Book ReviewThe Fire Within

Reviewer's Rating: 
3
Don't you hate a fence sitter, and yet, this is where this book falls, not bad but not great.
Author: 
Category: 
Publisher: 
Scholastic, 2001
Synopsis: 

BOOK ONE: THE DRAGON CHRONICLES. When David moves in with Liz and Lucy, he discovers a collection of hand crafted, clay dragons that comes to life and has magical powers. David's personalized dragon, Gadzooks, can forecast the future, and inspires him to write a story which reveals the truth behind an unsolved mystery close to home. The story has an unhappy ending, and when David realizes the consequences of it he is angry. Then David finds Gadzooks crying and near death, and he discovers that these special dragons die when they are not loved. Soon David is forced to save his friend and unlock the powers of the fire within.


I am always eager for a series. Unlike a standalone novel, a series ensures that I have found an author my children can read over a length of time. Because this was a well established series with five books in print by the time my children were ready to read this genre, we gave it a go. These books are geared towards children just emerging from easy read chapter books. However, my daughter gave up half-way through book two for the same reason I struggled to finish the first. Despite the lure of clay dragons that come to life, these books are written in a slow pace. It’s like a cup of cranberry juice that’s been watered down to the point you have to drink and drink, or read and read for the storyline to give any sustenance.
The description of the book above is misleading as well, I’m afraid. Most of the story is concentrated on David and little Lucy trying to capture (for the purposes of healing it) a one-eyed squirrel named Conker. The dragon bits are just that, bits until one gets to the final chapters and the focus swivels with much excitement to Gadzooks and the other clay dragons.
Chris has used this book as a good lesson for children in how to be compassionate for all animals – such as Conker, and a crow named Caractacus, but even these moral lessons come across as slightly watered down. I’m always glad to see an author do well and obviously, with five books in the series, he has found a devoted audience, but our household does not count itself among those numbers.

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