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Audiobook editionPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What if half an ancient charm could open a door in time—and lead you toward your heart’s desire?
Cyril, Anthea, Robert and Jane are stuck in cramped London lodgings while their parents are away. Then they find an old friend in a pet shop: the Psammead, a grumpy sand fairy. He knows the secret of a broken amulet that can carry them far beyond their lonely rooms.
The missing half promises what the children most desire, but finding it means travelling through the past and sometimes the future. Babylon, Atlantis, Tyre and ancient Britain lie along their path. In The Story of the Amulet, E. Nesbit brings family life, sudden magic and dry humour together, while the children keep their extraordinary quest secret from the grown-ups.
What you’ll discover
- Four different adventurers Meet Cyril’s plans, Anthea’s kindness, Robert’s boldness and Jane’s practical sense as they hunt together.
- A wonderfully grumpy guide Follow the Psammead, whose ancient knowledge comes with constant complaints and a hatred of water.
- Doors into ancient worlds Step from London into Babylon’s splendour and discover places far beyond the children’s familiar world.
- Wishes worth thinking about Explore what the children truly want beneath the excitement of a charm that promises so much.
- Magic with room for questions Enjoy warm storytelling that makes space for gentle questions about how people should live together.
Who will love it
You will love this book if you enjoy time travel, ancient Egypt and Babylon, grumpy magical creatures, and funny family adventures with a warm heart.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A rescue begins the adventure
- Half a charm offers hope
- The past opens under strict rules
- Careless boldness leads to captivity
- Good intentions can still cause chaos
- Every journey touches other lives
- The future cannot explain everything
- Care matters more than magical power
- Humor stays close to serious concerns
Who’s who
- CyrilThe eldest child, full of schemes and plans, who wants to find the Amulet and bring his parents home.
- RobertA bold, rash boy who loves facts and gadgets and sometimes speaks before he thinks.
- AntheaThe kind eldest girl who looks after the others and the learned gentleman, and misses her mother dearly.
- JaneThe youngest, easily frightened but loyal, who often carries the charm and speaks its name.
- The PsammeadAn ancient, bad-tempered sand-fairy who guides the children while grumbling about water, politics and their lack of sense.
- The learned gentlemanA lonely scholar of Egypt and Babylon, called Jimmy by the children, who thinks their adventures are dreams.
- Rekh-marāA clever Egyptian priest of Amen Rā who wants the Amulet for himself and pretends to be a friend.
- Old NurseThe warm, hardworking woman who looks after the children in Fitzroy Street and loves them without being thanked.
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The Story of the Amulet
by E. Nesbit · 1906
Four London children buy half a magic Amulet and step through it into Babylon, Atlantis and Egypt.
Medium level2–5 hours to read20 languages
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“Nesbit's powers of invention are at their best.”
In short
What would you do if a creature that grants wishes turned up in a pet shop, captive and begging to be bought? Four London children spot an old friend, the sand-fairy called the Psammead, in a hutch among the animals, and rescue it with magically supplied money.
The Story of the Amulet at a glance
- Reading time
- About 4 h 35 min3 h 40 min fast, 5 h 25 min slow
- Length
- 65,300 words
- Library level
- Medium longer sentences, everyday words
- First published
- 1906by E. Nesbit
Reading time at 238 words a minute (fast 300, slow 200). How long the classics take to read · Updated
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A rescue in a London pet shop
The story opens with a gloomy farewell. Father has gone to report on the war, Mother is recovering in Madeira with the baby, and Cyril, Robert, Anthea and Jane are left with Old Nurse in her rooms in Fitzroy Street. The children cry once Father's cab has gone.
Anthea tries to lift the mood, as Mother asked her to. The children go out alone to see the sights of London and wander into a street of animal shops. Then a small voice speaks from a hutch and begs to be bought. It is the Psammead, thinner and dirtier than they remember, hiding as a mangy monkey.
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Details
- First published
- 1906
- Language
- English
- Reading time
- 5 h 10 min
- Level
- Medium level
Cite this edition
Nesbit, E. The Story of the Amulet. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-story-of-the-amulet.
Nesbit, E. (2026). The story of the amulet. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-story-of-the-amulet (Original work published 1906)
Nesbit, E. The Story of the Amulet. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-story-of-the-amulet.
@book{nesbit2026story,
author = {Nesbit, E.},
title = {The Story of the Amulet},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-story-of-the-amulet},
note = {First published 1906}
}
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What is The Story of the Amulet about?
Four London children, helped by a grumpy sand-fairy called the Psammead, buy half of a magic charm and use it to travel into the past, hoping to find the missing half and bring their parents home.
Do I need to read Five Children and It first?
No. The opening chapter explains who the Psammead is and what happened before, so you can start here, though the earlier books add extra fun for readers who know them.
Who is the learned gentleman?
He is a kind, lonely scholar of ancient Egypt and Babylon who lives upstairs in Fitzroy Street. The children call him Jimmy, and he believes their stories are dreams.
The author
E. Nesbit
1858–1924 · English children's writer and poet
Edith Nesbit (1858–1924) was an English author and poet who published as E. Nesbit. She was born in London and later lived in Kent. Her children’s books include The Story of the Treasure Seekers (1899), Five Children and It (1902), The Phoenix and the Carpet (1904), and The Railway Children (1906).
“Time and space are only forms of thought.”
More by E. Nesbit
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