The House of Arden: A Story for Children

"The House of Arden: A Story for Children" by E. Nesbit is a children's fantasy novel written in the early 20th century. The narrative centers around two young siblings, Edred and Elfrida Arden, who discover that Edred is the rightful heir to a long-lost family treasure and title linked to their castle, Arden. As they embark on an adventure through time and magical encounters, the story explores themes of childhood dreams, bravery, and the search for belonging. At the start of the story, we learn about the fallen fortunes of the Arden family, now only represented by a child and an old man. Edred and Elfrida live in modest circumstances with their aunt after their father's death, but they dream of returning to their ancestral seat. Their adventure begins when they stumble upon the remnants of their family's past and recite a spell that others have left behind, which promises to lead them to hidden treasure. This spell, however, requires Edred to fulfill certain conditions before he can claim what is rightfully his, leading them on a whimsical journey filled with magical beings, quirky encounters, and the urgency of solving the mystery of their family's legacy. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Edith Nesbit was an English writer and poet, who published her books for children as E. Nesbit. She wrote or collaborated on more than 60 such books. She was also a political activist and co-founder of the Fabian Society, a socialist organisation later affiliated to the Labour Party.