The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
	The Bulletin Dozen is a monthly theme-based booklist available as an online-only Bulletin feature. Since we're awfully fond of bakers here at the Bulletin, we thought we'd adopt their philosophy of generosity and throw in an extra one or two when we have them to offer--so don't expect an even dozen. Please feel free to copy, download, or link to these lists. We ask only that you cite the source. See the archive for lists from previous months.
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Here There Be Dragons: A Draconian Dozen --selected by Jeannette Hulick, Reviewer Dragons never go out of style, and recent titles such as Eragon and the Dragonology books have undoubtedly created new dragon fans with an appetite for more.  Below you will find surefire fire-breathing fare for all ages and tastes.

• Bateson-Hill, Margaret.  Lao Lao of Dragon Mountain; Chinese text by Manyee Wan; illus. by Francesca Pelizzoli; paper cuts by Sha-liu Qu.  De Agnostini, 1996.  Gr. 4-6
  Renowned for her amazing paper cuts, elderly woman Lao Lao is kidnapped by the cruel emperor who wants her to use her skills to increase his wealth; luckily, the formidable Ice Dragon intervenes.  (BCCB 1/97)
  
  
• Carey, Janet Lee.  Dragon’s Keep.  Harcourt, 2007.  Gr. 7-10 
  Born with a dragon’s talon rather than a ring finger on her left hand, which she has hidden with gloves her whole life, Princess Rosalind seeks to undo or understand the reason for her unusual digit.  (BCCB 5/07)
  
  
• George, Jessica Day.  Dragon Slippers. Bloomsbury, 2007.  Gr. 6-10 
  Creel makes a deal with a dragon and receives a pair of magical slippers that grant their wearer power over the dragons, but a nasty princess from a rival kingdom steals them.  Can Creel find way to get them back, stop the princess’s army from invading, and free her dragon pals?  (BCCB 6/07)
  
  
• Hodges, Margaret.  Saint George and the Dragon; illus. by Trina Schart Hyman.  Little, 1984.  Gr. 4-6 
  No one rendered dragons, knights, and fair maidens quite as stunningly as Trina Schart Hyman.  Kids will pore over these pictures and be swept away by this classic story of knight vs. dragon.  (BCCB 10/84)
  
  
• Knapman, Timothy.  Guess What I Found in Dragon Wood; illus. by Gwen Millward.  Bloomsbury, 2008.  4-7 yrs 
  Knapman spins a fresh twist on “dragon foundling” tales; here, a young dragon stumbles upon an odd being called a “Benjamin” (a human boy) whom he takes to school for a humorous and impromptu show-and-tell/science lesson.  (BCCB 1/08)
  
  
• Lindenbaum, Pija.  When Owen’s Mom Breathed Fire; written and illus. by Pija Lindenbaum.  R & S Books, 2006.  5-8 yrs
  One morning Owen discovers that his mom has turned into a pink dragon; hilarity ensues as Owen’s mom goes about ordinary tasks in unusual ways and discovers amazing, if hazardous, new powers (“Mom has just realized that she loves to breathe fire.  She shoots flames at everyone”).
  
  
• McKinley, Robin.  Dragonhaven.  Putnam, 2007.  Gr. 8-10 
  When Jake rescues a newborn dragonlet after coming upon its dying mother and siblings in the Smokehill dragon preserve, he becomes determined to raise her and to save the preserve from threats of closure.  (BCCB 11/07)
  
  
• Topsell, John.  How to Raise and Keep a Dragon; edited by Joseph Nigg; illus. by Dan Malone.  Barron’s, 2006. Gr. 5 up
  Would-be dragon owners will warm to this faux how-to title that describes various draconian breeds (land, winged, and sea dragons are all covered), their necessary care, training methods, and showing information.  Numerous illustrations and helpful diagrams (such as how to create an appropriate habitat) are provided.
  
  
• Schaefer, Carole Lexa.  Dragon Dancing; illus. by Pierr Morgan.  Viking, 2007.  3-6 yrs
  An early childhood class creates a “sparkle-head dragon” with “boink-boink eyes” and a “long, long, long tail,” and take it for an imaginary dance over land and sea in this boisterously poetic story.  (BCCB 3/07)
  
  
• Thomas, Shelley Moore.  Good Night, Good Knight; illus. by Jennifer Plecas.  Dutton, 2000  Gr. K-2 
  A kind and generous Good Knight sallies forth at the sound of a loud roar—which turns out to be a pajama-clad dragon child in need of a bedtime drink of water.  The Good Knight covers a lot of ground on his faithful steed as the dragon’s siblings clamor for their own bedtime needs.  (BCCB 2/00)  The Good Knight’s adventures continue in Get Well, Good Knight (BCCB 12/02),  Happy Birthday, Good Knight (BCCB 2/06), and Take Care, Good Knight (BCCB 2/07).
  
  
• Vande Velde, Vivian.  Dragon’s Bait.  Yolen/Harcourt, 1992.  Gr. 7-10 
  Alys is accused, unjustly, of witchcraft and left as a sacrifice for a dragon.  Instead of killing her, the dragon (who can shift shape to a handsome, and naked, young man) offers her revenge against her accusers—but will Alys get more than she bargains for if she accepts?  (BCCB 12/92)
  
  
• Ward, Helen.  The Dragon Machine; illus. by Wayne Anderson.  Dutton, 2003.  6-9 yrs
  George sees dragons (that are unseen by anyone else), George feeds dragons, dragons follow George, George decides to take dragons to a proper home and builds a dragonesque machine to lead them there via flight in this quietly magical tale.  (BCCB 6/03)
  
  
  

This page was last updated on April 1, 2008.