Five Children and It by E. Nesbit

Five Children and It, written by E. Nesbit and first published in 1902, is about a strange-looking Psammead (also known as a sand fairy) who grumpily grants one wish a day. But somehow the wishes always seem to go wrong for Cyril, Anthea, Jane, Robert and their baby brother, ‘The Lamb’, and they have some very narrow escapes. I remember loving a mini-series of this when I was in primary school but only just read the book. It was very enjoyable as an adult – E. Nesbit’s ironic tone and gentle humour creates an additional level of enjoyment over the more concrete events that I enjoyed when I saw the mini-series during childhood.