Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
The Dragon of Lonely Island
Fiction
For ages 8 to 11
Candlewick, 2006 ISBN: 978-0763628055
Hannah, Zachary and Sarah Emily’s mother needs a quiet place to finish her book, so the three children and their literary mother are going to spend the summer on great-aunt Mehitabel’s island which lies off the coast of Maine. Before they leave for the island the children get a letter from their great-aunt in which she suggests that the children explore Drake’s Hill. She also includes a key in the envelope. The key has a label on which the words “To the Tower Room” are written,
Soon after they arrive on the island the children quickly find their way to the tower room, an interesting place in which they find a beautiful wooden box which they cannot seem to open. They also decide to visit Drake’s Hill. At the top of the hill they discover a cave and within the dark space they meet a dragon, a three-headed tridrake who calls itself Fafnyr Goldenwings. Though the dragon looks intimidating the children soon realize that it is a gentle creature and they are delighted when Fafnyr tells them a story, a story about itself in fact.
Over the next weeks Fafnyr’s other two heads also tell the children a story about its past life. Hannah, Zachary and Sarah Emily learn some valuable lessons from the three stories that they hear and they also learn why Fafnyr is living on Lonely Island and how their great-aunt is connected to the fabulous creature.
In this wonderfully written book young readers will come to see how powerful a story can be. All three children feel as if they were witnesses to the three adventures that the dragon describes to them. They also learn something about themselves from the stories, valuable lessons which will always stay with them. Readers will enjoy sharing the three children’s adventures as they piece together the mystery of Lonely Island.
