Edith Nesbit (Edith Bland,1858-1924) was an English author and poet. She authored or collaborated on more than 60 books of fiction for children, many of which have been adapted for film and television. She wrote tales of fantasy, magic, and misadventure in which children in normal circumstances are faced with extraordinary characters or events. Her stories about the Bastable children, like The New Treasure Seekers, brought her fame and fortune.

These tales, told by Oswald Bastable, were modern and gripping, in contrast to the mainstream of Victorian children’s literature. The Ice Dragon narrates a journey to the North Pile where an enormous dragon lives among wicked sealskin dwarfs, while Acting for the Best tells the story of two cousins, Jane and Mattie, who represent two vastly different character traits.