Dragon of Lonely Island

The Dragon of Lonely Island by Rebecca Rupp is a delightful and imaginative story that successfully combines a sense of innocent adventure from days gone by with a modern writing style that makes it accessible to today's children Many families turn to literature from decades past for "safe" reading material only to find that the archaic vocabulary and writing style keeps children from fully enjoying what were originally very fine stories This book answers the call for modern literature that fosters positive family values without being artificial in its moralizing It is primarily a fantastical adventure story but also entwines lessons of wisdom into the storyline which positively affect family relationshipsI was originally disappointed to find the word "stupid" used multiple times early in the story (a word I try to avoid) but found later that its use is part of an important theme of the book The dragon tells the children three stories from its past each of which helps one of the children overcome a character weakness and change something in his/her attitude or behavior Besides having three mini-adventures couched in the larger adventure of three children who meet a dragon on their summer vacation it is also the story of three modern siblings who begin the summer estranged and bickering but who come to better understand and value each other While you will find the word "stupid" used repeatedly it is meant to prompt critical thinking about its use especially when directed toward other peopleThe Dragon of Lonely Island is rated as being written at a 5th or 6th grade reading level but this rating is probably artificially high due to the presence of difficult vocabulary words (eg ephemeral prodigioous) which are spoken by the dragon but then immediately explained within the story The 160 page book would probably be enjoyed by independent readers younger than 5th grade and would make an excellent read aloud for children in early elementary