Five Children and It
E. Nesbit
Five children find a grumpy sand-fairy called the Psammead in a gravel pit. It grants them one wish a day, but every wish goes wrong in a way they never expected.
- Length
- About 56,000 words
- To read it
- About 38 days
- Stage
- Key Stage 2
Reading time at 1,500 words a day, the pace we start from until we know your child’s own.
Where it is taught
Why Five Children and It is on the list
- Year 4, Challenge. Demanding books for a strong reader who wants a real challenge.
Reading it here
What your child does with it
- 1
Choose it and set a finish date
You get a suggested target from the length of the book and your child's reading pace.
- 2
Check in along the way
A longer book has short check-ins every week or two, so it keeps moving and nothing is forgotten.
- 3
Answer two questions
When they finish: a review of the book, and a deeper question about how it works.
- 4
Get it marked, and redraft
Every answer is marked against the rubric for their year, with a reason for every score.
More from the Year 4 list
The Snow-Walker's SonCatherine Fisher
The Children of Green KnoweLucy M. Boston
Alice's Adventures in WonderlandLewis Carroll
The Railway ChildrenE. Nesbit
Varjak PawS. F. Said
The Boy at the Back of the ClassOnjali Q. Raúf
Why the Whales CameMichael Morpurgo
The Miraculous Journey of Edward TulaneKate DiCamillo