Saturday, July 11, 2009

Dragonbreath Ursula Vernon

Dragonbreath by Ursula Vernon - This was so much fun, I think Diary of a Wimpy Kid fans will love it. Danny Dragonbreath is the only mythical creature at a school of reptiles and amphibians. Danny wants to make his parents proud and learn how to breath fire. He takes his father's advice, and thinks hot thoughts while practicing. Danny is being bullied at school by big Eddy, a komodo dragon. His best friend is Wendell, an iguana. Danny and Wendell, make a great friendship duo. Their verbal give n take is funny and smart. Danny always acts without thinking, taking Wendell, who is a good sport with him. Danny must do a book report on the sea, instead of going to the library, he visits his cousin Edward a sea serpent. Edward gives Danny and Wendell a tour of the ocean. Vernon easily incorporates ocean facts, sharing some very cool ones like when sea cucumbers get nervous they throw their guts at the enemy. Dragonbreath alternates between comic and text format, making this a wonderful choice for reluctant readers. When the sea serpent spits out his guts, Wendell is the unlucky recipient. This part is in comic form, so readers can see the look of disgust on Wendell's face and Danny laughing at his best friend. Danny and Wendell have a great time in the ocean, though there is an incident with a giant squid. I loved Vernon's writing, it was fast, fun, quick and smart. I highly recommand Dragonbreath. Ages 9up
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2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sounds like a fun way to get oceanic info to kids. I love what the sea cucumber does. I read about it in "The Highest Tide" by Jim Lynch, which is probably an adult book (maybe a YA) but it was my favorite part! :--)

Doret said...

I didn't even know there such a thing as a sea cucumber or vampire squid.