The Phoenix and the Carpet - Edith Nesbit Book Review

Enter a review
of your own!

Other books by
author Edith Nesbit

"The Phoenix and the Carpet"
Message Board

Edith Nesbit Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR: Ian Tupper

SCHOLARS:

Would you like to be a scholar and make five dollars per review? Click here to submit a review!

Review Summaries
"In their second adventure, published in 1904, Robert, Anthea, Cyril, and Jane (not to mention Baby Lamb) encounter the legendary magical creature, the Phoenix, as well as a magic carpet that grants three wishes per day. They travel to a French castle, to a tropical island filled with copper-skinned natives, foil a burglar, arrange a marriage, change people's disposition, and have to figure out how to get 199 Persian cats, 398 muskrats, a cow, and a policeman out of their house. Their charming adventures not only entertain but teach them, and the reader, a few gentle lessons." David Loftus, Resident Edith Nesbit Scholar
"Robert, Anthea, Cyril, and Jane are back for a third round with magic. This time, an accidental fire (no one specifically said they should not light fireworks indoors) hatches the Phoenix, the world's most self-centered, egotistical, vain, and silly bird. The Phoenix introduces the children to the magical properties of their nursery carpet - it's a flying carpet, of course - and they have adventures. They find (and lose and find again) treasure, encounter hostile natives on desert isles, and just generally have a good time. Of course, this being a Nesbit book, the magic gets them into trouble, and creates as many problems as it solves. " Ivy, Resident Edith Nesbit Scholar
"First published in 1904, the famous five who had more magical adventures than should be decently allowed with the Psammead in 'Five Children and It', and 'The Story of the Amulet' are back - on a wild ride with the hopelessly vain but good-hearted Phoenix and his flying carpet. This funny and warm-hearted story has withstood a century remarkable well and proves that children and the best sorts of magic never change." Michael JR Jose, Resident Edith Nesbit Scholar

Click above for the new Obama Girl Parody video!

Overall Review

Our unique search engine breaks down books and movies into dozens of literary elements, all of which are searchable.

Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 30%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 30%
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 40%

Tone of book - very upbeat
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - fantasy story on current Earth
Explore/1st contact/ enviro story Yes
Plotlets: - exploring a CUTESY fantasy world
Is this an adult or child's book? - Kid's book (ages 7-14)

Main Character
Identity: - Female
Profession/status: - student
Age: - a kid
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events? Yes
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - average physique

Main Adversary
Identity: - none

Setting
Terrain - Jungle - Water - Forests
Earth setting: - 20th century
Takes place on Earth? Yes

Style
Person? - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - no torture/death
How much dialogue? - significantly more descript than dialog

Most similar books by Gordonator ranking
Handy Mandy in Oz by Ruth Plumly Thompson
The Lost Princess of Oz by L. Frank Baum
Tik-Tok of Oz by L. Frank Baum
The Cowardly Lion of Oz by Ruth Plumly Thompson
Glinda of Oz by L. Frank Baum

Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).

Try our new Star Wars & Star Trek puzzle pictures! Click here

Advertise with us
Feedback
Star Wars Revenge of the Sith plot spoilers
Hobbits
The politics game
The lawyer game

3 Movie search options!
1) Simple lookup
(title or author)

or
2) Detailed movie search
(click here) or

3) One-click plot searches! Simply click on a plot below!

Animal Story

Clones

Coming of age

Cultural problems, alien culture

Explore/1st contact/ enviro story

Family relations

GIANT monster(s)

Horror story?

Inner Struggle

Lifeform altered?

Mental/magical powers focus

Parody

Political power play

Religious overtones?

Repressive society story

Robots, Computers, VR

Romance

Spying & Investigations

Tech./$$$/Info hunt

Time Travel story?

Training/Apprent.

War or Invasion

Games:
Trivia Masters!

Rescue your favorite
scifi characters from
slavery!

Talk to your favorite
scifi characters!

Eating New Yorkers
Computer Game

Pomeranians

Most recent TV & Movie discussions:

Blade Runner: Blade Runner 10/12/2008 11:25:13 AM

Star Trek Enterprise: Jolene Blalock on T'Pol and Star Trek Enterprise 10/12/2008 3:22:58 AM

A Boy and His Dog: A Boy and His Dog 10/10/2008 3:56:33 PM

Blade Runner: Was Harrison Ford on Tranquilizers or an Actor's Strike When Filming Blade Runner? 9/20/2008 3:18:54 AM

Doctor Who: Who was the best companion? 9/18/2008 6:59:25 AM

Clash of the Titans: Clash of the Titans 9/7/2008 3:53:28 AM

Star Trek Enterprise: T'Pol shows her nude butt on Enterprise! 9/2/2008 3:20:24 AM

Star Trek Enterprise: Is T'Pol supposed to be a Vulcan lesbian? 9/2/2008 3:02:45 AM

Charmed: How can Phoebe Halliwell get an abortion? 8/29/2008 10:02:34 PM

Alien Hunter : Alien Hunter 8/28/2008 1:25:23 PM

Newest slaves:
Princess Leia 6:14:22 PM
Clone Trooper Girlfriend 6:11:43 PM
Wolverine Dim Sum (Kelly Hu) 6:05:11 PM
Jet Li 5:30:29 PM
President Clark 5:28:06 PM
William Edgars 5:27:59 PM
Lennear 5:27:52 PM
Vir (Flounder) 5:27:44 PM
Alfred Bester 5:27:37 PM
Commander Susan Ivanova 5:27:37 PM
All slaves
(click here)

Celebrity interviews:
President George W. Bush 6:32:00 PM
Jan-Michael Vincent 2:16:51 PM
Captain Kathryn Janeway 3:47:46 PM
Jack ONeill (Richard Dean Anderson) 1:39:22 PM
Jennifer Aniston (Friends) 5:01:07 PM
All celebrities
(click here)