Friday, August 30, 2013

Review: Hunt for the Devil's Dragon

I have reviewed most of the books in the Imagination Station series, and today I have the chance to tell you about #11: Hunt for the Devil's Dragon.

In past reviews, I have talked about how much I love this series, especially for struggling readers.  There is a lot of repetitive vocabulary, which I don't notice when I am reading it myself.  It is only apparent to me when I listen to one of the kids read aloud.  The great thing about that is the kids get lots of opportunities to encounter the words, which means they are more likely to "own" the word.

I was able to sit down and read the entire book in about an hour, but my kids take quite a bit longer.

The description from the publisher:
If you’re brave, follow cousins Beth and Patrick to Libya in the 13th century. The town of Silene is being terrorized by a vicious animal that is eating livestock. The townspeople believe it’s a dragon sent by the devil. In order to appease the beast, the people believe they must offer a human sacrifice—a young girl named Sabra. When Beth tries to help Sabra escape, she too is tied up as an offering for the dragon. Meanwhile, Patrick and a new friend named Hazi join Georgius, a Roman knight who is serving in Africa to keep peace. Georgius decides to find the dragon and kill it. Georgius’s plans go awry when Beth and Sabra beg him not to kill the dragon. The girls know the true secret of Silene—the dragon isn’t its worst enemy.
I think this is my favorite Imagination Station story yet.  Beth starts off upset with herself for being afraid to stand up to a bully at school.  Their adventure in Libya involves her standing up for Sabra -- and ending up tied up as a sacrifice to a dragon as a result.

You know that she is going to live through this (these books are fairly predictable, particularly to an adult reader) and in this case, she does live through it with a new outlook on bullies.  I loved the message.

This whole series is fabulous for those kids who are past the beginning books and starting to read chapter books.  The chapters are short and action-packed.  The historical aspects are interesting.  And the overall message is coming from a basic Christian point of view.

I very much recommend these books.  You can also read my review of Books 8 and 9.

Disclaimer:   I received these books for free from Tyndale House Publishers.  No other compensation was received.  The fact that I received a complimentary product does not guarantee a favorable review.

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