The Dragon of Lonely Island

The Dragon of Lonely Island
by Rebecca Rupp
Candlewick Press, 1998

Genre: Fantasy

Honors:

• Book Links 03/01/07

Review: This is a simplistic story revolving around the lives of three dragons--or, rather, a three-headed dragon. Three children visit Lonely Island, the home their aunt Mehitabel, one summer, and discover the clues she left behind lead to the cave where Fafnyr Goldenwings has been living in peace for many many years. As Hannah, Zachary, and Sarah Emily come to know the dragon and return a second and third time to visit, Fafnyr shares stories about its past that, while innocently told, impart a lesson for each of the children that speaks to their current feelings: Because of her role as the elder sister, Hannah, who is twelve and on the threshold of young adulthood, struggles to hold on to the child inside of her; ten-year-old Zachary is particular about many aspects of his life, a vice that tends to keep him from being able to share his things and enjoy being with others; being the youngest and reliant on the wisdom of her siblings, Sarah Emily fears taking initiative and believes there is nothing special about her--according to Hannah, she has low self esteem. In the novel, Rupp defines a dragon as very human-like in many ways, immortal but easily succumbing to the same character flaws--selfishness, greed, loneliness--as the humans it has come to know.

Opinion: This book could definitely be more appealing for nine-to-eleven-year-olds, as it speaks directly to issues of that age range, but like many other fantasy books, the story of a living three-headed dragon is one that carries across to all ages. I really enjoyed this story, and as I've learned that it has a sequel, I would love to find a copy and see what else happens with Fafnyr Goldenwings.

Ideas: This year's Summer Reading Program across many libraries in California is related to dreams and fantasy, and a book like Rupp's would fit in nicely in the Summer Reading Program displays. At my local library, some of the story times over the summer are being devoted to fairy tales, some of them involving princesses and dragons, and there are live performances and singing. It sounds like so much fun: I would really enjoy organizing programs that include dragons and other fantasy elements into puppet shows and mini plays, and I am sure even older kids would get a kick out of it. One of the nice things about putting on performances is you can get local performers involved, and in some cases there are children's acting groups. I could see older kids putting on a play at the library for younger kids, perhaps about meeting a dragon or acting out some of the stories Fafnyr tells the children.