Dragon Boy (novel) facts for kids
First edition
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| Author | Dick King-Smith |
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| Cover artist | Jocelyn Wild |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Viking Press |
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Publication date
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1993 |
Dragon Boy is an exciting children's book. It was written by the British author Dick King-Smith. The book first came out in 1993. It tells the story of a young orphan boy named John. He lives in the Middle Ages and gets adopted by a family of dragons!
Many schools use Dragon Boy for reading. It even helps students prepare for important exams.
Contents
Story of Dragon Boy
John Joins the Dragon Family
The story begins with a dragon named Montague Bunsen-Burner. His wife, Albertina, puts him on a special diet. No humans allowed! One day, Montague is flying. He finds a young boy, John, who has no parents. Montague decides to bring John home.
John quickly shows how helpful he is. He knows a lot about forest herbs. These herbs make the dragons' food taste much better.
A Dragon Egg and a New Friend
John becomes even more valuable when Albertina lays her eggs. John realizes that the dragon parents do not know how to keep the eggs warm. He secretly takes one egg. He makes a warm nest for it out of reeds. He got the idea from seeing a lizard's nest.
While hiding the egg, a wolf almost attacks John. Later, a bear also tries to attack him. But Montague saves John both times. He even kills the animals. John gets to use the bearskin as a warm blanket in winter.
John notices the wolf had milk. He figures out she must have cubs. He goes to find them. He finds four cubs, but three are already dead. John takes the last cub, a black male. He names him Bart, after Montague's father. Bart becomes John's loyal pet.
Lucky the Dragon Hatches
John and Bart watch over the hidden egg for six weeks. Finally, it hatches! A baby female dragon comes out. She names herself 'Lucky'. Her parents are very happy. From then on, John is like Lucky's little brother. He is the Bunsen-Burners' adopted son.
An older dragon examiner comes to test Lucky's flying. John gets some curious looks. But no one asks too many questions. Lucky passes her flying test easily.
Adventures and Dangers
After Lucky's first birthday, the dragons go on a beach holiday. This is where Montague and Albertina went after their wedding. John and Bart are cornered by wolves in a cave. They have to fight back. Lucky senses her brother is in danger. She flies back to save him!
John's clothes get damaged. They have to go to a nearby village. They need to find him new clothes. While they are away, some knights attack the Bunsen-Burners. But the dragons easily scare them off. No one gets hurt. Albertina tells Montague they must never eat humans again. John means too much to them.
Finding Love for Lucky
As Lucky grows up, her parents want to find her a husband. Dragons are rare now. They try to arrange a marriage for her. But their search does not go well. Albertina is turned away by a family of Welsh dragons. Montague finds a nice family, the Charmouths. But they only have daughters.
Lucky is upset about her parents trying to plan her life. She visits the holiday beach. There, she meets a young male dragon named Gerald Fire-Drake. Gerald left his home in Scotland after an argument with his father. Lucky and Gerald quickly fall in love.
During this time, John meets an outlaw. The outlaw threatens to kill him. Bart senses John is in danger. He rushes to save his master. Bart's attack, and Albertina's arrival, make the outlaw run away. The outlaw leaves his weapons behind for John.
A Dragon Wedding
After a couple of years, Gerald and Lucky are old enough to marry. Their wedding takes place near the lake where Lucky hatched. Many dragons attend. This includes the Fire-Drakes, Albertina's cousins, Montague's brother, and the Charmouths. The examiner who tested Lucky also comes.
John gives a speech as the best man. After the ceremony, Gerald and Lucky fly off for their honeymoon. John thinks about his happy life as a dragon boy.
A Hint of Legend
In the later parts of the book, John reveals his last name is Little. Lucky thinks of him as 'Little John'. The book suggests that 'Little John' will grow up to be a very tall and strong man. He will be the strongest man in England. This hints that he might be the famous Little John from the stories of Robin Hood.
