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

Better learn to follow directions...

The Monster's Ring
Bruce Coville
genre: middle readers, fantasy
series: A Magic Shop Book, book 1
pages: 100
rating: ****

I was about to start reading Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher, when I saw it was book 2 in a series.  So, of course, I looked for book 1 and checked them both out.  The Monster's Ring is book 1.  I will be returning to my dragon books shortly, don't worry.

The Monster's Ring is about Russell Crannaker.  A elementary student who is bullied by a bigger boy, smothered by his mother, and not listened to by his father.  Poor kid.  While escaping from the bully he wanders into a magic shop.  The shopkeeper sells him a ring, he didn't know he needed.  What follows is a tale of not  following directions and learning to stand up to a bully, as well as standing up for that same bully.  Of course Halloween, a full moon, and talking rats have a part to play.

I loved this book.  I loved that this boy stood up to a bully.  I loved that he had compassion to want to help the bully out when he needed it, and I loved that he learned to fly.  It's a fun, quick read.  There are plenty of parts kids would love.  Like turning in to a monster for the school Halloween party and pouncing at the principal, and the streaking scene at the end (pun intended, relax it's a clean book).  This probably a boy book, but I have a feeling girls will like it as well.  I plan on handing it to mine after I write this up.  She'll love it.

So grab some spooky music and some candy corn and read The Monster's Ring .  It's laugh out loud 
                                                                                  funny, I promise.

-Caren