 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Dr. Ernest Drake's Dragonology Handbook : a practical course in dragons
- By Dugald A. Steer
- Genre: Fantasy
Common Sense Media says
More detailed information for dragon fanatics.
Parents say
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know there is little to be concerned about here. Kids might even learn something about solving riddles -- amid all the fictional dragon facts.
What's the story?
Made to look like an antique book (complete with stains) this companion to the bestselling Dragonology is presented as a student textbook for aspiring dragonologists. Divided into parts for beginning, intermediate, and advanced dragonologists, it contains information on everything from riddle work and reading dragon writing to identifying dragon types and markings. Like its predecessor, it has lots of fun extras, such as dragon stickers, sealed envelopes with maps and forms, ads for dragonology-related paraphernalia, and more.
Is it any good?
Apparently there are plenty of children out there who are obsessed with dragons; enough, anyway, to warrant a sequel. And that's exactly who this book is for. Any child who is not fanatical about dragons will find it boring in the extreme, but for the right children it will provide hours of fascinating fun as they labor to translate passages written in dragon script, figure out riddles, and follow instructions for improving their skills.
The book is gorgeous -- extensively illustrated and showing great attention to detail in its attempt to look like an antique textbook -- though there are places where ornate fonts on top of pictures are hard to read. The one section children will find disappointing is the chapter titled "How to Draw Dragons," which is badly misnamed and offers no drawing instruction at all.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about the boundaries between fiction and non-fiction. This book is written as though non-fiction, but all the information is made up -- does its presentation make it more fun to read? Do books have to be either fiction or non-fiction? Can you think of any other titles that blur the line?
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AGE
good for teens and kids
I think that is a really good book.
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AGE
I was excited!
I was really excited when I got my book, but was extremly upset when my mom proved that it was all untrue. Why did you raise my hope just to crush it? Well, I am enraged, ENRAGED! Just to let you know, dragons are real. Trust me, when I find one I will let him eat you all if he wanted to. That is how angry I am.
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AGE
amazingly amazing book, !
i'm 13 and i found it in my brothers room, he got it for christmas when he was 10 [he's now 15]! he's never read it or even opened it! when i first looked at it i thought it would be dumb and nerdy, but then i realized that it was actually pretty cool when i realized that it gave you things to do for *homework*. i didn't read the entire thing, i just fliped through pages, but i read some of it and it's actually better then i expected. if you're into make believe stuff or dragons, this would be a great book for you, !
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AGE
This is an awesome book!
This is such an awesome book. And my mom belives (just like i do(of course))in dragons as well.
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AGE
Good for all mythical learners
Ive actually researched some of this information, and there are a few facts that are possible yet might not be true, but for the most parts this is a fun, educational book.
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| Author: | Dugald A. Steer |
| Illustrator: | Wayne Anderson |
| Book type: | Fiction |
| Genre: | Fantasy |
| Publisher: | Candlewick Press |
| Publication date: | October 30, 2005 |
| Number of pages: | 78 |
| Hardcover price: | $12.99 |
| Publisher's recommended age(s): | 8 - 12 |
| Read aloud: | 9 |
| Read alone: | 9 |
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