Neighbor Nelly Socks

From his window on a city street, Josiah Oldbird finds amusement in the families living opposite. His closest interest settles on Nelly Lawson and her brother Jimmy, whose cheerful household brightens his solitary routine. A meeting on Nelly's way to school turns distant observation into acquaintance, with a stop at a candy shop along the way. Sarah L. Barrow builds these children's stories around neighbors, everyday kindness and the small decisions that reveal good manners.

The humor becomes more boisterous when Nelly, Jimmy and Tom attempt to improve on the adults' window cleaning. Soap, hot water and an imagined steamboat turn useful work into an absorbing game. Different narrators give the volume a conversational feel, while household details place its lessons in a recognizable world of school, family and play. Readers interested in older children's fiction will find both comic mishaps and clear expectations about considerate behavior.