The Book of Dragons
Funny, clever dragon stories. Our most-played Nesbit.
3 hr 47 min · read by Tiffany Magnuson
0:00
4:50
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Author
E. Nesbit
The English author of The Railway Children and Five Children and It.
1858–1924 Children's StoryFantasyHorror - Gothic
About
Who was E. Nesbit?
E. Nesbit was an English writer who invented the modern children's adventure story, with funny, real-sounding children and magic that goes wrong: The Railway Children, Five Children and It and The Book of Dragons.
Her life
Edith Nesbit was born in London in 1858. She married the writer Hubert Bland, helped found the socialist Fabian Society, and supported her family for years by writing poems, stories and anything that would sell.
Her books
Her children's books, from 1899 on, were something new: children who talk like real children, get into trouble and solve problems themselves. The Book of Dragons (1900), Five Children and It (1902) and The Railway Children (1906) are still read today, and writers from C. S. Lewis to J. K. Rowling have named her as an influence. She also wrote fine ghost stories for adults, such as Man-Size in Marble. She died in 1924.
New to E. Nesbit?
Start here
The Book of Dragons
Funny, clever dragon stories. Our most-played Nesbit.
3 hr 47 min · read by Tiffany Magnuson 
The Railway Children
Three children, a railway and a family mystery.
6 hr 48 min · read by Susan Edni
0:00
4:35
Man-Size in Marble
For grown-ups: one of the best English ghost stories.
35 min · read by Miguel Khoury
0:00
4:14
Audiobooks
Listen to E. Nesbit
Beautiful Stories by Shakespeare: Much Ado About Nothing
Narrated by Sumara Meers
Hero is to marry Claudio, and everyone is happy. Beatrice and Benedick, who both say they will never marry, trade insults at every turn. Then their friends decide to tric...
0:00
3:48
From the Dead
Narrated by Charles Conover
A wedding is set for early September, and two days before it the narrator sees the groom, John Charrington, and his bride May Forster walking arm in arm on a railway plat...
0:00
4:11
John Charrington’s Wedding
Narrated by Matthew Guldner
A vow beyond the grave: John dies hours before his wedding, yet still arrives to wed May—for a carriage ride so harrowing it turns her hair white. A chilling Victorian gh...
0:00
2:15
Man-Size in Marble
Narrated by Miguel Khoury
A young couple move into a small cottage in a quiet English village and begin their married life. The village maid warns them of a curse: the marble knights in the old ch...
0:00
4:14
The Book of Dragons
Narrated by Tiffany Magnuson
Dragons of every kind appear in these stories: the ones that guard treasure, the ones that terrify a kingdom and the ones that turn out surprisingly well in the end. Each...
0:00
4:50
The Cockatoucan; or, Great Aunt Willoughby
Narrated by Greg Cooper
A wrong omnibus whisks Matilda to Green Land, where a bewitched bird’s laughter turns the world upside down. With pluck and wit—and a princess’s help—she outsmarts the Co...
0:00
4:53
The Ebony Frame
Narrated by Miguel Khoury
A man inherits seven hundred pounds a year and a furnished house in Chelsea from his Aunt Dorcas. In the dining room he finds an old carved ebony frame holding a cheap pr...
0:00
4:00
The Mass for the Dead
Narrated by Christopher Mireider
A young musician lies awake the night before the woman he loves is to be married to someone else. He is just home from three years of music study in Germany, and he met h...
0:00
3:38
The Railway Children
Narrated by Susan Edni
Three children live a comfortable life in London until the night their father is taken away by strangers. Roberta, Peter and Phyllis move with their mother to a small hou...
0:00
4:35
The town in the library, in the town in the library
Narrated by Jynelle Brown
Two children build a city from books—then walk into it. Tin soldiers, clockwork creatures, and witty wonder abound in E. Nesbit’s classic, delightfully narrated by Jynell...
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3:27
Life in dates
E. Nesbit's life
- 1858
Born in London.
- 1884
Helps found the Fabian Society.
- 1899
The Story of the Treasure Seekers.
- 1900
The Book of Dragons.
- 1902
Five Children and It.
- 1906
The Railway Children.
- 1924
Dies in New Romney, Kent.
Questions
Questions about E. Nesbit
What is E. Nesbit best known for?
The Railway Children and Five Children and It, two of the most loved English children's books.
Did E. Nesbit write for adults?
Yes, including ghost stories such as Man-Size in Marble and The Mass for the Dead.
Which E. Nesbit audiobook is best for children?
The Book of Dragons: each story is short and funny.
Where can I listen to E. Nesbit audiobooks narrated by real people?
Academy Voices has 9 E. Nesbit audiobooks, each performed by a real narrator, with a free sample on every one. Every recording is Certified Human Voice.
Reviewed October 2026 by the Academy Voices team. Sources: Wikipedia, Wikidata .
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Narrators who voiced E. Nesbit's books
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