Edith Nesbit 
The Railway Children 

A young family must leave their comfortable London life for a house in the country when their father is taken away unexpectedly. Roberta, Peter, and Phyllis spend their days at the nearby train station, befriending the station master and porter and many of the passengers. Waving goodbye to the departing London train each day and sending their love to their father who is detained there, they strike up a friendship with a kindly old man who may be able to help them get their father back.

About the author

Edith Nesbit (1858-1924) was an English author and poet who wrote or collaborated on more than sixty books of children’s literature. Called the first modern writer for children, she wrote in a style that combined realistic contemporary children in real-world settings with magical objects and included adventures and sometimes travel to imaginary worlds. In so doing, she influenced many subsequent writers, including P. L. Travers, C. S. Lewis, and J. K. Rowling.