Bound To Stay Bound

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School Library Journal - 01/01/2015 Gr 4–7—When a dragon loses her longtime "pet" human, she is surprised to find herself now paired with the woman's great-niece, Winnie, a curious and capable 10-year-old. Though Miss Drake is a curmudgeonly dragon, she gradually warms to her new companion and introduces her to the magical creatures that live secretly in their city of San Francisco. Miss Drake narrates the tale with an engaging, whimsical tone. She is proud, snobbish, and modern; her human disguises reflect the latest fashions, and she keeps in touch with magical friends via cell phone. Her impatience with Winnie develops into respect and affection as she observes the girl in action, and their relationship is convincing and enjoyable. Introductions to the characters and the hidden magical world proceed rather slowly, and repeated hints at dangers to come are too obvious to generate much drama. Action finally begins when Winnie's sketches of magical creatures come to life and the two companions try to recapture them all. This task takes on a surprising twist when the identity of the final creature is revealed. Though even the climactic battle scenes are not terrifically suspenseful, the resolution is convincing and satisfying. With a black-and-white spot illustration opening most chapters, an engaging narrator, and a consistently fluid writing style, this title makes a fine dragon choice for readers not yet ready for more weighty fantasy novels.—Steven Engelfried, Wilsonville Public Library, OR - Copyright 2015 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 02/15/2015 *Starred Review* In droll counterpoint to the How to Train Your Dragon franchise, Yep and Ryder offer a similar interspecies matchup from the dragon’s point of view. Miss Drake, a 3,000-year-old dragon, is initially annoyed when Winifred, 10, barges into her hidden lair beneath a San Francisco mansion. It seems that Winnie’s widowed mom has inherited the house from Miss Drake’s most recent and still sharply missed human “pet,” Fluffy (aka Great-Aunt Amelia). The irritating child has been left a key and a charge to take care of the lonely dragon. Being a responsible sort (as well as a shapechanger and a thoroughly modern dragon with a smartphone and a debit card), Miss Drake reluctantly takes Winnie under her wing—or tries to, as the strong-willed child has ideas of her own. Despite their differences, the two make a good team, as they prove in narrowly averting major disaster to the city and its magical community, after a flock of creatures Winnie has drawn in a special sketchbook come to life. In vignettes that open each chapter, illustrator GrandPré depicts the diverse creatures, along with glimpses of dragon, child, and various significant items with her customary flair and expertise. Warm humor, magical mishaps, and the main characters’ budding mutual respect and affection combine to give this opener for a planned series a special shine that will draw readers and leave them impatient for sequels. - Copyright 2015 Booklist.

Bulletin for the Center... - 04/01/2015 Miss Drake, an ancient dragon, isn’t sure what to think of the granddaughter of her former pet human, who recently died. Winnie is sassy and creative, and she won’t take no for an answer. The two are still circling around one another, trying to figure out how dragon and kid can connect, when Winnie unwittingly unleashes a flurry of creatures into California via a magical sketchbook. As the two try to gather them all up, they bond without even really knowing what is happening, and all ends well with the city saved and a friendship sparked. While there is a bit of tension when one of the unleashed creatures turns out to be dangerous, mostly this is a clever and amusing novel that imagines a magical world that nestles right up against our own and sometimes crosses over. The humorous chapter headings that inform dragons how to make humans into tolerable pets effectively foreshadow each chapter’s events, and it’s clear Miss Drake has her hands full in the effort, since Winnie is tough to tame. Once the two connect, however, and share a poignant scene wondering about lost loved ones, there’s no separating them. Small, appealing illustrations by Mary GrandPré accent the first page of each chapter, depicting a key moment or event. Heavy-hitter authors (and illustrator) plus the instant appeal of dragons means this won’t need much selling-happily, it is worth the attention it will receive. AS - Copyright 2015 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois.

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