The Wouldbegoods

The Wouldbegoods (1901) follows the adventures of the Bastable children and their friends, the Foulkes, as they attempt to reform themselves through good deeds. After causing chaos with their jungle-inspired games, the children are sent to spend summer at Moat House near Maidstone, where their well-meaning plans continue to go wrong. The story is narrated by Oswald Bastable, one of six siblings, who recounts their experiences with a child's perspective and sensibility. The children form a society dedicated to performing noble acts, but their schemes repeatedly lead to unexpected complications and misadventures. Originally published as a series in The Pall Mall Magazine and The Illustrated London News, the novel serves as a sequel to The Story of the Treasure Seekers and continues the tale of the resourceful Bastable children. The first edition featured illustrations by Reginald B. Birch. The novel explores themes of childhood innocence, moral growth, and the gap between children's good intentions and their actual impact on the adult world. Through humor and misadventure, it presents a realistic portrait of children learning to navigate right and wrong.

Readers consider The Wouldbegoods less engaging than Nesbit's The Story of the Treasure Seekers, though it maintains her signature humor and childhood authenticity. Many note that the follow-up loses some of the original's charm. Readers appreciate: - The realistic sibling dynamics - Narration that captures children's thought processes - British humor and wit - Historical glimpse into Edwardian childhood Common criticisms: - Repetitive story structure - Less compelling than Treasure Seekers - Moralistic tone feels heavy-handed - Characters seem to regress rather than grow Ratings: Goodreads: 3.8/5 (1,200+ ratings) Amazon: 4.3/5 (90+ ratings) One reader notes: "The children never learn from their mistakes, which gets tiresome." Another states: "Nesbit understands exactly how children think and plan, even when those plans are doomed to fail." Several reviewers mention skipping this sequel and reading The Story of the Treasure Seekers instead.

Five Children and It by Edith Nesbit A group of siblings discover a wish-granting sand fairy and learn about consequences through magical adventures.

The Railway Children by Edith Nesbit Three children move to the countryside and find purpose through their encounters with the local railway station and its passengers.

Half Magic by Edward Eager Four children find a charm that grants wishes by halves, leading to complications and misadventures.

The Treasure Seekers by E. Nesbit Six siblings attempt various schemes to restore their family's fortune through creative and often misguided enterprises.

Gone-Away Lake by Elizabeth Enright Two children discover an abandoned resort community and form friendships with its elderly residents while exploring its secrets.

🔸 E. Nesbit wrote this 1901 sequel to "The Story of the Treasure Seekers" while living in Well Hall, Eltham, in a house that was later destroyed during World War II. 🔸 The book's title "The Wouldbegoods" is a play on words, combining "would-be" (aspiring) and "good," reflecting the children's ambitious but often misguided attempts at noble behavior. 🔸 The author drew inspiration for the Bastable children from her own experiences raising three children and three adopted ones, often incorporating real childhood incidents into her stories. 🔸 The book's narrative style, using a child narrator (Oswald), was groundbreaking for its time and influenced many later children's authors, including C.S. Lewis and J.K. Rowling. 🔸 Despite being written in the Edwardian era, The Wouldbegoods was one of the first children's books to portray its young characters as complex, flawed individuals rather than moral exemplars, setting a new standard in children's literature.