Module 8: Thomas and the Dragon Queen
Hello, I'm Richard Nicholas Nimz, prospector of the written word. Well, after my last post, it's time for something more lighthearted, and, to my delight, something fantastical. I've always liked fantasy, from cyborg heroes who can control the elements, to strange monsters that fight alongside humans to save the digital world, to elves, dwarves, wizards, goblins, dragons, hobbits, unicorns, pegasi, earth ponies, and alicorns. Too many people dismiss the genre as lacking in drama, but I call foul on that. There are plenty of good stories that feature fantasy: JLA/Titans: The Technis Imperative, The Sea of Trolls, the Sorahb trilogy, the Dragon Wars tetralogy, the entire works of Garth Nix, and today's book: Thomas and the Dragon Queen.
Citation: Crum, S. & Wildish, L. i. (2010). Thomas and the dragon queen. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
Plot: Thomas is a short child for his age, but is hardworking and devoted. Thus, when his father helps a knight with his horse's shoe, he is able to give Thomas the chance to become a knight. He trains his hardest and eventually, the princess is kidnapped by a dragon. Because the kingdom is short of knights, Thomas is knighted and sent after the dragon. On the way, Thomas will find out that being a knight is not quite what he thought it was, nor is his quarry what he thought he was.
Impressions: This book fits together very well. It might be from personal experience regarding high expectations of myself, but I liked one of this book's themes: 'you're doing better than you think'. Also, this book does the 'other people are not what you think' theme well by not demonising the other side: most of the characters are perfectly likeable, just wrong. The book has good illustrations, simple but appealing. Finally, this book mentions a lot about how knights actually worked, including prayer, to my delight. Thus, this book would be good for medieval history day at the library, it has a lot of good information contained within a good story.
Second Opinion: "Amusing black-and-white drawings jibe well with the rollicking tone of the tale, especially later in the book when our hero, shirtless and unarmed, faces the enormous dragon mother. A sure-fire hit as a read-aloud, this is an engaging book featuring a hero filled with bravery, quick wits, and heart."
Citation: Smith, R. L. (2010). [Thomas and the Dragon Queen]. Horn Book Magazine, 86(4), 104.
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