Dragons in a Bag
The Dragons in a Bag series, Book 1
Zetta Elliott
Yearling Fantasy
Fiction, CH Fantasy
Themes: Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals, Diversity, Dragons, Girl Power, Hidden Wonders, Magic Workers, Portal Adventures, Small Animals, Time Travel, Urban Tales
****+
Description
Nine-year-old Jax wasn't sure he wanted to spend the day with the crusty old woman, but when Mama had to go to court about keeping their Brooklyn apartment, she insists he can't come with her. He's not even sure who the lady she calls Ma is, except a woman who watched over Mama when she was a little girl. But now he's stuck here, and he's sure it'll be a long and boring day... except it's anything but boring. A strange and secret package leads to a strange and secret trip... and not just to Prospect Park. It turns out Ma is a witch, and someone sent her a trio of hatchling dragons that the old woman has to return to their magical world - and Jax now has to help her. He just needs to remember not to let them out of her purse, and never, under any circumstances, to feed them sweets. That should be easy enough... shouldn't it?
Review
With shades of Bruce Coville's Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher (one of my favorite dragon stories of all time), Dragons in a Bag brings a little magic to modern Brooklyn. Jax is a clever and reasonably brave boy, who doesn't spend half the book pretending he doesn't believe in magic and strange things he sees with his own eyes but who does sometimes make a few mistakes. He's also fiercely loyal to his mother, and thought he knew everything he needed to know about who she is, until the visit with Ma gives him a glimpse of a past he never imagined and conflicts he doesn't understand; the fact that Jax eagerly embraces the idea of magic when Mama turned her back on it is is first real step on his own path in life, one where he can still love his mother and yet make his own choices that may differ from hers. The dragons have a bit of personality, for all that they're not actually in the story that much. Mostly it's Jax and Ma and some eccentric friends of hers on a little adventure through time and into another world and back, as Jax learns something of magic and witches and responsibilities. It's a fun, quick, and imaginative read, though it ends before fully resolving its story, leading into the second book.