My son and I were looking for the sequel to How to Grow up and Rule the World at the library (see previous book reviews) when we stumbled across this delightful adventure. My son is 7 and not reading chapter books yet, but he is a bit old for the more simplistic picture books and loves a good adventure. So we have been reading some short picture books with chapters and also one lengthier chapter book with about 200 or so pages. I do most of the reading, but I know he reads along because he corrects my mistakes!
Here is the story synopsis:
A kingdom is at war.
A princess has been kidnapped by a dragon queen.
A brave squire volunteers to set out on a quest to rescue her.
But there's just one small problem. He's Thomas, the shortest of all the squires. With little more than a donkey, a vest, and a sword, Thomas will have to use all of his courage and determination to battle a beast with many heads, reach a forbidden island, and rescue the princess from a most fearsome dragon-and an even more fearsome fate!
Part thrilling adventure and part enchanting fantasy, sprinkled with charming black-and-white illustrations, Thomas and the Dragon Queen will delight young readers from start to finish
My son insisted on getting a book with at least some pictures, and this book fits the bill. The illustrations are black and white sketches and he loves to look those over. The book was published in 2010 by Shutta Crum . It is described as being geared for ages 7-10 or grades 2-4. Good Reads website documents an average of 3.73 stars out of 86 ratings. Some of the lower ratings did not have an actual review attached, but those that did seemed to feel it was somewhat simplistic and best for younger readers just starting out in fantasy fiction. My son is 7, so he seems to fit the bill.
For us the story is moving along at a nice pace, and at the end of each chapter you want to read the next. We both love stories with an unlikely hero on a quest to rescue someone! Those stories are timeless and Thomas is one unlikely hero, whereas adults may seek out The Hobbit or Captain America!
For us, with me reading much of it, it is a good supplement to our nighttime reading, as it makes him want to continue reading. If we can pick a great adventure book, that is fun and entertaining, then we look for more! Looking through the library shelves together is how we found this one. We are glad we did!
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