By: Hope Bolinger
Format: Available in Paperback, ePub, and MOBI
Genre: Contemporary Fantasy
On his first day back to school in 7th grade, Xander Carson discovers a large black dragon blocking his locker. Soon he’s seeing wyverns, wyrms, and other lizard creatures, but no one else seems to notice them at all.
Was he going crazy?
His life was tough enough already. His older brother – his best friend – had been killed in a car accident during the summer.
And now dragons.
Through an unlikely business deal with a nerd named Zayn, Xander discovers that there may be a reason he’s seeing dragons – and these discerning creatures may be just what he needs to solve his paralyzing grief.
But doing the wrong thing could make them disappear, exactly when he’s growing to need them.
Meet Hope Bolinger,
the author of Paintball With Dragons
dasanders.is –
A contemporary tale with a touch of dragons.
A creative look at how we might find comfort and strength during very difficult struggles. And dragons as invisible (and visible!) comfort givers is really fun. With contemporary references kids will relate to and familiar interpersonal relationships and struggles of middle school, Hope Bollinger weaves in the dragon fantasy element. There is lots of dragon information for kids who love dragons.
Grief and big personal struggles can move one’s focus inward on themselves. But this novel also reveals that there are often struggles going on all around us unseen. The saying “Always be kind because you never know what others are going through” is especially evident as the book moves to its resolution.
Xander is seeing dragons everywhere as he starts seventh grade. The problem? He may be the only one. Has the grief over losing his big brother sent him over the edge? His family is having memorial events almost every day at home which Xander is finding harder and harder to participate in. How can a guy be strong when memories at every turn threaten to overwhelm? And then, there’s the dragons….
After the shock of seeing dragons– at school, at home, everywhere– wears off Xander discovers it’s pretty cool. He just needs to understand why they are appearing to him. On his quest to discover more about dragons he forms an unlikely friendship with a classmate, Zayn, who’s a dragon nerd. Through Zayn’s books Xander learns about different kinds of dragons and that they can be kind, loving, and helpful.
Xander has been trying to ignore his grief, avoiding all things that remind him of his brother. No tears. No feelings. Xander believes he must be strong in his own strength. But when he discovers the dragons are appearing to bring comfort to him during this difficult time, he allows himself to face those painful feelings and move forward with the help of others and, of course, dragons.
Talitha J Hart –
A compelling story about a young boy dealing with grief and trying to be strong for his family and friends. Plus, who doesn’t love dragons! A great fit for kids who love dragons, whether or not they’ve lost someone.
Jennifer Clower –
Loved this new spin on finding comfort and dealing with grief! Xander is dealing with the recent loss of his older brother and begins to see dragons (that no one else can see!) as he returns to school. He sets out on a mission to discovery why he is seeing them and what that might mean. He makes some new friends along the way and discovers that while processing grief is different for everyone, you must work through those emotions to truly begin healing. He also learns that everyone has challenges in their life that we are often unaware of and that helping others with their “grief” can be part of the process to healing your own grief too. Despite the “heavy” topic, it was a fun read that can be enjoyed equally by fantasy/dragon lovers as well as those who are dealing with loss. The topic is handled age appropriately and with sensitivity, but it does focus heavily on the recent death of a close family member, so that should be kept in mind for anyone who might be sensitive to this topic.
I received a advanced copy of this book from Chicken Scratch Books however, my review is voluntary and based on my personal opinions.
Susan Phelan –
This book took me to tears and left me with a smile. I never realized how many different kinds of dragons there are throughout mythology. Xander, trying to be strong after the death of his brother begins to see dragons. During the course of the books, he’s trying to figure out why, how to get rid of them, and eventually, how to keep them hanging around. Through the process he learns more about himself, his friends and family, and builds a new layer of empathy. If you’ve got a kid into fantasy, and you’d love to have them break things up a bit, give this a try. There’s enough fun dragon lore to keep them invested. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Heidi DeStefano –
I couldn’t put this one down. Using dragons to tell a story about a young boy, grieving the death of his older brother, is brilliant. Xander, the main character, is likeable and is portrayed authentically. I loved the illustrations and the dragon lore. The fantasy helps package the topic of grief in an engaging story that helps readers deal with hard experiences. Thanks, Hope!
Betty Vanderwielen –
It’s not uncommon for children (or adults), based on the slimmest thread of causality, to blame themselves for someone’s death. In Paintball for Dragons, Zander feels responsible for his older brother Mason’s death. Grieving is an individual sorrow which everyone suffers through in their own way. Zander chooses stoicism. He won’t allow himself to do the things he so enjoyed doing with Mason—playing basketball, playing paintball. Above all, Zander won’t allow himself to cry. Indeed, from his viewpoint, denying himself the things he loves to do equates to just punishment for his supposed complicity in Mason’s death.
Xander’s mother chooses to assuage her grief through heightened remembrance. She plans daily commemorations and reenactments of things Mason loved–going to his favorite restaurants, watching his favorite movies. Though it helps her deal with her grief, she mistakenly assumes it will similarly help everyone else.
But of course, two such diametrically opposed grieving rituals cannot easily exist in the same household. The result is that Zander pulls farther and farther away from the rest of his family.
Then he begins seeing dragons. All kinds of dragons. Dragons everywhere. With the help of the class nerd, Zander learns the stories behind each of these creatures and develops empathy for them. They eventually lead Zander to a more wholesome grieving, one that cherishes and finds nourishment in all the good memories he has of his brother.