The Railway Children by Edith Nesbit is the Class 4 reader at Army Public Schools & Colleges. This is the Top Readers Level 2 edition from MM Publications, adapted for APSACS by H. Q. Mitchell and Marileni Malkogianni. The cover shows three girls in Edwardian dress waving at a green steam train, and is marked ‘SRM, supplementary reading material’ and ‘Blended Learning Edition’. Available to order now for the 2027-28 session.
From Class 4 the school moves away from the Oxford Reading Tree picture stories to adapted classics, and The Railway Children is the first. A simplified text keeps the story accessible while giving a ten-year-old a real novel to read from start to finish.
About the author and the story (from the book’s own introduction)
The introduction on page 2 tells us that Edith Nesbit (1858 to 1924) was an English author and poet, famous for her children’s books, and described by her biographer Julia Briggs as the first modern writer for children. Her best-known books include The Story of the Treasure Seekers, The Wouldbegoods, Five Children and It, The Phoenix and the Carpet, The Story of the Amulet, The Railway Children (1906) and The Enchanted Castle. She was born in Kennington, lost her father before her fourth birthday, and spent three years at Halstead Hall in Kent, a place that probably inspired this story. She dedicated the book to her eldest son, Paul.
The Railway Children is the story of Bobbie, Peter and Phyllis. When their father suddenly goes away (they later learn that he was in prison because somebody falsely accused him of treason), the family has to leave its London house and move to the country. Their new home is near the railway, and the children have many adventures as they explore it. The introduction adds that the Dreyfus Affair was an inspiration for the father’s story, and that the book has been adapted for the screen many times, most famously in a 1970 film and a 2000 television version.
Why this book suits Class 4
A story about three children who must be brave and resourceful when their world changes is ideal for nine- and ten-year-olds. It teaches loyalty, honesty and kindness without preaching, and the adapted language means the child can enjoy the plot without a dictionary on every page. Reading a whole novel also builds stamina, which is the main purpose of this kind of reader.
Where this reader sits at Army Public Schools
The Railway Children is the first adapted classic in the school’s reading list. Before it came the Biff, Chip and Kipper stories (Oxford Reading Tree Level 9 in Class 3); after it comes The Secret Garden in Class 5.
Who, when and how
Whom: Class 4 students at Army Public Schools. When: as home reading through the year; a chapter a night is a good pace. How: ask your child to tell you what happened in each chapter, and talk about what they would do in Bobbie’s place. Where: at home, on a journey, or at the library.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the author?
Edith Nesbit wrote the original story; this edition is adapted by H. Q. Mitchell and Marileni Malkogianni.
Is it the full original novel?
No. It is an adapted Top Readers Level 2 edition for APSACS.
Is it a textbook?
No. It is Supplementary Reading Material (SRM).
We deliver The Railway Children for APSACS to every city in Pakistan with Cash on Delivery, and you are welcome to collect it from our Lahore shop. If your school sent a book list, send it to us on WhatsApp and we will put the whole set together.
