Oswald Bastable and Others

E. Nesbit invented modern children's literature. Before her, children read moralizing tales; after her, they read stories that captured the actual chaos, joy, and tenderness of childhood. This collection gathers short stories featuring the beloved Bastable siblings, Oswald, Dora, Dick, and Alicia, alongside tales of other children tumbling into adventure. The Bastable stories continue their exploits with the ancient Egyptian amulet that grants wishes and sends them spiraling through time, but equally compelling are the quieter moments: children scheming, fighting, making up, and discovering that family is both the problem and the solution to everything. Nesbit's genius lies in making the extraordinary feel rung-out and real, while infusing ordinary childhood with genuine magic. These stories have been loved for over a century because they understand something essential: that being young is itself a kind of adventure, messy and fleeting and worth every moment.