"JEREMY THATCHER, DRAGON HATCHER"

by Bruce Coville ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 1991

After yet another stomach-wrenching confrontation with his unsympathetic art teacher, Jeremy finds himself at a mysterious magic shop where he acquires an extraordinary, multicolored sphere--a dragon's egg that he has been chosen to hatch. Tiamet, the resulting, fast-growing dragon, has a distinct, sometimes importunate personality; the fact that only Jeremy can see her both saves and causes trouble, while her nonverbal communication (he learns to read the images in her mind and shares her intense hunger, even from a distance) underlines her role as an expression of Jeremy's frustration with the art teacher's demands for conformity. As the school year ends, the half-grown dragon goes on to her real home in another world, leaving Jeremy bereft but eventually able to nurture his real artistic gift. This unassuming story transcends its formula with the quality of its craftsmanship. Its details not only intrigue and amuse but dovetail neatly into the thematic structure. Jeremy is wise in the ways of animals partly because his dad is a vet, and in the possibilities of dragons because he's an avid fantasy reader; a librarian plays a part both in giving him a book about caring for Tiamat and in sending her home, while a reviled girl in his class (another reader) turns out to be a kindred spirit and the only other person who can see the dragon. A funny, enjoyable, imaginative story whose serious undercurrents lend it unexpected depth. Illustrations not seen.

Pub Date: March 1, 1991

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 160

Publisher: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 1991

Categories: CHILDREN'S