Other editions of book Children's stories from Dickens

Charles Dickens, who was born in 1812, is considered one of the greatest of English novelists. Certainly he is the most popular. Not only did he have an important place in nineteenth-century literature, but he was also an outspoken and influential critic of society. He wrote fifteen novels as well as a number of stories and Christmas books. In lots of these children were important characters.In his day, no one understood children better than Dickens, and he was the first writer to describe what children thought and felt and to capture the way they spoke. And he was not afraid to write about the hard and sad lives that many children led. In the stories in this book, which have been retold by Charles Dickens's granddaughter, Mary Angela Dickens, you will meet some of the children who appear in the works of Charles Dickens.There is Oliver Twist, who had many misadventures after he escaped from the terrible workhouse where he was born, and David Copperfield, the hero of Dickens's most popular novel, much of which records his own experiences. Little Paul Dombey is the young son of Dombey and Son, and Amy is the heroine of Little Dorrit.On these pages, you'll also make the acquaintance of Tiny Tim, from A Christmas Carol, the fat boy from The Pickwick Papers, Jenny Wren from Our Mutual Friend, and the blind little toymaker from The Cricket on the Hearth, and Little Nell and the marchioness from The Old Curiosity Shop.Howard Copping's wonderful paintings and drawings bring Dickens's fascinating characters, both young and old, to life.

Extract: TROTTY VECK AND HIS DAUGHTER MEG. "TROTTY" seems a strange name for an old man, but it was given to Toby Veck because of his always going at a trot to do his errands; for he was a porter, and carried letters and messages for people who were in too great a hurry to send them by the post. He did not earn very much, and had to be out in all weathers and all day long. But Toby was of a cheerful disposition, and looked on the bright side of everything. His greatest joy was his dear daughter Meg, who loved him dearly. One cold day Toby had been trotting up and down in his usual place before the church, when the bells chimed twelve o'clock, which made Toby think of dinner. "There's nothing," he remarked, "more regular in coming round than dinner-time, and nothing less regular in coming round than dinner. That's the great difference between 'em." He went on talking to himself never noticing who was coming near to him. "Why, father, father," said a pleasant voice, and Toby turned to find his daughter's sweet, bright eyes close to his. "Why, pet," said he, kissing her, "what's-to-do?