Today I have a review of The Primrose Railway Children by bestselling and hugely popular children's author  - Jacqueline Wilson. Her books have included series such as Tracy Beaker, Hetty Feather and many more, tackling many subjects in the present and past. Now she is also tackling children's classics. So, this is her revamped, modern take of E-Nesbitt's The Railway Children.
I've talked many times about Jacqueline Wilson and her books to children, so it is an honour to actually be able to review one.

Jacqueline Wilson has been inspired by E. Nesbitt before with her retelling of the story Four Children and It, which she called 4 Children and It. This time she has been inspired by The Railway Children by her. My hope is that children reading these, will be also inspired to go to the original versions too and see the similarities and the differences and appreciate both authors and their talents. Let's face it, Jacqueline Wilson is enormously talented and I honestly was amazed to be given the priveledge of reviewing her book. Not only am I a fan of The Railway Children, but I also totally appreciate in wonderment what Jacqueline Wilson brings to children literature. The big question is, however, is this re-inspired story actually any good and will it hit the mark?

The timing of this book is quite perfect, just ahead of a sequel to the film of The Railway Children. I myself love trains and adventure and The Primrose Railway Children is sure to spark this in those middle-grade readers who devour Jacqueline Wilson's books with their eyes and imaginations.

The Primrose Railway Children is made up of Phoebe, Amelie, Perry and Becks and then there's their mum and dad. It's written in a way that brings everything bang up to date. This, a bit like the original, isn't a sugary sweet book, but there are cute animals. There is still upheaval, financial difficulties, technology issues and family secrets, which brings depth and intrigue. There's some great humour within the story, so it isn't too heavy, although there are some weighty themes, but they, as ever with a book by Jacqueline Wilson, are treated well and with children in mind.

The book mixes the past and present in a way that may well feed children's curiosity as the book mentions the Edwardians and steam trains that would have run then on lines like The Primrose Railway, which is gently encouraged through the characters in the book having a desire to find out more. There's something respectful about this and also makes it sound okay for children to do this. The book also mentions other classic books too in a way that is so clever and again gently encouraging the next generation to read these too, especially with all whilst putting her own spin on things and creating a pleasurable story, that is also well illustrated, but not overly so.

With dad mysteriously gone, the void this leaves can be sorely felt through the family, but none more so than Phoebe. The intensity of the bond between her and her dad can be keenly felt. There's the whole worry that he may be dead, but they don't really know if he is dead or alive and readers see the children process this between their humour and their seriousness in conversations and behaviours.

There's adventure around the trains, the train station and make a new friend in the station master, which is delightfully written, with so much to discover about The Primrose Railway. It's also a story that talks about differences between urban and rural life, differences in families as a whole and growing up.

This is overall a book many children will find engrossing and is relatable, and also as respectfully done as it possibly could be as she also puts her own slant on the family she creates and their different characterisations and the reasoning for their dad to be away and all ends in quite a twist.

There are some nods to E. Nesbitt's original story - The Railway Children and so beautifully done, Jacqueline Wilson has acknowledged her and written a bit at the back of the book about her and her stories and I like that she also encourages children to read them too.

Jacqueline Wilson has written a number of books now, that have revamped the children's classics and hopefully children will like hers as well as then discovering the original authors and reading what they wrote too. The two combined would now be pretty powerful and children could gain a lot from reading both versions, and perhaps discover the joy of reading and trains too.

It's been truly YEARS since I've picked up a children's book but when I was given the chance to review Jacqueline Wilson's upcoming release, I couldn't resist taking a trip down memory lane!

I haven't read The Railway Children so cannot comment on the fact that this is an adaptation but it was an enjoyable story nonetheless and has that comforting feel, as with all of Wilson's reads. Such a sense of nostalgia!

I also love the educational opportunities within this book, in particular with regards to autism.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Children’s UK for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review 📖

Jacqueline has tackled a couple of children's classics now, including another one by E Nesbit several years ago. The difficulty with this kind of story is alway the balance between keeping the spirit of the original and making it up to date for today's children, something they can relate to. Jacqueline has done really well here; you can see how much she loves the original story and the flashes of her originality.

If you've read the original, you'll see bits and pieces of it here, albeit mixed up and out of order, but making perfect sense in this new version. If you haven't read it, you should, but this will still make perfect sense to you. There's no need to be familiar with The Railway Children in order to read this one. It's a rare gift, to make a story comprehensible to both groups of reading.

As a Jacqueline story, you'll recognise several aspects. Phoebe, our point of view is one of the mousy heroines, as always excellent at art and making up stories, with a lovely father and a snappy, but very caring, mother. Naturally the fourteen year old sister is very into make up and being older than she is. I really enjoyed reading and trying to match people with their 'original' characters - I managed with most, but there are definitely a few new ones here!

This is a great read, with a good ending unlike a few that I felt ended very abruptly over the last few years. Jacqueline really has a talent for this kind of story, and I hope she keeps going with them. Little Princess next, maybe?

If you've read any of Jacqueline Wilson's other books for young readers, then you'll find some comforting, familiar grounds in these pages. With all the hallmarks of her classic works, it was a joy to read. As a fan of the Railway Children, it was wonderful to see the threads of the original story throughout the book, yet it's been updated in a clever way, so there are still new elements to behold.

I loved all three of the children, although I did wish they would be just a little kinder to Phoebe, the narrator. Phoebe was so much like the original railway children, spirited and very sweet, I just adored her. Not to mention the side characters at the railway, I couldn't help but picture Thomas Brown as Bernard Cribbins!

As usual there are learning opportunities in the book. I particularly liked that Perry's autism was a side point, rather than being a big issue for the family, the way that so many novels tend to make it out to be. I felt as though it was a simple way for children to learn a little about being neurodivergent.

I just know I would have adored the book if I'd read it when I was the intended age, and it would have happily sat amongst my favourites on the shelf. It's wonderful that all these years later Jacqueline Wilson is still writing books that can be enjoyed by children and adults alike.

As a life-long fan of Jacqueline Wilson, and as a teacher of those who still read her today, this book does not disappoint. It was a joy to read an updated classic that will be more relatable to a modern audience. The style and tone mirror the rest of her work, quick and pacey. It hooks you in from the first page to the last and has a more-ish quality.

If you are familiar with her others works, then you know what to expect and can settle down into a good read. I will be getting a copy when it is released.

I'm a child of the 90s and therefore a lifelong fan of Jacqueline Wilson! Her last few historical novels were hard to distinguish from each other, but I LOVED this modern adaptation of a story loved by parents and grandparents alike. The story beats remain the same, but the parents and siblings at the heart of the tale are thoroughly modern- the lack of wifi at their tumbledown cottage causes more problems than the lack of hot water. The impact of their father's criminal activity is made plain- as well as financial hardship, mum struggles with the loss of her career, reputation and identity. The family's new neighbours are well-rounded- no phonetic 'country bumpkin' accents here, thank God- and I was particularly touched by the stationmaster's grandson, who looks out for the protagonist's teenage sister after it's revealed she has lied about her age. The protagonist will be familiar to Wilson fans- she's a daydreamy middle child with a beautiful older sister, a demanding younger brother, a distant mum, and a deep connection with her father and her pet guinea pig/s! Her younger brother's Autism is understood by the family and his train obsession means he quickly 'finds his tribe' in the railway community. I liked the fact the 'rival teen' character was shown to have a passion and talent for makeup artistry- Wilson's earlier books often pitted shallow, glamorous girls against bookish ones but the author now seems to recognise that there's no wrong way to be a teenager, provided you're kind. I'm glad that Jacqueline has written a novel about rural kids, who often suffer from as much boredom, isolation and deprivation as inner city kids, and receive far less attention from the media. I do wonder how the family would have fared if they weren't white, somewhat wealthy Londoners...I suppose they would have been fine as long as they liked the railway!

I loved Jacqueline Wilson as a child, currently work with children who love her now and I love The Railway Children so this book was a no-brainer!

Much like the book it is based on, this version tells the story of three children who go away to a different house with their mother, after their father goes away. The children don't know why and struggle to adjust to their new life. They are helped by modern versions of the friends made by the children in the original story and soon settle into their new environment but it isn't long before they start to work out where their father is and wonder if he will ever come back.

As a child I grew up with an extensive collection of Jacqueline Wilson books and lived my life vicariously through her work. Still at the ripe age of 24 I will jump at the chance to read her new books and I feel utterly privileged to have been lucky enough to read her last two releases pre-publication thanks to NetGalley, Penguin Random House UK Childrens, and Jacqueline Wilson herself.

This story was utterly beautiful from start to finish. Phoebe was just an absolute ray of sunshine and I couldn't imagine any of the other children being better narrators of the book. Could Phoebe be my new favourite Jacqueline Wilson character? Yes. As for Beck and Perry, they were equally adorable in their own way. Also a big FAT yes to Jacqueline having the woman of the household as the main wage earner, we absolutely LOVE to see that.

Jacqueline has always had this gift that has allowed her to write about such important and sensitive topics in a way that not only educates her targeted young audience, but allows them to ride the wave along with the characters and hopefully help them to understand their feelings just that little bit better. This book was no different. Jacqueline addressed autism amongst one of the main characters in a simple yet educational way, breaking down the different elements of what it means being on the autistic spectrum. Mental health was also touched upon, telling the reader how mental health is nothing to be ashamed of, which is something a young audience such as hers really needs to hear, especially in todays society.

The only thing that didn't sit right with me was the hinting of the 'romance' blossoming between Becks and Jake. 14 and 18? No. But after finding out this was retelling of The Railway Children I will need to educate myself on the original so I can finalise my opinion on that!

As a child, I grew up not only devouring Jacqueline Wilson books, but also watching 2 different adaptations of “The Railway Children”, (and eventually reading the book), and also frequently visiting The Bluebell Railway in Sussex, with my dad who is a railway enthusiast. So, I came to this modern retelling of the E. Nesbit classic with a wealth of knowledge and experience of the author and subject matter. There has been a surge in retellings of the classics recently and to do so well is a hard task. However, Jacqueline Wilson, a master storyteller, manages to pay homage to the original with skill, whilst also writing a modern book, relevant to modern audiences. The railway is still at the heart of the novel, as is a change in family circumstances, and a hair-raising moment in a railway tunnel also still features (and those familiar with the original source will spot many more comparisons). However, Phoebe and her family live very purposefully in our century, and when mum informs them that their dad will not be around for a while, Phoebe, Becks and Perry (who is autistic) are taken away to stay in a dilapidated cottage rental in the remote countryside. Through the nearby steam railway, the family find new friends, adventures and Phoebe finally works out the truth about what has happened to her beloved father. A heart-warming read, written with all of Jacqueline Wilson’s typical sensitivity when dealing with difficult subject matter, whilst maintaining some spirit of the original. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book.
A special mention should also be made to Rachael Dean for her gorgeous illustrations.

Unlike Wilson's retelling of What Katy Did I found this book worked much better as an updated version of the Railway Children. The plot of this book doesn't slavishly follow the original but updates it in a mostly believable way. My only gripe was that I don't believe that the children, who have access to social media/the internet could really have been kept in the dark as much as they were.
I liked the detailed description of what it is like as a family to visit a loved one in prison and hope that this aspect is really played up

The Primrose Railway children follows a character named Phoebe and her family when he dad goes away one day and Phoebe is told that he has gone away to film a new show for his beloved book character ‘Robinson’. However, not everything is as it seems and when Mum decides to move herself, Phoebe and her brother and sister Perry and Becks to a remote cottage in the countryside it appears as though their lives have been tuned upside-down. That is until they discover Primrose railway station. As both the children and mum begin to meet new people and forge new friendships in the most unlikeliest of places, even with a few close shaves and as things begin to unravel, this book teaches you that wi5h great friends and a family full of love, everything will turn out just fine.

As a child who grew up with Jacqueline Wilson books and who eagerly anticipated the release of each and every one, the chance to read a new release is a privilege and certainly didn’t disappoint. Wilson’s gift for dealing with hard-hitting topics and the turbulent emotions that come with these shines through and can only be praised, the way in which she writes about feelings makes allows children to not only be able to relate to characters, but also help them to understand the feelings of others and is a great gateway in being able to understand that different people go through different events in their lives. The fact that Phoebe, Becks and Perry all had very different ways of dealing with dad going away is testament to this. In doing this Wilson conveys the message that children having their own feelings and not always knowing how to express them is okay and is such a valuable lesson for young readers to possess, Furthermore, the way in which Perry’s autism is dealt with and written about is exemplary and it was so refreshing to read, especially in a children’s book. The fact that Wilson has not shied away from including characters who may be seen as ‘different’ but who we as children and adults meet on a daily basis speaks volumes.


I will definitely be recommending this book and throughly enjoyed the journey it took me on!

As a child to adult fan of the writing of Jacqueline Wilson, there is nothing better than preparing to delve into a new offering from the undisputed queen of children’s literature. I have been reading Wilson’s books for over twenty-five years and she never disappoints.

Opening The Primrose Railway Children is like greeting an old friend; the characters might be new but Wilson’s narrative - her familiar and beloved style of writing - remains unchanged. Her latest offering is inspired by The Railway Children, albeit set in modern times. It tells a story of a family uprooted under a veil of secrecy.

As always, Wilson’s strength in celebrating difference is apparent. Her protagonist is not the smartest nor the prettiest in her family; she’s a little bit quirky and somewhat isolated. Phoebe sits comfortably alongside Wilson’s finest - a rival for Tracey, for Hetty or for Ellie.

The story is entertaining and enjoyable and is sure to be a big hit with fans of Wilson. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.