Anya and the Dragon

June 15, 2019
A Jewish girl meets dragons in a fantastical version of Kievan Rus', where magic has been illegal for 10 years. Anya's the only Jewish child in Zmeyreka. In the mostly Christian 10th-century village, Anya's family stands out: Her father's father remains pagan, while her mother's people are refugee Khazars and Mountain Jews. But unbeknownst to Anya, her village is not like the rest of Kievan Rus'. Magical creatures are nearly extinct everywhere else but common in Zmeyreka. The tsar's sent a "fool family"--users of fool magic, authorized to use magic despite the ban--to capture the last dragon in the land. The youngest fool is Anya's age (he's named Ivan, just like his seven older brothers), and the two become fast friends. But can Anya really bring herself to help Ivan kill a dragon that hasn't harmed anyone? Zmeyreka's magical creatures are both helpful and frightening; there are dragons, leshiye, vodyaniye, and even a Jewish domovoi with a little kippah. Ivan, unlike his pale father and brothers, is dark-skinned like his mother, a princess from "far to the east." Though historical accuracy isn't perfect (Anya anticipates her bat mitzvah, for instance, and reads Hebrew), it is a fantasy, and anachronisms don't detract from the adventures of truly likable characters in this original setting. This delightful series opener is an exciting blend of Russian and Jewish traditions. (Fantasy. 10-12)

COPYRIGHT(2019) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

July 15, 2019
In this charming historical fantasy set in an alternate 10th-century Kievan Rus’, an 11-year-old Jewish girl seeks to save her family home from repossession by finding a fabled river dragon and collecting the czar’s reward. Told to keep to herself, Anya will do whatever it takes to raise the necessary funds—even teaming up with Ivan Ivanovich and his family, a clan permitted to weave fool magic despite a general magical ban—who have recently come to the tiny, magic-infused village of Zmeyreka. But they aren’t the only ones on the hunt: a cruel Viking warrior named Sigurd will stop at nothing to claim the prize first. To Anya and Ivan’s surprise, the dragon turns out to be benevolent and in need of protection from its new friends. With this clever, fast-paced debut, Pasternack draws upon the myth and folklore of Kievan Rus’ to deliver a delightful tale filled with supernatural creatures, including house and water spirits. Everyday details—baking bread, stirring potions, preparing for Shabbat—are as well drawn as folkloric elements, coalescing in a tale that never loses its sense of fun or wonder. Ages 10–12. Agent: Rena Rossner, the Deborah Harris Agency.

September 27, 2019

Gr 4-7-Would you help kill what might be the last dragon in the world if it saved your family from being evicted? In a 10th-century Eastern Europe where magical creatures abound but human magic is all but illegal, 13-year-old Anya has just found out that she and her family are about to lose their home, and with her father recently conscripted into the Tsar's army, there doesn't seem to be any way out. The discrimination that Anya and her family experience for being Jewish makes things even worse. When a boy named Ivan, the youngest in a rambunctious gang of brothers (all named Ivan), introduces Anya to his father, she realizes she may have a way to earn money-by helping him find an elusive dragon. And then she meets the dragon himself, who turns out to be a sweet and friendly creature-basically the draconic version of Ivan, and connected in some mysterious way to the village blacksmith, Kin. Anya and Ivan struggle to save the dragon from three enemies, the worst of which is the cold-hearted and ambitious Viking Sigurd, with help from a variety of unlikely and unusual sources. Anya is smart and feisty, with more talent and courage than she realizes. She must keep secrets and decide for herself if it is ever right to kill. There is a fair amount of violence and depictions of anti-Semitism, but the story also has humor, a quick pace, and a keen sense of place. VERDICT A strong heroine and an unusual setting make this worth adding to most crowded fantasy shelves.-Mara Alpert, Los Angeles Public Library

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2019
Grades 4-7 Magic is in the very fabric of Anya's small Eastern European village, and though the tsar has banned its use, the citizens quietly implement it in their daily lives. As Anya's bat mitzvah approaches, she grows increasingly impatient for her own magic to manifest. Meanwhile, outside forces are upsetting her family's peaceful farm life. Her father has been conscripted into the tsar's army to fight a faraway war, and prejudice against Jewish people is leaking into the community. When a bigoted official threatens to take their farm unless they can produce an outlandish sum of money, Anya secretly takes a job with a newcomer?the tsar's fool, who has come to Kievan Rus to capture its last dragon. She partners with the fool's hapless son, Ivan, who educates her on dragons, but they are unprepared when the sought-after creature turns out to be friendly rather than vicious. Pasternack's debut is an irresistible blend of moral quandaries, magic, humor, danger, and bravery. Imaginative details bestow a fairy-tale-like quality to the story, which will effortlessly ensnare historical fantasy fans.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)