Babylon visits them in London, bringing all her ancient customs with her - which is awkward. They visit the lost continent of Atlantis. They see Julius Caesar in the flesh. But none of these adventures run smoothly, and if they forget the 'word of power' or lose the amulet, what in the world will happen to them?

E. Nesbit (Author) Edith Nesbit was a mischievous child who grew up into an unconventional adult. With her husband, Hubert Bland, she was one of the founder members of the socialist Fabian Society; their household became a centre of the socialist and literary circles of the times. E. Nesbit turned late to children's writing. Her first children's book, The Treasure Seekers, was published in 1899 to great acclaim. Other books featuring the Bastable children followed, and a series of magical fantasy books, including Five Children and It also became very popular. The Railway Children was first published monthly in the London Magazine in 1905, and published as a book in 1906, which has been in print ever since.

Introduction by Booker Prize-Winning Author Penelope Lively

The Lark

"When did two girls of our age have such a chance as we've got - to have a lark entirely on our own? No chaperone, no rules, no..." 
"No present income or future prospects," said Lucilla. 
 
It's 1919 and Jane and her cousin Lucilla leave school to find that their guardian has gambled away their money, leaving them with only a small cottage in the English countryside. In an attempt to earn their living, the orphaned cousins embark on a series of misadventures - cutting flowers from their front garden and selling them to passers-by, inviting paying guests who disappear without paying - all the while endeavouring to stave off the attentions of male admirers, in a bid to secure their independence.

'A charming and brilliantly entertaining novel... shot through with the light-hearted Nesbit touch' Penelope Lively, from the introduction 
 
"When did two girls of our age have such a chance as we've got - to have a lark entirely on our own? No chaperone, no rules, no..." 
"No present income or future prospects," said Lucilla. 
 
It's 1919 and Jane and her cousin Lucilla leave school to find that their guardian has gambled away their money, leaving them with only a small cottage in the English countryside. In an attempt to earn their living, the orphaned cousins embark on a series of misadventures - cutting flowers from their front garden and selling them to passers-by, inviting paying guests who disappear without paying - all the while endeavouring to stave off the attentions of male admirers, in a bid to secure their independence. 
 
'To come upon any Nesbit today, hitherto unread... is like receiving a letter from a friend whom you have believed dead' New York Times 
 
'A wry, charming delight of a book' The Pool

She, of all the writers I have ever read, has given me over the years the most complete satisfaction

She had an economy of phrase, and an unparalleled talent for evoking hot summer days in the English countryside

A charming and brilliantly entertaining novel... shot through with the light-hearted Nesbit touch

To come upon any Nesbit today, hitherto unread, ...is like receiving a letter from a friend whom you have believed dead

E. Nesbit was born in Surrey in 1858. A world-famous children's author, her works include The Railway Children and Five Children and It. She also wrote several works of fiction for adults. With her husband, Hubert Bland, she was one of the founding members of the socialist Fabian Society; their household became a centre of the socialist and literary circles of the times. She died in 1924.

The Phoenix and the Carpet

Anthea, Cyril, Robert, Jane and the Lamb are back – the Psammead may have vanished but there are plenty of wishes still to be granted

Anthea, Cyril, Robert, Jane, and the Lamb are back – the Psammead may have vanished but there are plenty of wishes still to be granted. 
 
‘Rain, rain, go away,’ said Anthea; ‘but it never DOES go’ 
 
I expect you know how boring it can be to stay indoors on rainy days. it was on one of those dull days that the five children accidentally set their nursery on fire (with fireworks). No one thought that that disastrous day would bring the start of new adventures. 
 
But the new nursery carpet, when it arrives, comes with something odd wrapped inside it: an enormous glowing egg. And inside is the most beautiful bird you’ve ever seen – in fact, not a bird: a noble and fabulous phoenix. New adventures just might have begun… 
 
Includes exclusive content: In the Backstory you can ponder what you would wish for and find out which character you most resemble!

Earlier generations of children loved Edith Nesbit. So did I, and the ordinarily extraordinary stories still bewitch

It was Nesbit who, almost a century before JK Rowling invented Harry Potter, had put the fantasy and magic into children's literature with novels such as Five Children and It and The Phoenix and the Carpet

Edith Nesbit was born in 1858. Her father died when she was only three and so her family moved all over England. Poverty was something she had known first hand, both as a child and as a young married woman with small children. Like the Railway Childrens' Mother, she was forced to try and sell her stories and poems to editors. Her first children's book, The Treasure Seekers, was published in 1899. She also wrote Five Children and It but her most famous story is The Railway Children which was first published in 1905 and it hasn't been out of print since. Edith Nesbit was a lady ahead of her time - she cut her hair short, which was considered a very bold move in Victorian times, and she was a founding member of a group that worked towards improvements in politics and society called The Fabian Society. She died in 1924.

E Nesbit

Penguin Readers is an ELT graded reader series for learners of English as a foreign language. With carefully adapted text, new illustrations and language learning exercises, the print edition also includes instructions to access supporting material online. 
 
Titles include popular classics, exciting contemporary fiction, and thought-provoking non-fiction, introducing language learners to bestselling authors and compelling content. 
 
The eight levels of Penguin Readers follow the Common European Framework of Reference for language learning (CEFR). Exercises at the back of each Reader help language learners to practise grammar, vocabulary, and key exam skills. Before, during and after-reading questions test readers' story comprehension and develop vocabulary. 
 
The Railway Children, a Level 1 Reader, is A1 in the CEFR framework. Short sentences contain a maximum of two clauses, introducing the past simple tense and some simple modals, adverbs and gerunds. Illustrations support the text throughout, and many titles at this level are graphic novels. 
 
Bobbie, Peter, Phyllis and their mother have to leave London and live in the countryside. Their new house is next to the railway, and the children visit it every day. Slowly, the children begin to love their new life. 
 
Visit the Penguin Readers website 
Exclusively with the print edition, readers can unlock online resources including a digital book, audio edition, lesson plans and answer keys.

E Nesbit

Penguin Readers Level 1: The Railway Children (ELT Graded Reader)

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