A fun and engaging, if slightly wobbly, story of a girl, her dragon and their search for their power.
A girl with a tragic past discovers the true value of her abilities in this middle-grade fantasy from Purpus (Dragon Magic, 2014).
When an earthquake severely injures 7-year-old Lucy and kills her mother, it’s only the beginning of the girl’s misfortunes. For years afterward, she suffers bullying at school, abuse from her father and her employer at the Cliffside Animal Clinic, and physical pain from her earthquake injury. Her only comfort is when she soothes ailing animals, as she has the ability to sense their thoughts. When Lucy finally reaches her breaking point, she’s discovered by a Dragon Rider, one of an elite squad of young women and men who assist those in need while flying on the backs of dragons. The group takes Lucy in, and she soon learns that her skills with animals may be stronger and more valuable than she thought. As she develops her talents, Lucy begins healing her physical and emotional wounds by making new friends and finding a new “family.” Like many other fantasies written for a young audience, this novel is a wish-fulfillment tale for those who have been bullied or otherwise made to feel as if they don’t belong. Lucy is a likable heroine with relatable flaws to go along with her blossoming gifts. Young readers will particularly enjoy the moments when Lucy soars on the back of her beloved dragon, Harriet. The pacing is a bit uneven, and the exposition can be excessive—a telepathic cat’s abilities, for example, are explained no less than three times. However, the descriptions, particularly of the dragons (“She’s beautiful—such a lovely blue, rich and deep, but not too dark. Just right, I’d say”), may capture children’s imaginations. Although most of the book is suitable for readers aged 9 to 12, the emotional abuse Lucy receives from her father is quite intense, and the last few chapters veer into YA territory, with scenes that feature serious violence and other mature themes.
A fun and engaging, if slightly wobbly, story of a girl, her dragon and their search for their power.Pub Date: April 16, 2013
ISBN: 978-0615763309
Page Count: 216
Publisher: Purpus Publishing
Review Posted Online: March 17, 2014
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Broccoli: No way is James going to eat broccoli. “It’s disgusting,” says James. Well then, James, says his father, let’s consider the alternatives: some wormy dirt, perhaps, some stinky socks, some pre-chewed gum? James reconsiders the broccoli, but—milk? “Blech,” says James. Right, says his father, who needs strong bones? You’ll be great at hide-and-seek, though not so great at baseball and kickball and even tickling the dog’s belly. James takes a mouthful. So it goes through lumpy oatmeal, mushroom lasagna and slimy eggs, with James’ father parrying his son’s every picky thrust. And it is fun, because the father’s retorts are so outlandish: the lasagna-making troll in the basement who will be sent back to the rat circus, there to endure the rodent’s vicious bites; the uneaten oatmeal that will grow and grow and probably devour the dog that the boy won’t be able to tickle any longer since his bones are so rubbery. Schneider’s watercolors catch the mood of gentle ribbing, the looks of bewilderment and surrender and the deadpanned malarkey. It all makes James’ father’s last urging—“I was just going to say that you might like them if you tried them”—wholly fresh and unexpected advice. (Early reader. 5-9)
Pub Date: May 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-547-14956-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: April 4, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An absorbing fantasy centered on a resilient female protagonist facing growth, change, and self-empowerment.
In Florence’s middle-grade fantasy novel, a young girl’s heart is tested in the face of an evil, spreading Darkness.
Eleven-year-old Lydia, “freckle-cheeked and round-eyed, with hair the color of pine bark and fair skin,” is struggling with the knowledge that she has reached the age to apprentice as an herbalist. Lydia is reluctant to leave her beloved, magical Mulberry Glen and her cozy Housetree in the woods—she’ll miss Garder, the Glen’s respected philosopher; her fairy guardian Pit; her human friend Livy; and even the mischievous part-elf, part-imp, part-human twins Zale and Zamilla. But the twins go missing after hearing of a soul-sapping Darkness that has swallowed a forest and is creeping into minds and engulfing entire towns. They have secretly left to find a rare fruit that, it is said, will stop the Darkness if thrown into the heart of the mountain that rises out of the lethal forest. Lydia follows, determined to find the twins before they, too, fall victim to the Darkness. During her journey, accompanied by new friends, she gradually realizes that she herself has a dangerous role to play in the quest to stop the Darkness. In this well-crafted fantasy, Florence skillfully equates the physical manifestation of Darkness with the feelings of insecurity and powerlessness that Lydia first struggles with when thinking of leaving the Glen. Such negative thoughts grow more intrusive the closer she and her friends come to the Darkness—and to Lydia’s ultimate, powerfully rendered test of character, which leads to a satisfyingly realistic, not quite happily-ever-after ending. Highlights include a delightfully haunting, reality-shifting library and a deft sprinkling of Latin throughout the text; Pit’s pet name for Lydia is mea flosculus (“my little flower”). Fine-lined ink drawings introducing each chapter add a pleasing visual element to this well-grounded fairy tale.
An absorbing fantasy centered on a resilient female protagonist facing growth, change, and self-empowerment.Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2025
ISBN: 9781956393095
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Waxwing Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 14, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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