Dragon Rider: Summary and book reviews of Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke, plus links to an excerpt from Dragon Rider and a biography of Cornelia Funke.
Dragon Rider
by Cornelia Funke
Hardcover: Aug 2004,
528 pages.
Paperback: May 2005,
528 pages.
Firedrake, a brave young dragon, his loyal brownie friend Sorrel and a lonely boy called Ben are united as if by destiny. Together, they embark on a magical journey to find the legendary place where silver dragons can live in peace for ever. With only a curious map and the whispered memories of an old dragon to guide them, they fly across moonlit lands and seas to reach the highest mountains in the world.
Along the way, they discover extraordinary new friends in unlikely places and a courage they never knew they had. Just as well, for the greatest enemy of all is never far behind them a heartless monster from the past whos been waiting a very long time to destroy the last dragons on earth.
BOOK REVIEWS
BookBrowse
Dragon Rider was a tremendous read - a classic adventure story in which our heroes (a dragon, a boy and a brownie) must complete a long journey and overcome many hurdles to reach their ultimate destination and defeat the dragons' dreaded enemy, before the only remaining population of dragons are destroyed. Whatever others may think, I have to tell you that all four of us (2 adults, 2 children aged 8 and 10) read the story together and we all enjoyed it. The word that keeps coming to mind is 'wholesome'; there's nothing edgy or cynical about it - just good old fashioned story telling that pulls together a cast of elves, dwarves, brownies, a thousand-eyed djinni, a kindly professor of archaeology and his family, a giant roc, a basilist, a sea serpent and a rotund rodent aviatrix.
Media Reviews
School Library Journal - Beth Wright
Gr 4-6-Although each of these confrontations is interesting, the sheer number of episodes, the lack of strong central characters...make for a story with much less dramatic tension than Funke's outstanding novels, The Thief Lord (2002) and Inkheart (2003, both Scholastic).
Kirkus Reviews
This solid adventure lacks the lusciousness of language and intricacy of plot that marked last year's Inkheart, but it does carry the reader along at breakneck pace, the inevitably victorious ending no less satisfying for all its predictability. (Fiction. 8-12)
Publishers Weekly
While readers may have trouble keeping track of all the plot's strands as they soar through this story, they will no doubt find themselves drawn in by the lively characters and their often hilarious banter, as well as the nonstop obstacles they encounter before the inevitable face-off with Nettlebrand. Ages 8-12.
Booklist - Jennifer Mattson
Starred Review. Gr. 4-6, younger for reading aloud. Here's news to quicken the pulses of Funke's many admirers the fantasist's first novel, and her most popular so far in her native Germany, is now available to American readers. Crack open the fat volume, though, and it's instantly clear that this is different from Funke's previous books. With its large type, generous leading, and whimsical line art by the author, it simply looks more like a traditional middle-grade novel. This is a good, old-fashioned ensemble-cast quest in the style of Lloyd Alexander, with a bit of Puff the Magic Dragon added to the mix. What could it be but a winner?
Children's Literature - Marilyn Courtot
Funke's story is not short, but it moves quickly and once they are into it, kids will keep the pages flipping. Also, it is nice to have a happy ending. Ages 8 to 12.
Recent Reader Reviews
Rated of 5
by READREAD123 so awesome This book is the best of all books I have ever read. They are so good. I love this author! IT IS AWESOME MYSTICAL AND FULL OF ADVENTURE!
Rated of 5
by derek AWESOME I loved this book! It is adventurous and mystical.
War, natural disaster, reckless gods and the recognition of impermanence in the world are just some of the threads that AS Byatt weaves into this most timely of books. Linguistically stunning and imaginatively abundant, this is a landmark.
A beguiling, imaginative, inspiring story about the bigness of being alive as an individual, as a member of a tribe, and as a participant in history, exploring how we use storytelling to survive and shape our own truths.
Brilliantly evoking the long-vanished world of masters and servants, Margaret Powell's classic memoir of her time in service is the remarkable true story of an indomitable woman who, though she served in the great houses of England, never stopped aiming high.
Vivid, daring, and unforgettable, The Printmaker's Daughter shines fresh light on art, loyalty, and the tender and indelible bond between a father and daughter.
I read The Healing in two sittings it is a fascinating story of plantation life at the beginning of the Civil War. Granada, a slave newborn child...
read more
The Uncommon Reader is a novella by novelist and playwright, Alan Bennett. The story starts with the Queen coming across the mobile library van...
read more
Arizona bills Amazon for $53 million in uncollected sales tax(Feb 06 2012) The ongoing sales tax battle between many US states and large online retailers, most notably Amazon, continues with a thrust from Arizona which, last week,...
Full Story
Amazon rumored to be opening bricks and mortar stores(Feb 03 2012) There are mumblings in the blogosphere that Amazon is to open bricks and mortar stores. Launch.it offers four possible scenarios: