The Dragon of the Month Club by Iain ReadingMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
Source: Received to Review
Genre: Children's fiction
Book Description: The Dragon Of The Month Club is the exciting first installment in a new book series that tells the story of Ayana Fall and Tyler Travers, two best friends who stumble across an extraordinarily magical book and soon find themselves enrolled as members of a very special and exclusive club - The Dragon of the Month Club.
On the thirteenth of every month a new dragon conjuring spell is revealed and the two friends attempt to summon the latest Dragon of the Month. The varieties are almost endless: Air Dragons, Paper Dragons, Fog Dragons, Waterfall Dragons, Rock Dragons, Tree Dragons - not to mention special bonus dragons for all the major holidays, including a particularly prickly Holly Dragon for Christmas.
But one day when a conjuring spell somehow goes wrong Ayana and Tyler find themselves unexpectedly drawn into a fantastical world of adventure based on the various books scattered all across Tyler's messy bedroom. Traveling from one book-inspired world to the next with nothing to rely on but their wits and a cast of strange and exotic dragons at their disposal they must try to somehow find their way home again.
Drawing inspiration from some of literature's most memorable stories - from 19th century German folktales to the streets of Sherlock Holmes's London - the adventures of Ayana and Tyler bring these classic stories to life in delightfully strange and unexpected ways. Filled with fascinating detail and non-stop action these books will spark the imaginations of readers of all ages to inspire a life-long love of reading and seeking out books that are just a little bit off the beaten track.
My thoughts: Ayana and Tyler are two young tweens who connect at a library and find they have many things in common. Their journey into the exclusive Dragon of the Month club begins as they find a book hidden away in the older section of the library, the part where the dust mites live.
The book is full of magic and adventure. They conjure dragons using spells from the book. Every month a new dragon appears mysteriously. Sometimes they are simple, sometimes they are complex. One spell leads them on an adventure. They are pulled into Tyler's books. They have to get past a roving tailor, who wants to cut off their fingers. They traverse shark infested waters and travel down a waterfall. What person wouldn't love to go to London during the time of Sherlock Holmes, or travel and see the worms from Dune?
I love the fact that the book focuses on many different types of books and pull kids into new stories that they may want to read. I think it's a great forum for imagination.
I had a hard time connecting to the story and characters. I see a lot of potential in the book and know that even though it may not have been my favorite, for someone else it will be fantastic. Some of the characters may be a little scary for younger readers. This book is written to appeal to a middle grade reader, but I think parents should look at it first. I hated the tailor and cringed when he was chasing the kids. This is a good story that may not be for everyone.
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I also cringed when the tailor came out! I'm surprised neither one of them wet their pants! There is no shame in wetting ones pants when faced with something that terrifying. I also had a hard time connecting with either character.
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