Friday, April 25, 2014

The Book of Dragons

Written by: E. Nesbit

First line: He happened to be building a palace when the news came, and he left all the bricks kicking about the floor for Nurse to clean up--but then the news was rather remarkable news.

Why you should read this book: Although its sensibilities are very firmly rooted in the time and place in which it was written (England, 1900), there is something timeless about this early collection of modern fairy tales, all of which feature, prominently, at least one and sometimes countless dragons, good, evil, and indifferent. Nesbit draws on her young readers' knowledge of myth and adventure to create new worlds, or to simply throw a dazzling veil over the world they already know. I've been reading these stories since I was a little girl, and they never fail to satisfy.

Why you shouldn't read this book: You don't like to see dragons slain, or even to read about threats to slay them.

No comments: