Can I please have a dragon?

Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher
Bruce Coville

genre: children's fantasy, middle grade reader
pages: 151
series: A Magic Shop Book
rating: ****

Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher is a story about a boy (Jeremy) who buys a dragon's egg and hatches.  Afterwards he must raise the dragon, who becomes his best friend, and eventually send the dragon home.

This is a great book, like The Monster's Ring, you have a protagonist who deals with bullys, parents, and teachers.  Jeremy must learn to care for his dragon, while protecting the family pests as she grows, and keeping her existence a secret.  It dosent' help that a girl in his class has made it her goal to track him down and kiss him!  Jeremy learns responsibility and sometimes doing what is best for someone else may not be the easiest thing for you to do.  HMMM....sounds like a parenting lesson there.

Anyway, it's a great summer read full of laughter and excitement and of course dragons.

- Caren

Not Harry's Basilisk.....

The Basilisk's Lair
R. L. LaFevers

genre: children's fantasy, middle grade reader
series: Nathaniel Fludd Beastologist Book 2
pages: 150
rating: ***1/2

OK, technically a Basilisk isn't a dragon, but it is close enough.  When I saw the cover of this book in the library, I thought it looked cute.  I loved the title, too.  I couldn't find the first book, so I started with book 2.

The Basilisk's Lair, follows  Nathaniel Fludd as he learns to be a Beastologist.  His Aunt Phil is the current Beastologist.  They receive news that the Basilisk has escape and must chase him down and capture him before he destroys surrounding villages.

Nate is a fun character.  He has weaknesses, he's not real sure of his abilities, but when the chips are down you can count on him to pull through.  He has a pet gremlin named Greasle, who has an attitude.  The story is fast paced and descriptive.  The drawings are fun.  They look like pen and ink drawings and add to the adventure of the story.  I really like the bones that mark the beginning of each chapter, they increase as you read!  For those of us that need one, there is also a glossary to explain words, people, and places.

I must say, this is not the same sort of Basilisk from the Potter books.  This one is somewhat...ridiculous.
It's a great summer read and I look forward to reading the other books in the series.

-Caren

Summer of the Dragon....

Pillage
Obert Skye

genre: children's fantasy, middle readers
series: Pillage Trilogy
pages: 312
favorite quote: "I had fallen from vents, scaled buildings, and flown on the backs of dragons, yet somehow all of those things seemed a bit less amazing now."
rating: ****1/2

I went to the library, trying to avoid the summer rush of kids once school gets out.  I never made it to the adult section.  The children's section held my attention and when I left books filled my bag.  Oddly enough, most deal with dragons.  Except for one, it had dinosaurs- same thing.

Pillage, is book one in the Pillage Trilogy.  It's a short, fat book with a beautiful picture of a dragon carrying a postal box dripping with letters.  Anyway, the basic story is Beck, a teenage boy, is moved to his uncle's house after his mom dies penniless.  Beck has had a rough life and it only gets rougher...and odder.  He notices he has the ability to command plants and finds these odd rocks in his uncles garden.  A garden his has been forbidden to enter.  Through a strange turn of events and secret passageways, dragons hatch.  Beck must save the town and break an ancient family curse all at the same time.

I really enjoyed this book.  I loved how each chapter started with an excerpt from an ancient text describing the fate of Beck's ancestors.  It's a very quick read.  The pages magically fly by.  It's a lightweight fantasy, meaning it has magic, dragons, and curses but no epic worlds full of unusual creatures and languages.  It's a good first fantasy book.  The writing is crisp and witty.  Beck sounds and acts like a teenager.  The first chapter is brilliant!

A great summer read.

-Caren

It's about time...

Inheritance
Christopher  Paolini

genre: fantasy
series: Inheritance Cycle, book 4
pages: 857, including dictionary and pronunciation
rating: *****

I have been waiting for an eternity,or so it felt, for this book to come out.  It is the final book in the Inheritance Cycle.  It was well worth the wait.

If you have not read any books in the Inheritance Cycle, here's a brief review.  Inheritance is the final book in the series.  The first book was Eragon.  Basically, you have the world filled with the basic fantasy creatures: elves, humans, dragons, etc.  In Alagaesia, there was once a group of men, and elves, that rode dragons to ensure the peace of the land.  Then a rider destroyed the riders, killing them and their dragons.  Only the ones who swore allegiance to him, Galbatorix survived.  A few eggs were saved.  That's a brief history at the beginning of Eragon, thankfully the new book does a recap!  Anyway, one egg survives and Eragon becomes her rider.  Inheritance covers the final battle between the rebels (Varden) and the evil king Galbatorix.  Epic battle!  I'm trying not to get into all books or give away too much of the new book. 

Review: I found the beginning of the book a little jolting.  It starts in battle.  There is no time to gently get into the story, you thrown full force into the tale.  Once I had my bearings I was into it until the end.  All of the characters I fell in love with in the first book are here.  All of the questions I had were answered.  What's so great about this series is Paolini's ability to give vivid descriptions for totally foreign races and geography.  I've never been to Alagaesia, but I have seen it in my mind through his writing.  I also like that nothing is easy for Eragon.  He, as well as the rest of the Varden, have to struggle to win.  Even then the win comes at great losses.  I must admit I really expected someone to die.  But that is all I have to say about that.  It's a great book, well worth me actually buying a copy!


-Caren

An oldie....

A Wizard of Earthsea
Ursula K. Le Guin

genre: fantasy, middle reader
series: Earthsea Cycle
pages: 192
rating ***

I discovered fantasy books rather late in life, I read The Hobbit in college.  Since then I have been a fan of children's and YA fantasy.  I have seen this book in the children's section of the library for years, so I finally took it home.

A Wizard of Earthsea tells the story of Ged, aka sparrowhawk.  As a boy Ged goes into wizard training.  His main flaw is arrogance and maybe pride.  Because of these flaws he sets loose a "shadow" on the world, and sets on a quest to conquer it.

Before I say anything I have to say Ursula Le Guin is a wonderful writer.   The book is easy to read, but it is not a quick read.  It took me a little longer than I had intended.  She is heavy on narration.  I enjoyed the book, but I was not attached to the characters.  Because of that I may not read another one.  Earthsea is probably a great book for a middle reader new to fantasy.


- Caren