Common Sense Media Review
By Carrie R. Wheadon
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Wild, twisty, heartfelt shapeshifting dragon series start.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 8+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In DRAGONBORN, Alex runs to the forest to scream one frustrated morning and a stranger catches her at it. After school she finds the same stranger cooking dinner in her kitchen. He introduces himself as Oliphos, a dragon in search of young dragons in their human forms to whisk them away for training. Alex is sure she isn't a dragon until neighbors come forward with evidence: a missing sheep, a recording of a loud screech. What has Alex been doing in her sleep?! When Alex and Oliphos reach the secret island of Skralla, a scary new world awaits her, made even scarier because no matter how hard Alex tries to change into her dragon form while awake, she just can't do it.
Is It Any Good?
Thar be dragons, and thar be 12-year-old girls who are secretly dragons with dark magic powers in this exciting and twisty series start. Alex is a great character to root for on her difficult quest to unlock her dragon side. She's scrappy and resourceful, but also tender-hearted and mourning the loss of her father two years before. So much hinges on her assimilating with the dragons on the island of Skralla, and so many dangerous secrets surround her that could mean the destruction of her new world or the human one. It's a lot to pack into the first volume of an ambitious series, and at just 320 pages. More time with the transitions between the human world and the dragon island would have been welcome. Author Straun Murray literally throws poor Alex right to the dragons in combat lessons on her first day. How about an island tour first? No one would be bored, because dragons. While this section feels too rushed, it stills sets up some really big surprises at the end of the story, and some heartfelt revelations as well. It's easy to see why tween fantasy fans and so many bookstores are fired up about Dragonborn.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why Alex has trouble embracing her inner dragon in Dragonborn. Why is it so hard for her to change into a dragon? How do her teachers and mentors try to help her? How do other students and friends? What does she do for herself to boost her confidence and feel more dragon-like without the scales, claws, and pointy teeth? How do these actions show her perseverance?
Alex and her fellow young dragons do not always get along. What pushes them apart? When do they show real teamwork?
Alex is mourning the loss of her father in this book. What strategies does she use to feel closer to him? When do those strategies fail her?
What do you think is next for Alex and her friends in this series?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Fantasy
- Topics : Adventures , Family Stories ( Dads ) , Fantasy ( Dragons , Magic , Monsters ) , Friendship
- Character Strengths : Courage , Curiosity , Empathy , Perseverance , Self-control , Teamwork
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Dutton Books for Young Readers
- Publication date : October 14, 2025
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 8 - 12
- Number of pages : 336
- Available on : Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : November 17, 2025
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