Rain, rain, go away, said Anthea; but it never DOES go

I expect you know how boring it can be to stay indoors on rainy days. it was on one of those dull days that the five children accidentally set their nursery on fire (with fireworks). No one thought that that disastrous day would bring the start of new adventures.

But the new nursery carpet, when it arrives, comes with something odd wrapped inside it: an enormous glowing egg. And inside is the most beautiful bird youve ever seen in fact, not a bird: a noble and fabulous phoenix. New adventures just might have begun

Includes exclusive content: In the Backstory you can ponder what you would wish for and find out which character you most resemble!

Vintage Childrens Classics is a twenty-first century classics list aimed at 8-12 year olds and the adults in their lives. Discover timeless favourites fromThe Jungle BookandAlices Adventures in Wonderlandto modern classics such asThe Boy in the Striped PyjamasandThe Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

Edith Nesbitwas born in 1858. Her father died when she was only three and so her family moved all over England. Poverty was something she had known first hand, both as a child and as a young married woman with small children. Like the Railway Childrens' Mother, she was forced to try and sell her stories and poems to editors. Her first children's book,The Treasure Seekers, was published in 1899. She also wroteFive Children and Itbut her most famous story isThe Railway Childrenwhich was first published in 1905 and it hasn't been out of print since. Edith Nesbit was a lady ahead of her time - she cut her hair short, which was considered a very bold move in Victorian times, and she was a founding member of a group that worked towards improvements in politics and society called The Fabian Society. She died in 1924.