Review: Thomas and the Dragon Queen by Shutta Crum

Thomas and the Dragon Queen by Shutta Crum & Lee Wildish (Illustrator)

Release date: July 13, 2010

Publisher: Knopf BFYR/ 267 Pages/ Middle Grade

Source: Author (Hardcover)

A kingdom is at war.

A princess has been kidnapped by a dragon queen.
A brave squire volunteers to set out on a quest to rescue her.
But there's just one small problem. He's Thomas, the shortest of all the squires. With little more than a donkey, a vest, and a sword, Thomas will have to use all of his courage and determination to battle a beast with many heads, reach a forbidden island, and rescue the princess from a most fearsome dragon-and an even more fearsome fate!
Part thrilling adventure and part enchanting fantasy, sprinkled with charming black-and-white illustrations, Thomas and the Dragon Queenwill delight young readers from start to finish.

Summary:

Thomas and the Dragon Queen was a delightful and exciting middle grade novel that will bring smiles to the faces of any and all readers.

I rarely delve into the middle grade genre, mainly because there are so many great YA books waiting to be devoured, but I am so glad I had the opportunity to read and review this one. Thomas was a brave and well developed main character, and I loved reading about his different adventures. First of all his family, they were a well rounded and endearing group and I especially liked baby Isabel. His parents were both kind people and truly wanted the best for their family. They also encouraged Thomas to strive the highest he could even though he was so small for his age.

All of the characters were likable, and the brave and kind hearted always succeeded. Sir Gerald, Jon, Princess Eleanor... every character stood out to me and played a great role in the story. I especially liked being able to experience the story with Thomas and the other characters because of the adorable black and white drawings scattered throughout the chapters. The pictures added a lot to the story and let me picture the scenes even more vividly.

The plot was so original and exciting. Thomas faced a variety of trials and triumphs (none that would truly frighten young readers, though) and he was so brave in the face of danger. One of my favorite scenes was when he was rescuing a dolphin ensnared in a bit of netting along the coast. He was determined and never gave up. Readers will be cheering for Thomas as he faces a variety of challenges to reach the kidnapped Princess Eleanor and by the end you will be anxious to see how it will all turn out.

An excellent adventure story with a fabulous main character and exciting plot twists, Thomas and the Dragon Queen is definitely one of my favorite middle grade novels. I can't wait to recommend it to all the younger children I know!

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars