Nesbit, Edith (1858-1924), was an English novelist, poet, and writer of stories for children. Her children’s fiction has been praised for its lively characters, clever plots, and natural, humorous style. She began writing for young people in the 1890’s and eventually produced more than 60 books for children. The best remembered of her children’s stories are The Story of the Treasure Seekers (1899), The Wouldbegoods (1901), The Revolt of the Toys (1902), What Becomes of Quarreling (1902), Five Children and It (1902), The Story of the Amulet (1906), and The Railway Children (1906). Nesbit also wrote novels and poems for adults, but these works never gained as much recognition as her stories for children.
Edith Nesbit was born on Aug. 15, 1858, in London. She lived much of her life in the county of Kent, the setting for many of her children’s stories. She died on May 24, 1924.