THE LAST DRAGON HOUSE

An intrepid boy becomes an assistant caretaker at a boarding house for dragons.

Child labor is the norm in the industrialized kingdom of Aldea, and 11-year-old white-presenting Olly Atwood needs to find a job. When he sees a cryptic notice posted at the employment office seeking a “young person” who’s “unafraid to die,” he figures it’s probably more interesting than his other options—and surely the part about dying is a joke? Upon presenting himself for the position, Olly is introduced to Dr. Lady Abernathy, who has dark skin, and the inhabitants of the boarding house she runs—all of whom are dragons. Dragons have been driven so far into hiding by human hostility that most people are unaware that they even exist. When Dr. Lady is poisoned by an unknown enemy, Olly sets out with several dragons to find the antidote. In his absence, his 9-year-old sister, Jenny, discovers the Dragon House and her own magical capabilities. The parallels between the treatment of dragons and the treatment of persecuted human groups are unmistakable, in part because the text occasionally highlights them so explicitly as to feel heavy-handed. Despite this, the delightful narration by the unnamed Royal Chronicler, complete with humorous footnotes, makes for an engaging read. Excerpts from books about dragons and Aldean history expand the worldbuilding. Enough questions remain at the end of the story to leave readers excited for the second installment.

Humor and heart make the pages of this classic quest story fly.