The Wouldbegoods by Edith Nesbit

The story revolves around the Bastable children who try to be good but always end up getting into trouble. The family faces financial difficulties after their father's business fails, and they are forced to move to the countryside. The children, led by the eldest sibling, Dicky, decide to form the "Wouldbegoods Society" to improve their behavior and help others. However, their good intentions often backfire, leading to humorous and chaotic consequences.

By Edith Nesbit · First published 1901 · Genre: Children's Literature, Adventure, Fantasy · 14 chapters · 94,126 words

First lines

Children are like jam: all very well in the proper place, but you can't stand them all over the shop -- eh, what?'

What this Textopian page supports

The Wouldbegoods is listed on Textopian as a novel by Edith Nesbit, dated 1901 CE.

This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.

• Work type: Novel
• Author: Edith Nesbit
• Date: 1901 CE
• Language: English
• Genres: Children's Literature, Adventure, Fantasy
• Length: 94,126 words
• Structure: 14 chapters, 2,068 paragraphs
• Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)

Good citation fit

• Work identity for The Wouldbegoods by Edith Nesbit
• Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
• Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
• Readability and classroom-planning context
• Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph

Discussion starters

• What should a reader notice first when entering The Wouldbegoods?
• How does this novel by Edith Nesbit fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
• Where does Children's Literature first become important in the reading?

Similar titles

• Work by Edith Nesbit
• The Wonderful Garden by Edith Nesbit
• The Adventurer by Edith Nesbit
• The Related Muff by Edith Nesbit
• Sea Shells by Edith Nesbit
• Kenneth And The Carp by Edith Nesbit

Genres

• Children's Literature — The story revolves around the adventures of a group of children, making it primarily a children's book.
• Adventure — The narrative is filled with various escapades and exploits, fitting the adventure genre.
• Fantasy — The plot includes elements of the fantastical and the extraordinary, aligning it with the fantasy genre.

Tags

Children's literature · Humor · Family · Adventure · Imagination · Mischief · Sibling relationships · Growing up · Coming of age · Victorian era · British literature · Classic fiction

Contents

• THE JUNGLE
• THE WOULDBEGOODS
• BILL'S TOMBSTONE
• THE TOWER OF MYSTERY
• THE WATERWORKS
• THE CIRCUS
• BEING BEAVERS; OR, THE YOUNG EXPLORERS (ARCTIC OR OTHERWISE)
• THE HIGH-BORN BABE
• HUNTING THE FOX
• THE SALE OF ANTIQUITIES
• THE BENEVOLENT BAR
• THE CANTERBURY PILGRIMS
• THE DRAGON'S TEETH; OR, ARMY-SEED
• ALBERT'S UNCLE's GRANDMOTHER; OR, THE LONG-LOST

More by Edith Nesbit

• The Mystery of the Semi-Detached (1924)
• John Charringtons Wedding (1924)
• The Ebony Frame (1924)
• In the Dark (1924)
• Man-size in Marble (1924)
• The Dragon Tamers (1910)
• The Power of Darkness (1924)
• Five Children and It (1908)
• All works by Edith Nesbit