Dragon Girl: The Secret Valley

Gr 3–7—Sir Cedric is a dragon slayer, intent on ridding the world of dragons. However, Alanna, an adventurous village girl, learns that dragons aren't necessarily dangerous when she befriends Griffin, an orphan baby dragon whose mother was killed by the knight. Alanna's explorations lead her to disguise herself as a dragon in order to care for Griffin and a cave full of baby dragons. Hammel, Alanna's brother, is not as trusting as she is, and eventually leads Sir Cedric to the hidden location. A battle ensues between Alanna's love for the dragons and Sir Cedric's greed for the silver that their land contains. Readers will be pulled into the conflict between good and evil. The narrative moves along at a steady pace and black-and-white inked illustrations are clear and support the plot development. While the tale focuses on the heroine's love for dragons, Weigel fully describes both views of dragons so that children can consider two sides of the story. Educators will find this text useful when discussing the Common Core concept of perspective with students. The book includes a section with facts about dragons from the story and mythology. It is also refreshing to have a female protagonist in a story about dragons, adventure, and battles. An engaging choice.—Andy Plemmons, David C. Barrow Elementary, Athens, GA