Reviews (24)

Classic Tale Comes to Life for Modern-Day Readers
Books of Wonder once again brings a classic E. Nesbit tale back to life for readers young and all to enjoy. Brimming with fun and fantasy, as well as realistic, believeable story-telling, this is an adventure that will keep you guessing what will happen next.
Another wonderful read by Nesbit!
I started out 2005 not knowing who E. Nesbit was and by year's end, I've read three of her most famous works, including this one. The story follows five children in their adventures with a Psammead, or a rather ugly sand fairy that grants them one wish per day. The children's wishes vary each day and lead to some very interesting consequences for each of them, including the difficulties the children encounter when they wish on whim that their little baby brother would grow up, or the perils they experience when wishing that their summer home would suddenly become a castle under siege. Although the children try day by day to think of more sensible wishes, they soon learn that such a thing is not as easy as one would believe.
ONE OF A KIND! THIS AUTHOR HAS IMAGINATION with a capital "I" ...
One of the first things I look for when purchasing a child's book is the IMAGINATION of the author. This one passed with flying colors. I'm an adult and I adored this book, but not everyone is like me.
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Subjects:  1. Children's 9-12 - Literature - Classics / Contemporary    2. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    3. Children's stories, English    4. Children: Grades 4-6    5. Classics    6. Fairy tales    7. Family life    8. Fiction    9. General    10. Juvenile Fiction    11. Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic    12. Classic fiction    13. Juvenile Fiction / Classics   

Reviews (8)

Buy the hardback, makes a good gift
I saw that people on here were moaning about the paperback, so I looked at book books in 'search inside the book' and got the hardback. Glad I did as the recipient really enjoyed it!

Don't listen to the nay-sayers

I'm reviewing the book, not the contents
These are some of the most delightful books for children ever written. Better than Lewis. Better than Milne. Better than Ransome. Long out of copyright, even by today's standards. Gather up her best in one book. Wonderful idea. Oh! Yes this is a great bargain. Unless.
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Subjects:  1. Children's All Ages - Literature    2. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    3. Children: Kindergarten    4. Classics    5. Juvenile Fiction    6. Fiction    7. Juvenile Fiction / Classics   

Reviews (3)

Nesbit's best
More than a quarter of a century ago my sisters and I were captivated by E. Nesbit, and particularly by THE MAGIC CITY. Long unavailable (I have scoured used book shops and the Net for copies for various children) it is great to have it easily available once more. I am happy to report that my own daughter was as taken with it as her aunts and I a generation earlier, and like us she at once began building magic cities of her own. I realize that I risk the wrath of Potterites everywhere, but I suspect that in a hundred years children and their parents will still be enjoying The Magic City while Harry is at most the subject of earnest dissertations on odd trends in the early 21st century. If you have a spark of imagination and an eager child handy, grab this book.

If you love Harry Potter, try this!
Years before I even heard of Harry Potter, my mother picked up the 1910 Macmillan hardcover version of this book at a garage sale for a mere fifty cents. (Imagine, a turn-of-the-century copy of a great book for fifty cents!) At first I was put off by its volume (333 pages with illustrations) but I managed to lap up every last word of it...about seven times, I think. The Book I Spent Ten Years Looking For...
Edith Nesbit is one of the most imaginitive children's writers around - and she's been around for a hundred years! Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    2. Children: Babies & Toddlers    3. Fantasy    4. Fantasy fiction    5. Juvenile Fiction    6. Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic    7. Juvenile Fiction / Science Fiction, Fantasy, Magic   

Editorial Review

A plot summary makes this story sound ordinary by children's literature standards: the summer adventures of four children who discover an enchanted castle and a magic ring. But Edith Nesbit's adored classic (written in 1907) is so much more than the description suggests. Right from the start, the author plays with the idea of magic, teasing us with a sleeping princess who turns out to be a fake. Elsewhere, the magic is "real" as can be--in fact, though written nearly 100 years ago, Read more

Reviews (21)

The Enchanting Characters
In The Enchanted Castle, the author E(dith) Nesbit plays with the boundaries between magic and reality. Three children come upon a castle in one of their exploratory adventures and decide to pretend that it's enchanted. They meet Mabel, the housekeeper's daughter, who pretends she's part of the enchantment - a sleeping princess. However, magic soon subtly takes over and the castle and its grounds really do become enchanted. The children, who at the beginning wished for something out-of-the-ordinary to happen, face situations that include a ring with unpredictable powers, the resurrection of the Ugly Wuglies, and a garden full of mythological statues.
"The Ring is the Heart of the Magic..."
Like most children's fantasy adventures, this one begins with several displaced children, removed from their usual situation due to unfortunate events, and finding their independence in new surroundings. In this case, Gerald, Jimmy and Kathleen find themselves staying at Kathleen's school over the summer holidays in the care of her French teacher. But adventure is on the way, as soon they find a secret path into a beautiful garden where a young princess lies asleep in the centre of a hedge maze.
The book that launched a thousand fantasies
This book launched a whole subgenre--fantasy books in which a group of three to five children (usually mixed gender) cross the boundry between the everyday world into the world of fantasy. It is the inspiration behind CS Lewis's Narnia books, Edward Eager's books, and generations of more recent novels. And it happens to be a wonderful read! My eight-year-old adored it--she's a huge Harry Potter fan (another series in Nesbit's debt) and thought this one was fabulous, though the Victorian language did slow her down a little. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    2. Children: Grades 4-6    3. Classics    4. Fantasy    5. Juvenile Fiction    6. Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic    7. Classic fiction    8. Juvenile Fiction / Science Fiction, Fantasy, Magic   

Reviews (4)

For what age?
I was hoping to read this book to my 7 year old boy. It was heavy for him and somewhat slow. The book requires maturity and sophisticated vocabulary,somehow it does not fit the pace at which our kids live now.
Favorite books of my childhood
I got this and "Hardings Luck" one christmas about twentyfive years ago. These stories have stayed with me throughout my adult life and I have never forgotten how I was swept away by the stories. These books are educational while being simply spellbinding...my imagination went wild, back then. Absolutely a must!

One of E. Nesbit's best
One of the delightful things about this book is that it treats children as thinking beings, yet still manages to contain all of the magic and adventure of childhood. As in all of her work, E. Nesbit tells an exciting story while encouraging the reader to consider the meaning of things.Oneof the best books written by one of the best children's writers of alltime. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure - General    2. Brothers and sisters    3. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    4. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9)    5. Fiction    6. General    7. Juvenile Fiction    8. Magic    9. Time travel    10. Juvenile Fiction / General   

Reviews (3)

Magical World Of Edith Nesbit Stands The Test Of Time...Fabulous Fun For Kids
This review refers to the 1987 Watermill Classic edition of "The Book Of Dragons" by E. Nesbit...
My review
I think this book is cool. it was about adventure, magic, action and even humor!!! A classic, like all of Nesbit's children's books.
E. Nesbit's books have a well-deserved place on my shelf next to C. S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia and Lloyd Alexander's Prydain Chronicles, and more recently, Harry Potter.I discovered her books through those ofEdward Eager; if you have read and enjoyed any of E. Nesbit's books before,I recommend you take the opposite journey and check out Eager's books now(start with Half Magic.)A real treat. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    2. Children's stories, English    3. Children: Grades 2-3    4. Dragons    5. Fiction    6. Juvenile Fiction    7. Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic    8. Short stories    9. Fantasy    10. Juvenile Fiction / Science Fiction, Fantasy, Magic   

Reviews (7)

Adventuresome Kids
Ms. Nesbit spun an amusing yarn of four easily bored privileged siblings (plus a baby brother) who stumbled quite fortunately on a supernatural bird and a flying carpet. The bird and the carpet fulfill wishes therefore the result is an utterly grand time for the little rascals each time they venture for a ride. And, how they make full use of the magical duo! The author's method of story telling is pretty exciting - there are asides to further relay useful information to the readers which are mostly quite witty. One could even learn how to play tricks on cooks and housemaids from the story. It might at first seem that the carpet would just take the children to one place after another in order to sate their curiosities. Don't be too sure because at the end, the reader will find himself/herself struck by the realization that all their journeys are tied together to complete a tale worth telling. Ms. Nesbit was a genius at attracting her readers' attention. It is a well-told children's fiction.

Wonderful, Classic Literature
Exceptional writing! Many of the children/youth books now-a-days, lack the ability to capture and draw the imagination the way that Nesbit can.She was truly a remarkable author. I can't wait to dive in to more of her works.If only I had been introduced to her writing sooner. Clean, inviting and witty.

wonderful book
I'msurprised there are only four reviews listed..E. Nesbit's books are wonderfully intriguing.The sentence structure is complex, making for more interesting reading. Themoral lessons arethere,butsubtle, not blatant like current popular children's liturature. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Animals, Mythical    2. Children's 9-12 - Fiction - Fantasy    3. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    4. Children: Grades 4-6    5. Fiction    6. Magic    7. Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic    8. Wishes    9. Classic fiction    10. Juvenile Fiction / Classics   

Reviews (5)

no title
What a charming children's story!Aimed for kids about 10 and up, including me.Written in 1905 or 6, set in London, but escaping to ancient Tyre, Egypt, England, Babylon, through the magic of the Amulet.It actually tells quite a lot about 1905 London, most of it rather unpleasant.A Good Read.

80 out of 100
I liked "The Story of the Amulet", by Edith Nesbit.It is a well written and thought-provoking book.The children introduced in "The Five Children and It" and seen again in "The Pheonix and the Carpet" are back once more to finish the trio.As in "The Pheonix and the Carpet", this is a travelling book.However in this book the children travel in both time and space to search for the other half of an amulet that, when joined, will give the children their heart's desire.I removed a star for a few reasons.One, out of the five books by Nesbit that I have read, this is ranked 5th.That is not to say that this was a bad book.It's just that I thought the other ones were better.Two, I like the books where the characters are granted wishes best, as in "The Five Children and It".However, I would recommend this book to anyone who likes magical happenings, time travel, and those who liked other Edith Nesbit books.

An excellent book!
This book is one really fun and exciting adventure.E. Nesbit is one of the best children's authors ever.I suggest that anyone interested start with Five Children and It, which is even better.I would recommend this book to anyone! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's 9-12 - Fiction - General    2. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    3. Children: Grades 4-6    4. Classics    5. Fairy tales    6. Classic fiction    7. Juvenile Fiction / Classics   

Subjects:  1. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    2. Children: Grades 2-3    3. Classics    4. England    5. Fairy Tales & Folklore - General    6. Fairy tales    7. Folklore    8. Giants    9. Juvenile Fiction    10. Juvenile Fiction / Classics   

Subjects:  1. Animals - Mythical    2. Children's All Ages - Fiction - Science Fiction    3. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    4. Children: Grades 3-4    5. Dragons    6. Fairy tales    7. Fiction    8. Juvenile Fiction    9. Kings, queens, rulers, etc.    10. Royalty (kingsqueensprincesprincessesknightsetc.)    11. Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic    12. Juvenile Fiction / Science Fiction, Fantasy, Magic   

Editorial Review

Yes, the name is familiar. E. Nesbit, who died in 1924, gave us Read more

Reviews (2)

this is not for grade school age children
I bought this to read to my 9 year old son.The language used in this book was very advanced.I found the difficulty level to be just a notch below the actual plays. I found a book called "Stories from Shakespeare" by Geraldine McCaughrean which was much better and my son is enjoying reading "Shakespeare".

Children will now understand Shakepeare!
Edith Nesbit is a wonderful writer, who keeps the integrity of the Shakespeare plays, and makes them understandable to young readers. Read more

Subjects:  1. 1564-1616    2. Adaptations    3. Children's 9-12 - Plays / Drama    4. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Nonfiction    5. Children: Grades 3-4    6. Classics    7. Drama    8. Juvenile Fiction    9. Shakespeare, William    10. Shakespeare, William,    11. Juvenile Fiction / Classics    12. Literature/English | Drama | Shakespeare   

Subjects:  1. Brothers and sisters    2. Children's All Ages    3. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    4. Children: Grades 3-4    5. England    6. Family life    7. Fiction    8. General    9. Imagination    10. Juvenile Fiction    11. Juvenile Fiction / General   

Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure - General    2. Brothers and sisters    3. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    4. Classics    5. Fairies    6. Fiction    7. Great Britain    8. Literary    9. Literature: Classics    10. Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic    11. Wishes    12. Fiction / Classics   

Reviews (27)

Pretty good
I think it is kind of cool how the kids think of how to stop someone from wrecking a train.Also how they got someone un-fainted from when they were fainted. It was also pretty funny how their mother made a mistake when one of the kids said they revived a hound with a red shirt, but it was really a person.
Still Fresh at 100 Years Old
The Railway Children was originally published in 1906. It's different from many of Edith Nesbit's books, in that it doesn't feature any magic. The Railway Children is the story of three children, Roberta, Peter, and Phyllis. At the start of the story, the children live with their loving parents in a nice, modern house in London. Their lives change drastically, however, when their Father is called away unexpectedly and mysteriously. Their Mother takes them to live in an older house in the country, with only a single part-time servant, where they quickly realize that they are now poor. Mother spends all her time writing stories and poems, to submit them for publication, instead of playing games with them and teaching them, as she had done previously. The children are left largely to their own devices, with no lessons to distract them.
charming!
I read this book aloud to my son (age 5) and he loved it.The children in the book exemplify the quailities I want my son to emulate: kindness, respectfulness, heroism, humility, generosity, trust, hope, perseverance, etc.The story was interesting and kept our attention.I would recommend this book for anyone who loves to read children's books. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Brothers and sisters    2. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    3. Children: Grades 1-2    4. Classics    5. Country life    6. Family life    7. Fiction    8. Juvenile Fiction    9. Juvenile Literature    10. Railroads    11. Juvenile Fiction / Classics   

Reviews (14)

Children of the New Forest
I've read this one.It's by Captain Marryat http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1853261106/qid=1130814728/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/102-3667137-5119336?v=glance&s=books&n=507846
A GREAT BOOK -- and a comment on the references
I find it odd that a book should be faulted because a reader doesn't understand all the references. For me as a child, puzzling out what phrases like "Let dogs delight" meant was fun -- even when I never did figure it out, or didn't figure it out until years later when I came upon the source. That was fun, too: to be reading something else or traveling in England and suddenly get the reference -- and think "So THAT's what she meant!"
Cultural Reference "Let dogs delight..."
Some of the cultural references in the book are obscure, but finding what they mean can be a lot of fun. Here is the context of "Let dogs delight..." It is from an old hymn to encourage children to get along with each other. Here is the text:
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Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure - General    2. Brothers and sisters    3. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    4. Children: Grades 4-6    5. Fiction    6. Treasure-trove    7. Classic fiction    8. Juvenile Fiction / Classics   

Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure - General    2. Brothers and sisters    3. Children's 9-12    4. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    5. Children: Grades 4-6    6. Classics    7. England    8. Family - Siblings    9. Family life    10. Fiction    11. Historical - Europe    12. Juvenile Fiction    13. Juvenile Historical Fiction    14. Lifestyles - Country Life    15. Non-Classifiable    16. Railroads    17. Transportation - General    18. English literature: fiction texts    19. Europe    20. Juvenile Fiction / General   

Reviews (10)

A Masterpiece from a Master
A century-old thoughtful twist on the fairy tale genre by a classic Children's writer (would love to see reviews of some of her other works).Melisande is a princess subject to the usual misfortune: a wicked fairy not invited to the christening casts an evil spell on her--"The Princess shall be bald."Not to worry the King has a wish he was given by his fairy godmother locked in his safe, the Princess may use it however she wishes when she comes of age.At that point, the Queen says, Bad Hair Day
From one irritated, uninvited guest comes the gift of baldness. From one poorly worded wish comes out of control hair. Add one prince determined to find the solution. Mix in Melisande's need to rescue her island home. How does it turn out? It adds up to an enchanting tale that delights both young and old. I've used the book in elementary classes as well as college classes--both were mesmerized.

Big Hit With My Son!
...Nesbit writes beautifully and is clever and unpredictable enough that without going over the kids' heads, the reading adult can enjoy it too.The illustrations are excellent; I just wish the hardcover version was available! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children: Grades 3-4    2. Fiction    3. Picture books   

Reviews (5)

Funniest Bastable Book Yet
E. Nesbit wrote three books about the Bastables: The Story Of The Treasure Seekers, in which the six Bastable kids look for treasure to restore treir family's fallen fortunes, New Treasure Seekers, a beautiful collection of wonderful Bastable adventures, and the Wouldbegoods, in which the motley troop goes on vacation with their cousins, form the soceity of Wouldbegoods, (in which the motive is to do one good deed a day) and fail miserably. The first thing Noel does is climb the chimney and fetch down a few bricks, a bird nest and a couple tons of soot. Wouldbegoods is by far the best, but if tou want to read it free go to Google.com, type in New Treasure Seekers, click on first choice and you can red either New Treasure Seekers or Wouldbegoods at your leisure.

Some of Nesbit's Least Likeable Kids
Everything I've ready by E. Nesbit has been entertaining; the Psammead kids and the Railway Children are believable children and nice, even though they all get into stupid scrapes a lot.They seem to learn from their mistakes.But the Bastables, in the Treasure Seekers and Wouldbegoods, are either sickly-sweet dogooders (Dora and Daisy) or kids who just don't think, and don't seem to learn anything (the rest of them).They get into scrape after scrape - unlike Nesbit's other children who have some legitimate good times - and then the Bastables get sent to bed and that's the end of it, until they do something dumb the next day.Also, this book is purportedly penned by one of the Bastable children and so there is a lot of liberty taken with grammar, history, etc.The other Nesbit books I like are all written in third person and seem easier to read.

Maybe They Should Try Being Bad.....?
"I do believe we are the worst children who ever lived!" Alice Bastable cries when yet another plan of the 'Wouldbegoods' goes disastrously wrong.Her despair is understandable, in their attempts to perform good deeds the six Bastable children and their two friends wreck havoc across the British countryside. Yet in the end they do manage to do good, quite by accident. Absolutely hilarious. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure - General    2. Behavior    3. Brothers and sisters    4. Children's 9-12 - Fiction - General    5. Children: Grades 4-6    6. Fiction    7. Classic fiction    8. Juvenile Fiction / General   

Reviews (7)

fast book (revised)
I rated this book 2 stars because it went to fast for me. for example, the first story "the cat-hood of Maurice" the only things I got out of the story were that he turned into a cat then by the cat then got turned back into a human at the end by the same cat. My suggestion is that if you are the kind of person who like stories was they speak old English and make you read fast so you have to keep your self at a steady pace this is the book for you.

fast book
i rated this book 2 stars because it went to fast for me. for example, the first story "the cat-hood of maurice" the only things i got out of the story were that he turned into a cat then by the cat then got turned back into a human at the end by the same cat. my suggestion is that if you are the kinda of person who like stories were they speak old english and make you read fast so you have to keep your self at a steady pace this is the book for you.

Valuable Stories
This is a great book. I bought it when I was about to go on a trip, and I couldn't read it until I got on the plane. I allowed myself to read one story. The story was "The White Cat". Now, this was a great story, with a great charector. The white cat enchanted me, especialy because my grandmother had a white china cat. It was all I could do to wait until the plane to read the rest, but I did. The rest of the book was great, too, but my favorite story was still the White Cat. Some of my other favorite stories were Belenda and Bellamont, the Princess and the Hedge Pig, and the Cathood of Maurice. These are really great stories. After awhile, I got my grandma to give me her own white cat, and I felt so glad.These stories have great effects on the readers. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's 9-12 - Fiction - Fantasy    2. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    3. Children: Grades 4-6    4. Fiction    5. Magic    6. Short Stories    7. Classic fiction    8. Juvenile Fiction / Classics   

Subjects:  1. 1564-1616    2. 1564-1616.    3. Adaptations    4. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    5. Children: Grades 3-4    6. General    7. Juvenile Fiction    8. Juvenile literature    9. Shakespeare, William,    10. Short Stories    11. Stories, plots, etc.    12. English literature: Shakespeare texts    13. Juvenile Fiction / General