Readings Classics: The Wind in the Willows

Description

Kenneth Graham’s The Wind in the Willows is one of the most celebrated works of literature for children. An English classic loved by adults and children alike.

One of the most celebrated works of classic literature for children, The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame remains a timeless tale of camaraderie, loyalty and bravery more than a hundred years after its first publication.

The Wild Wood seems a terrifying place to Mole, until one day he pokes his nose out of his burrow and finds it’s full of friends. He meets brave Ratty, kind old Badger and the rascally Mr Toad, and together they go adventuring … but the Wild Wood doesn’t just contain friends, there are also the sinister weasels and stoats, and they capture Toad Hall when Mr Toad is in jail. How will he escape? And can the friends fight together to save Toad Hall?

Kenneth Grahame’s The Wind in the Willows is a classic animal adventure that charms and enthrals.

Author Biography

Kenneth Grahame was born in Edinburgh in 1859. He was educated at St Edward’s school, Oxford, but because of family circumstances he was unable to enter Oxford University. He joined the Bank of England as a gentleman clerk in 1879, rising to become its Secretary in 1898. In 1899 he married Elspeth Thomson and their only child, Alistair, was born a year later. He left the Bank in 1908 on health grounds. That same year, The Wind in the Willows was published. The book was not an immediate success, and he never attempted to write fiction again. However, the popularity of the novel grew steadily and, by the time of Grahame’s death in 1932 it was recognised as a children’s classic. He wrote several books including The Golden Age and Dream Days which includes the short story ‘The Reluctant Dragon’ (later made into a Disney movie).