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wanderer_33's review against another edition
4.0
Very cute story with a lot of intriguing twists and turns. It's a bit dated in terms of language, but easy enough to figure out what they mean. I'm a bit disappointed that I never came across this in my childhood, I would have adored it then too! Great for all ages!
sarafloerke's review against another edition
2.0
I love e Nesbit, but not this time. Great premise but the book lacked richness of character and humor. I wish she could have another go at this one
emkoshka's review against another edition
4.0
I thoroughly enjoyed Five Children and It when I finally read it earlier this year, but I think I like this story even more. I mean, does it get any better than a children's portal fantasy? As I read, I kept thinking of later works like The Chronicles of Narnia, The Neverending Story and Jane's Adventures In and Out of the Book, but this 1910 classic is an original. The two English children, Philip and Lucy, go on a jolly series of adventures in a fantasy world that springs to life from Philip's creations, but there's always time for picnics and cocoa, of course! My only reservation was in the very dated colonial attitudes and the way the children were so flippant about killing animals. Otherwise, I adored it.
thenext_jen's review against another edition
5.0
The final title, in my search for all-time favourite books from childhood, is The Magic City. I remember reading this while lying on the floor in the lounge room, the rest of the family glued to the TV. My copy was a birthday gift and it had a pale blue hardback cover. The fantasy element in this story has stayed with me forever - building worlds and having adventures. What an incredible read for any child.
lorink's review against another edition
3.0
This isn't Nesbit's greatest book, but it's still highly entertaining, and shows clearly the kind of debt that later children's authors owe her: Lemony Snicket especially resembles her style in this book.
singinglight's review against another edition
4.0
An unexpectedly lovely book. I’m working through Nesbit because I have only read her major books–The Treasure Seekers, etc. This one is on the fantastical side, but very beautifully written. It’s very predictable, but I felt that it was both of its time and still relevant to a modern audience.
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