Review: The Dragon Grammar Book by Diane Mae Robinson

THE DRAGON GRAMMAR BOOK

Grammar for Kids, Dragons and the Whole Kingdom

by Diane Mae Robinson

Middle Grade Non-Fiction

ages 8 and up

140 pages

Finally! An easy-to-understand grammar book with fun grammar lessons. The Dragon Grammar Book is the ideal grammar book for kids, dragons, and adults alike. From multi-award winning children’s fantasy author, Diane Mae Robinson, The Dragon Grammar Book introduces middle grades through adults to the basic rules of the English language with easy grammar lessons. Featuring the zany fantasy characters in the author’s The Pen Pieyu Adventures series, The Dragon Grammar Book is sure to be enjoyed by the whole kingdom. "With clear examples and fun activities, this book is a must-have for readers and aspiring writers." -Peter Takach, English Teacher and Grammarian 

MY TIDBITS

This is a small treasure chest of grammar information, not only for kids but also for adults and those who love visiting dragons.

Covering everything from punctuation to clauses to tricky word pairs and even more, this is a comprehensive glance at basic grammar. . .with a lovely dose of dragon, that is. After several pages of explanations concerning grammar terminology, the book goes on with ten chapters concerning various themes. Then, there are two fun tests at the end (as well as answers) to help readers see how much their grammar has improved and where they might need some brushing up. Fun illustrations, which depict the exciting characters from The Pen Pieyu Adventure series, help keep the book from growing too dry. 

This is a book, which I'll be keeping on my own shelves. The explanations are concise, easy to understand and hit upon simple things, which tend to cause trouble. While the explanations are clear, I wouldn't recommend this book for kids under ten to use on their own. Older kids, teens and adults will have no trouble diving into the pages, and even those ages eight and up will enjoy the entertaining examples. It's a great reference book to keep on the shelves, a lovely help for those just needing a bit more grammar assistance, and an ideal addition for a homeschooling program. The only thing I missed was a quick index to help find specific terms (especially for the Grammar Terminology and Confusing Words chapters). Still, the topics and rules are easy to find, and the chapters are well organized.

Summed up, this is a great book for grammar basics, not only for kids but for adults. The fun characters give the entire thing the needed humor and spice to keep boredom at bay. 

And here she is . . .

Diane Mae Robinson is the international multi-award-winning author of the children’s fantasy/adventure series, The Pen Pieyu Adventures.  The author is also an artist, art teacher, children’s book editor, and a writing instructor.  Diane lives in central Alberta, Canada.

Website: https://www.dragonsbook.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Dianemaerobinson/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DianeMaeRobinso

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/diane-m-robinson-19b84446/

Review: Sir Princess Petra's Mission by Diane Mae Robinson

SIR PRINCESS PETRA'S MISSION

The Pen Pieyu Adventures, Book 3

by Diane Mae Robinson

Tate Publishing

Middle Grade Fantasy

106 pages 

Ages 8+

Sir Princess Petra has already attained her knighthood in the Kingdom of Pen Pieyu and her non-princess-like talent certificate from Talent School, neither of which pleases her father and mother, the king and queen. The king writes up more silly rules in the royal rule book to deter Sir Princess Petra from her knightly ways and useless talent, and turn her into a real princess once and for all. Will the king finally succeed with this newly written, ridiculous mission for Petra?

MY TIDBITS

I did read the first two books in the series and enjoyed them thoroughly. But even if one doesn't have the chance to grab the rest of the series first, they'll still have no trouble getting into this story. The author was kind enough to put a quick summary of each of the other books in before this one begins. There's also a cute map in the beginning to help the reader get a feel for Sir Princess Petra's world.

This was a cute continuation of the series. Sir Princess Petra has proven in the last stories that she is a princess worthy of knighthood. Still, she's not off the hook yet. The story starts with cute, ridiculous humor and sets the tone perfectly for the rest of the book. I had to giggle at the King's proclamation, but at the same time, felt a bit of frustration for poor Petra that she would, once again, have to show that she has the right to be a knight. 

Fun, whimsical characters with great personalities dabble through-out Petra's adventure. Around every corner, she runs into situations which made me smile while still maintaining enough tension to keep the plot thickening. Her sweetness and determination makes it impossible not to love her and hope she can again prove everyone wrong. Yep, this book calls for a girl power cheer-squad!

There are many warm messages wrapped up in this plot, ones perfect for middle graders. Patience, perseverance, understanding, determination, and self-assurance are mixed with the importance of friends and having compassion. But this is by no means a boring story where meanings poke out like daggers. The main focus in this story is simply lovely fun and humor. And what kid can resist that?

Summed up, this is a lovely story about a very spunky princess who is brave and tons of fun. I highly recommend it especially to girls ages 8 and up.