The Dragon Thief

August 15, 2019
Jaxon and his friends deal with the fallout from the theft of one of the baby dragons in his charge. As this sequel to Dragons in a Bag (2018) opens, Kavita, the titular dragon thief, introduces elderly Aunty to stolen baby dragon Mo. Thankfully, Aunty knows someone in Queens who can help return Mo to the realm of magic. Meanwhile, and in alternating first-person chapters, Jax is trying to find Kavi and Mo, as Mo's siblings have grown ill as a result of the separation, as has Ma, Jax's magical mentor and grandmother figure. Jax again teams up with his best friend and Kavi's older brother, Vik. A third is added to their crew with "huge" Kenny, "the biggest kid in [their] class." (Unfortunately, much is made of Kenny's size, which feels gratuitous and unkind.) Eventually the trio finds Kavi, Aunty, and Mo, who've been abducted by a magical con artist. All's well that ends well when Sis, the powerful guardian of the magic realm, shows up, but readers may wonder why the narrative decides to grapple with her choice not to intervene in injustice in our world. Her argument that human-caused problems are for humans to solve feels undeveloped, especially in the face of a massive injustice like the trans-Atlantic slave trade (mentioned during the climax and at no other point). Jax is black; Vik, Kavi, and Aunty are Indian American (though Aunty has African ancestry as well); and Kenny is white. The rest of the cast is diverse as well. Despite missteps, this satisfying follow-up will leave readers hoping for more magical adventures with lovable Jax and company. (Urban fantasy. 7-10)

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October 7, 2019

Gr 2-5-Picking up where Dragons in a Bag left off, this sequel continues the story of Jaxon, a nine-year-old Brooklynite trying to return a dragon lost in his care to the realm of magic. As it turns out, the dragon was taken by Kavita, the little sister of Jaxon's best friend Vikram, and now all three children must find a way to protect the dragon and ensure its safe return. This is easier said than done, as Kavita, with the help of an elderly relative, has run away with the dragon, and there are no working transporters to the realm of magic. Complicating matters further, Ma, a witch and Jaxon's mentor, has fallen into a mysterious deep sleep, and a neighborhood bully joins Jax and Vik when he discovers a magical creature in their possession. Told in a dual narrative alternating between Kavita's and Jaxon's exploits, the story features a memorable cast of likable characters, a well-paced plot, and thoughtful explorations of family bonds, freedom, leadership, identity, and belonging. As in the first book, Elliott centers protagonists of color-Jaxon is black and Kavita and Vikram are Indian-who are historically underrepresented in the genre. VERDICT Sure to satisfy fans of the first book and attract new readers to this winning, inclusive fantasy series.-Lauren Strohecker, McKinley Elementary School, Elkins Park, PA

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