December 15, 2015
Following A Dragon's Guide to the Care and Feeding of Humans (2015), the saga of Miss Drake, a dragon living in San Francisco, continues as she tries to train her pet human in the ways of magic. Told from the alternating perspectives of Miss Drake and her little human pet, Winnie, the story derives humor from their juxtaposition. Winnie, of course, sees Miss Drake as her pet, but the two never realize their different viewpoints. Even though she is a "natural" rather than a "magical," Winnie gets to go to the wonderfully multiethnic, multispecies Spriggs Academy, where she will get an education like no other, with amazing teachers such as the real Sir Isaac Newton. However, as in all schools, Winnie will have to cope with a clique of hostile girls, here led by the niece of a famous sorceress. Lurking in the distant background is a threat from Winnie's grandfather, a rich and selfish man who wants to take Winnie from her mom. If Winnie does not learn how to defeat him, her memory of Miss Drake will be wiped clean, and Miss Drake herself will have to leave her comfy San Francisco home. Can Winnie get some help from the wonderful, magical nesting Small Doll, who loves chocolate? Yep and Ryder keep the magic coming with their whimsical fantasy, enhanced by Grandpre's sweet drawings. The story positively vibrates with fun. (Fantasy. 8-12)
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February 1, 2016
Gr 4-6-In this second book in the series about a grand dragon and her human "pet," Miss Drake sends Winnie to Spriggs Academy, where the students are a mixture of regular kids, known as "naturals," and "magicals," kids ranging from young enchanters to werewolves to centaurs. Faculty members include a witch, a bird lady, and Sir Isaac Newton. Familiar school-based plot elements of bullies, class excursions, and talent shows take on new twists with magical elements thrown in. There's also a fun blend of magic and modern technology: Miss Drake the dragon is a frequent user of text messaging. Along with the school antics, Winnie faces other challenges: she must reveal the secret world of magic to her oblivious mother and survive a kidnapping plot by her evil grandpa. The girl handles everything just fine, with determination, curiosity, and a kind heart, along with occasional use of handy magical objects. While Winnie's triumphs neatly demonstrate that personal qualities are as valuable as natural-born magic, her easy success feels rather anticlimactic. She charms her greedy, power-hungry grandfather, as well as the school bully, with offers of friendship, and her mother's acceptance of the world of magic occurs with even less drama. Winnie's straightforward narration alternates with passages from Miss Drake, whose wry tone adds light humor to the story. An appealing black-and-white drawing opens each chapter. VERDICT A solid choice for readers new to fantasy and those who like gentle adventures with a touch of humor.-Steven Engelfried, Wilsonville Public Library, OR
Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
March 1, 2016
Newly admitted to Spriggs Academy, Winnie Burton has more to contend with than the usual new-girl jitters. Winnie's dragon-caretaker, Miss Drake, enrolled Winnie so she could learn magic, but Miss Drake's self-proclaimed rival, the sorceress Silana Voisin, has a niece, Nanette, attending Spriggs, and Nanette has decided to be Winnie's self-proclaimed rival. Nanette invites Winnie to be her stage assistant at the Halloween Festival magic show, but is her niceness a ruse to hide a mean trick? Even worse, Winnie's grandfather Jarvis wants to kidnap her and make her the heir to his ill-gotten empire, and his goons are stalking the school. While the previous book (A Dragon's Guide to the Care and Feeding of Humans, rev. 3/15) was told from Miss Drake's perspective, this second Dragon's Guide alternates between Winnie's and Miss Drake's points of view, the better to represent their more united front against the problems they face in this volumenot least the question of when to let Winnie's mother in on the secret of a dragon living in the basement of their San Francisco mansion. Lighthearted episodes of unusual school lessons and field trips, illustrated by GrandPre's winsome spot art, are grounded by Miss Drake's more serious encounters with the goons, but in the end it's Winnie's street smarts that get Grandfather Jarvis to ease up a littlea gratifying development as this buoyant, fantastical series continues. anita l. burkam
(Copyright 2016 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)