By Nico
Emily and Thomas know every nook and cranny of the castle where they've grown up. As the children of the nobles who own the castle, they've spent as much time exploring as they have on their lessons, even if their rather boring mother would prefer otherwise.
So they're quite surprised when they discover Meg, an ornery scribe, who writes and illustrates the castle's proclamations and invitations in the castle basement. Although at first they have their doubts about Meg and her stories, she soon sweeps them up in an unbelievable tale about when she was a girl and a dragon lived in the castle, a tale full of adventure, danger, friendship, and love. Perhaps most unbelievably of all, it's about Emily and Thomas's mother--and once, long ago, she and Meg were friends.
Now, though, they haven't spoken in years. And as Emily and Thomas hear more of Meg's story, they formulate a plan to reunite the friends once more.
I couldn't help but love A Dragon Used to Live Here. With whimsical pen illustrations and a clever, witty storyline and characters, this book is perfect both to read independently or as a read-aloud. I really enjoyed the 'story within a story' format of the book; Meg's tale about her and Emily and Thomas's parents never felt awkward or out of place, instead integrated naturally into the story's dialogue in a way which helped move the book keep moving at a fast pace. With a quirky twist on the familiar elements of classic fairytales and strong characters, I highly recommend A Dragon Used to Live Here to readers ages seven and up, particularly as a read-aloud book.
Emily and Thomas know every nook and cranny of the castle where they've grown up. As the children of the nobles who own the castle, they've spent as much time exploring as they have on their lessons, even if their rather boring mother would prefer otherwise.
So they're quite surprised when they discover Meg, an ornery scribe, who writes and illustrates the castle's proclamations and invitations in the castle basement. Although at first they have their doubts about Meg and her stories, she soon sweeps them up in an unbelievable tale about when she was a girl and a dragon lived in the castle, a tale full of adventure, danger, friendship, and love. Perhaps most unbelievably of all, it's about Emily and Thomas's mother--and once, long ago, she and Meg were friends.
Now, though, they haven't spoken in years. And as Emily and Thomas hear more of Meg's story, they formulate a plan to reunite the friends once more.
I couldn't help but love A Dragon Used to Live Here. With whimsical pen illustrations and a clever, witty storyline and characters, this book is perfect both to read independently or as a read-aloud. I really enjoyed the 'story within a story' format of the book; Meg's tale about her and Emily and Thomas's parents never felt awkward or out of place, instead integrated naturally into the story's dialogue in a way which helped move the book keep moving at a fast pace. With a quirky twist on the familiar elements of classic fairytales and strong characters, I highly recommend A Dragon Used to Live Here to readers ages seven and up, particularly as a read-aloud book.
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