The House of Arden, by E. Nesbit - A Vintage Refurbished and Restored Book for Kids of All Ages

Description

This lovely restored vintage children's book is a new adventure for me. Like so many of my upcycled blank books, I first found this one at my local thrift shop. It was old and had a certain amount of damage. The ends had been colored and written on, and the text block was almost out of the jacket. Unlike most of the books I use, however, the text block itself was in excellent shape. The pages were all there, and there was no significant damage to the text or illustrations.

I had a wonderful idea - instead of tearing the entire book apart and making it into a blank book, I'd try to restore this one. I've re-stitched the loose parts of the textblock, and reinforced its spine, as well as the interior of the cover. For a bookmarker, I added a lovely blue grosgrain ribbon that has a thin green velvet strand stitched down the center. I also added new headbands. After re-attached the text block, the finishing touch was to add brand new endpapers. For this, I found some really lovely pale minty green paper with a floral motif which matches the cover nicely.

The vintage cover remains unchanged. While the original story was first published in 1907, this particular copy was printed in 1967, as part of a series of children's classics. It contains a number of illustrations, some black and white, some fully colored. The cover has a very striking green and ivory patterned print, illustrating the Arden's Family Crest. The title and author are printed in bright blue on both the cover and spine. There is a bit of wear on the edges of the cover, and the text edges have a bit of foxing and some various spots, such as a small red spot on the bottom text edge. All of this gives the aura of antiquity to this very charming book.

E. Nesbit is one of my favorite authors, and is often cited as an influence to other great writers, from C.S. Lewis to Noel Coward. "The House of Arden" is one of these classics. Some consider it the best of all her books. Here's a synopsis of the book from the New York Times Book Review:

"The famous Arden family treasure has been missing for generations, and the last members of the Arden line, Edred, Elfrida, and their Aunt Edith, have nothing to their names but the crumbling castle they live in. Just before his tenth birthday, Edred inherits the title of Lord Arden; he also learns that the missing fortune will be his if—and only if—he can find it before he turns ten. With no time to lose, Edred and Elfrida secure the help of a magical talking creature, the temperamental Mouldiwarp, who leads them on a treasure hunt through the ages. Together, brother and sister visit some of the most thrilling periods of history and test their wits against real witches, highwaymen, and renegades. They find plenty of adventure, but will they find the treasure before Edred's birthday?"

Who wouldn't try to save such a beautiful story? This refurbished book would make an excellent addition to anyone's library. Its just waiting for someone to take it home, and love it as much as its original owner did.

PLEASE SEE MY PROFILE ABOUT SHIPPING ISSUES DURING THE HOLIDAY SEASON.
There is no shipping charge for this item; it will be sent by Media Mail rate (Book Rate) USPS postage. However, if this is a gift for the Holidays, you may want to have it sent by Priority Mail instead. Just email me for the additional cost. In fact, please email me with any questions about the item or shipping BEFORE purchasing! Thanks!

Added on Oct 11, 2007

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