1.THE RAILWAY CHILDREN FORM 3 ~NOVEL~

2. SINOPSIS This is a story of three children, Roberta, Phyllis, and Peter, who live in a respectable suburban villa with a wonderful mother and father and a cook and servants, until one day great disgrace and poverty befalls them. Father is taken away to prison (but they do not know this at first), and they have to move to a poor cottage in the country near a railway line. Mother writes stories to earn what little they live on and they get used to being poor and have to learn not to steal coal from the railway station, even if they have so little to keep warm by. Sometimes they argue and have crises, as one does, but in time they make many new friends, and amusing adventures aplenty happen near the railway and the canal. They develop the habit of waving to the train as it goes past and sometimes the people in the coaches wave back. Their friendly habits makes them one special friend in particular, who although he mostly just goes by in the train, eventually gets to know them, and helps them out in various ways. And somehow all the good things that they do add up together and end up coming back to them, and there is happy ending to it all. 3. THEMES 1. The importance of family love Bobbie and her siblings have loving parents. After their father is taken away, Mother is very sad but she does not tell the children and the children do not ask questions so that their mother will not be upset. The children always work together to solve problems, for example when their mother is ill and needs special food and when they have to save the train. 4. THEMES 2. Facing lifes challenges with courage The children and their mother face problems bravely. Mother does not show how sad she is and works hard to provide forthe children. When a landslide covers the railway tracks, the children act with courage to save the train from a terrible accident. 5. CHARACTHERS ROBERTA ~BOBBIE FATHER PETER PERKS PHYLLYS DR. FOREST MOTHER MRS. VINEY THE OLD GENTLEMAN MRS. RANSOME 6. ROBERTA~BOBBIE 7. FATHER Tolerant A civil servant WonderfuL Caring Accused in jail 8. PERKS A very nice and friendly railway porter. Hardworking Proud Reasonable ResponsibleDR. FOREST Hopeful Responsible 9. M R S. R A N S O M EM R S. V I N E YAppreaciativeWoman from villageGenerousResponsibleSensitive 10. MORAL VALUES The novel teaches us to be responsible The novel teaches us to be helpful. The novel teaches us that we must showour appreciation. The novel teaches us that we must be honest 11. PLACE ~ A home in London The railway station The railway lines The railway tunnel The villageSOCIAL~ CULTURAL Edwardian times 12. SOCIAL Edwardian timesPLACE CULTURUALA home in London The railway station The railway lines The railway tunnel The village British