Dragon Rider (novel) facts for kids
Scholastic's American cover for Dragon Rider
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| Author | Cornelia Funke |
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| Original title | Drachenreiter |
| Translator | Oliver Latsch (2000), Anthea Bell (2004) |
| Cover artist | Don Seegmiller |
| Country | Germany |
| Language | German |
| Genre | Children's, Fantasy, High Fantasy |
| Publisher | Dressler |
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Publication date
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1997 |
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Published in English
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September 2000 |
| Media type | Print (Paperback) |
| Pages | 523 |
| ISBN | 3-7915-0454-1 |
| OCLC | 38090719 |
| Followed by | Dragon Rider: The Griffin's Feather |
Dragon Rider (original German title: Drachenreiter) is an exciting fantasy novel for children. It was written by Cornelia Funke from Germany in 1997. The book was first translated into English in 2004.
The story is about a silver dragon named Firedrake. He goes on a big adventure with his friends. These friends are Sorrel, a forest brownie, and Ben, a human boy. They are searching for a secret place called the Rim of Heaven. This place is in the Himalayas mountains. Firedrake needs to find a safe home for all dragons. He learns that humans plan to flood his valley, making it unsafe.
After its English release, the book became very popular. It stayed on The New York Times Best Seller list for 78 weeks. It even reached number one on the Children's Best-Seller list.
A second book, Dragon Rider: The Griffin's Feather, came out in 2017. A movie based on the book was released in 2020.
Contents
The Story of Dragon Rider
Firedrake is a young dragon living in a hidden valley near London. He discovers that humans will flood their home. So, the dragons are no longer safe there. Firedrake gets advice from Slatebeard, the oldest dragon. He must find the "Rim of Heaven," a legendary safe place for dragons. He also needs to avoid the "Golden One."
Starting the Journey
Firedrake and his friend Sorrel, a forest brownie, travel to Hamburg. They want to find Gilbert Graytail, a rat who makes maps. In Hamburg, they save an orphan boy named Ben from some dockworkers. To thank them, Ben helps Sorrel get human clothes. This way, she can go into the city to find Gilbert while Firedrake stays hidden.
Gilbert gives them a map to the Himalayas. It shows dangerous areas along the way. Firedrake can only fly at night. So, they leave quickly. They decide to bring Ben with them.
Meeting New Friends and Foes
Ben and Sorrel argue about their direction. They end up in a mountain range filled with dwarves. Firedrake sleeps during the day. While he rests, a dwarf named Gravelbeard goes to a castle. He tells Nettlebrand, the Golden One, about the trio. Nettlebrand is a scary monster who hunts and eats dragons. His servant, Twigleg, is a small creature. Nettlebrand decides to follow Firedrake. He wants to kill the last dragons, a task he failed at before.
Firedrake, Sorrel, and Ben continue flying. A storm blows them off course. They land on the coast of Egypt. They meet a basilisk and some archaeologists. Soon, they become friends with Professor Greenbloom, a kind scientist. Sorrel is suspicious at first but later trusts him. Professor Greenbloom gives Ben a cold metal scale. Unknown to them, it came from Nettlebrand.
Twigleg tells Nettlebrand about the scale. Nettlebrand immediately goes to find Professor Greenbloom. Meanwhile, the trio seeks advice from a Djinn. A Djinn is a magical being with a thousand eyes that can see everything. Ben asks the Djinn: "Where does the Rim of Heaven lie?" The answer appears in two of the Djinn's eyes. It shows a path along the Indus River, through mountains, and past a monastery. Beyond the monastery is the Rim of Heaven. At the monastery, Ben must break the moonlight on a stone dragon's head. The Djinn also gives them a prophecy: "When that day comes, twenty fingers will point the way to the Rim of Heaven, and silver will be worth more than gold."
Dangers and Discoveries
Nettlebrand tracks down Greenbloom, but the professor escapes. Twigleg is found out as a spy. However, he is allowed to stay because he can understand any language. He has grown fond of Ben. Twigleg starts giving Nettlebrand false information. He sends his master into a desert where sandmen attack him. Nettlebrand eventually escapes.
While flying over the ocean, a lunar eclipse happens. Firedrake, who needs moonlight to fly, falls. He lands on a friendly sea serpent. She agrees to take them to Pakistan. There, they will meet Dr. Zubeida Ghalib, a dragon expert. She knows how Firedrake can fly without moonlight. The Serpent tells them about Nettlebrand and his army of red-eyed ravens. One of Nettlebrand's raven spies spots them. Sorrel throws a stone covered in her sticky saliva. The stone sticks to the raven's wing, sending it panicking to shore.
In Pakistan, they find Dr. Zubeida Ghalib in a village. Professor Greenbloom and his family, including his daughter Guinevere, are also there. Everyone compares what they've learned. All signs point to a grim fact: Nettlebrand is hunting the dragons in the Rim of Heaven. He expects Firedrake to lead him to them.
The Dragon Rider's Destiny
Dr. Ghalib tells them a legend about a Dragon Rider. This rider once lived in the village. Ben is believed to be his reincarnation. His destiny is to save the silver dragons from a terrible enemy. Soon, two more of Nettlebrand's ravens attack. Sorrel tries her saliva trick again, adding dragon-fire sparks. The stones don't stick, but the ravens turn into crabs! This strange event worries everyone. Twigleg then reveals he was Nettlebrand's spy. He also explains Nettlebrand's past. An alchemist created Nettlebrand to kill dragons. The alchemist used dragon horns to make gold. Twigleg and his eleven brothers were made to care for Nettlebrand. When the silver dragons hid, Nettlebrand killed the alchemist. He then ate all of Twigleg's brothers and hunted alone.
Zubeida shows Firedrake the tomb of the first Dragon Rider. She also shows him a special flower. This flower collects moonlight as dewdrops on its leaves. Firedrake drinks this "moon-dew." Now he can fly even without moonlight. The two groups split up to escape Nettlebrand. After a dangerous encounter with a Roc (a giant bird), they are forced into a valley. Nettlebrand continues to follow Professor Greenbloom's boat. He knows they will lead him to Firedrake. Guinevere spots him.
The Final Battle
In the valley, Lola Graytail helps Firedrake and his friends. Lola is Gilbert's niece. She makes maps for her uncle. She guides them to the monastery. The monks welcome Firedrake as a sign of good luck. Here, Ben "breaks the moonlight." This means he shatters a moonstone kept by the monks. This summons a four-armed brownie named Burr-Burr-Chan. He agrees to guide Firedrake, Sorrel, Twigleg, and Ben to the Rim of Heaven. He warns that Firedrake's relatives have become weak and afraid from hiding.
While waiting, they discover Gravelbeard, who Nettlebrand forced to be a spy. They fail to catch him. They fly away quickly, with Nettlebrand chasing them. To Twigleg's dismay, the center of the Rim of Heaven has a large lake. This is perfect for Nettlebrand, who can travel instantly by water. To check, Lola takes Twigleg in her miniature airplane. They investigate and distract Nettlebrand. The others search for the Dragons' cave. There, they meet Maia, a she-dragon. She is the only living dragon there. The other twenty-two have turned to stone from lack of moonlight.
Outside, Lola and Twigleg find Gravelbeard. In a struggle, Twigleg takes the dwarf's hat. The hat helps with altitude. Gravelbeard gets mountain sickness and is captured. Nettlebrand knows their location and is coming. No one knows how to stop him. He is twenty times stronger than a dragon and immune to dragon fire. Sorrel spits on the golden scale Professor Greenbloom gave Ben. Inspired by the ravens, Firedrake breathes fire on it. It turns into gold paint.
Twigleg comes up with a plan. He pretends to still be loyal to Nettlebrand. He frees Gravelbeard and sends him back to Nettlebrand. The Golden One is happy. He orders the dwarf to polish his armor. But the armor polish has been replaced with brownie spit! When Nettlebrand enters the cave, Firedrake, Maia, and Lola in her plane attack him. The dragons work together and set Nettlebrand on fire. The brownie spit reacts, dissolving Nettlebrand's armor and destroying him. Nettlebrand melts away, revealing only a toad underneath.
Everyone stares in wonder. Gravelbeard enters. He has seen the beautiful gemstones and rocks in the cave. He wants to improve them with his skill. He reveals that doing so will bring the petrified dragons back to life. Within days, all the silver dragons awaken. Firedrake and Maia fly with Sorrel and Burr-Burr-Chan. They bring the other dragons back home. Ben and Twigleg go to live with Professor Greenbloom and his family. Two months later, Firedrake tells them that the silver dragons have agreed to come to the Rim of Heaven. Ben and Guinevere are eager to see their friends. They spend their time studying other "imaginary" creatures until they can visit the silver dragons again.
More Dragon Rider Books and Movies
Sequel Books
In 2015, Cornelia Funke shared details about a sequel. It would be called A Griffin's Feather. The story would take place two years after the first book. Ben would be living with the Greenblooms at a creature rescue center in Norway. The book was published in Germany in 2016. The English version, Dragon Rider: The Griffin's Feather, came out on July 5, 2017. Funke also mentioned plans for a third book. It might be called The Volcano Adventure. It would be like a graphic novel with mobile phone interaction.
Film Adaptation
A movie based on the book was released in 2020.
