Discussion Highlights - The Railway Children by E Nesbit

We had a fairly large group this month so we had lots to discuss. I think it is fair to say we all really enjoyed the book and would let our children read it or have it read to them.

What we liked:

- It was an easy read.

- We enjoyed the sibling group aspect of the children. It was very realistic to now a days.

- The freedom the children experienced living in the country. They were able to run free and be kids where as in their previous home they did not have this opportunity.

What we disliked/didn't agree with:

- We had mixed opinions about whether mother should have told the children about where their father really was. Some of us thought she should have told them as we thought they were old enough to handle it while others in the group thought it was better to let them be kids and not let them worry about their father and what he was going through.

- We also had mixed thoughts as to why mother moved the children way out into the country. We understood that they had to downsize due to finances but why move so far away. Some of us thought mother did this to protect the children from hearing about their father. In the end we all agreed it was good for the children to experience the freedom of country life.  

For the food we decided to have a combination of the dinner the family had their first night at "Three's Chimney" and the dinner that was laid out for them. So we had cold roast beef, bread and butter, biscuits and sardines, sticky cinnamon buns, salad with dried cranberries, chocolates, apple pie and marmalade.