When young Lionel is whisked from his nursery one morning and crowned king, he becomes fascinated by the forbidden Book of Beasts in the palace library. But when a real red dragon escapes from the pages and wreaks havoc on the kingdom, Lionel has to act fast to make things right. But how? Edith Nesbit's entertaining stories found a fan in J.K. Rowling, and with good reason. Like Harry Potter, these selections from "The Book of Dragons" are full of just the right mix of magic, adventure, and everyday life.