sarracenia's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I just finished reading this aloud to my child. Considering it was written well over a hundred years ago it has aged well. The author doesn't go off on long tangents like some other children's novels of that era, and there isn't too much padding in general. This makes it great for reading aloud. I especially like reading the parts written in the author's voice - as if I was telling the story. The adventures the characters have are relatable to children today, though it is important to note that today's kids don't have anything like the freedom that the characters enjoy.
pointeluv's review
adventurous
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.0
This is an old book and I can see how it could of been popular back when it was published. But there are classic children's stories that can stand up to the test of time and there are ones that can't. This one definitely did not.
I'm glad I read it to know what it was about, but I would not read it to my kids.
I'm glad I read it to know what it was about, but I would not read it to my kids.
asegurasmith's review against another edition
3.0
Vintage book teaching children about be careful what you wish for!
rworrall78's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
It's clear that E Nesbitt was a funny writer, and in many ways ahead of her time. It's all so clear that a book this old has serious problems for a modern reader. There is racism, search a terrible class structure and on a less contentious level the language for children use is just massively dated.
All that said, the story is clever and wise. I just really struggled to see past those other things.
All that said, the story is clever and wise. I just really struggled to see past those other things.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Classism, and Sexism
alexsaunders's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
poplartears's review against another edition
4.0
A surprising story of a fantastic creature and the things that can go wrong with wishes. The kids really enjoyed this book and were pleased to learn there are more in this series. We read this as a family and even Daddy laughed out loud. This is our first Nesbit book but we excited to read more by this lovely author.
angharadmair's review against another edition
4.0
this surprised me with just how fun and interesting it is, if you can look past the less than stellar representation of native americans and romani travellers.
mrs_erven's review against another edition
3.0
Our family did not enjoy this book. It's long and drawn out, and we couldn't get into it.