I had one glance at the cover on today's read and wanted to see what was inside. Now, I'm not really sure what it's about. I totally cover-grabbed on this one, but I think it swing around a type of boarding house for dragons. Taddah! That's really all I know, so I guess I'm in for a surprise about everything else.
Let's go see what these dragons are up to!
THE LAST DRAGON HOUSE
by Liv Mae Morris
Amulet Books
Middle Grade Fantasy
336 pages
ages 8 to 12
COMING MAY 12th!!!
A middle-grade debut about a magical boarding house for dragons and the unlikely siblings destined to save it
Siblings Olly and Jenny Atwood have never met a dragon—Olly doesn’t even think they’re real. But when the strange and brilliant Dr. Lady Abernathy offers Olly a job at her mysterious house, the Atwoods learn that these incredible beasts are very much alive—and they need help.
Dragons have been forced into hiding, and as caretakers of the Dragon House, Dr. Lady and Olly are the only protectors these magnificent creatures have left. But when evil forces conspire to poison Dr. Lady, Olly and his dragon friends find themselves locked in a race against time, political conspiracies…and one very large corgi. Can Olly recover the antidote before it’s too late? And can Jenny harness her stirring powers to keep Dr. Lady alive until then? Or could this be the end of the Dragon House—and dragons—as they know it?
Siblings Olly and Jenny Atwood have never met a dragon—Olly doesn’t even think they’re real. But when the strange and brilliant Dr. Lady Abernathy offers Olly a job at her mysterious house, the Atwoods learn that these incredible beasts are very much alive—and they need help.
Dragons have been forced into hiding, and as caretakers of the Dragon House, Dr. Lady and Olly are the only protectors these magnificent creatures have left. But when evil forces conspire to poison Dr. Lady, Olly and his dragon friends find themselves locked in a race against time, political conspiracies…and one very large corgi. Can Olly recover the antidote before it’s too late? And can Jenny harness her stirring powers to keep Dr. Lady alive until then? Or could this be the end of the Dragon House—and dragons—as they know it?
MY TIDBITS
Dragons, dragons, and more dragons pack imagination while weaving in journeys of growth.
Olly is only thirteen and doesn't want to start working to help support his family, but with everyone in town struggling to even survive, he has no choice but to search for a job like others his age. What seems like a fated existence to waste away at a factory, flips upside down when he discovers a hidden employment notice and begins working for a secret home for dragons. It's wondrous and dangerous, and he's not allowed to let anyone know that the home even exists. While some dragons are nice, others might devour him, but none of that holds a candle to the danger he's about to face...and it's one that even the dragons can't protect themselves from.
Taking place in historical England, the first pages reminded a tiny bit of the beginnings of Oliver Twist, Willie Wonka, and Co. as they start in a place, where normal people can barely survive thanks to the closed industries. The twist into fantasy happens quickly and offers a buffet of intriguing dragons, each so different from the rest, stretching through all sorts of myths and possibilities. Dragon fans are sure to enjoy the effort the author takes to bring each one to life. While the interactions between Olly and the dragons offer tension, humor, and heart, the tale digs into deeper issues. The head of the home, a human, opens the door to Olly by also offering an education, which opens up his world and gives open display to the issues his family and others face in the town. There's also the societal issue surrounding the reason why the home even exists; humans hunted down dragons to near extinction. This mixes with another subplot surrounding Olly's sister and the disappearance of magic from humans to weave in plenty of food for thought. Plus, there's an entire message surrounding misunderstandings and 'truth under the surface' in connection to a boy, who first appears like a town bully. Oh, and there's plenty to learn from the dragons as their vibrant personalities and encounters carry quite a few pieces of wisdom as well.
It's a wonderful world to get lost in and offers rich descriptions without slowing the pace. Olly has his hands full and never knows what to expect, and this keeps the tension relatively tight while the imagination and imagery brighten the pages. I'd even recommend this one to tweens or slightly older readers, since there is quite a bit of depth woven into the shadows and cracks. Oh, and dragon fans are most likely going to enjoy this one.
And here she is...
Liv Mae Morris was a 2022 Lambda Literary Fellow and 2024 recipient of the Binc Foundation’s Susan Kamil Prize for Emerging Writers; equally importantly, she is the steward of two cats and one beautiful, chaotic husky/chihuahua/German shepherd mix. Originally from Kentucky, she now lives with her wife in Boston, where she works as an indie bookseller as well as a writer.
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