The Story of the Treasure Seekers

Book excerpt: The Story of the Treasure Seekers (1899) is a children's novel by English writer Edith Nesbit. The first book in Nesbit's beloved Bastable trilogy--which also includes The Wouldbegoods (1901) and The New Treasure Seekers (1904)--The Story of the Treasure Seekers is a story of family, adventure, and mystery for children and adults alike. The Bastable siblings--Dora, Oswald, Dicky, Alice, Noel, and Horace Octavius--are clever and curious children who live with their widowed father. When their mother died, their father became ill and lost his successful business, forcing the family to live modestly. Inspired by stories of buried gold and jewels--and hoping to help their struggling father--the Bastable children decide to go searching for treasure. Their adventure soon takes them to London, where they abandon digging for the allure of paying work. The Bastables come up with several schemes to make money, including writing poetry, banditry, and starting a newspaper, in the process discovering the power of imagination and the true value of home. The Story of the Treasure Seekers is a masterpiece of children's fiction from Edith Nesbit, one of the twentieth century's children's authors. Originally published as a series of stories in several different periodicals, The Story of the Treasure Seekers was Nesbit's first novel for children. It would go on to influence both Arthur Ransome and C.S. Lewis, and is a favorite of J.K. Rowling's. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Edith Nesbit's The Story of the Treasure Seekers is a classic of English children's literature reimagined for modern readers.