The Railway Children: Unabridged Edition

This book makes for rewarding reading. The kids are decent and well-presented, the story moves right along, and the sense of place is interesting and comforting. But it is pretty old-fashioned, which nowadays means "slow". Read to or along with a younger kid I think it works because the adult reader can emphasize and sell the fun parts. I think it would take a pretty focused youngster to work his/her way through it independently.