How to save a dragon:
1) Assemble equipment: water, Weet-Bix, sugar, syringe, sticky tape, scissors.
2) Believe in everything.
Pip never wants to go home. She likes to sit at the waterhole at dusk and remember Mika, her best friend. At home, her mother’s not the same since her boyfriend moved in. They don’t laugh anymore and Pip has to go to bed early, turn off her light and pretend she doesn’t exist. When she finds a half-dead creature at the waterhole, everything changes. She knows she has to save this small dragon and return it to where it comes from. But how?
Karen Foxlee is an Australian author who writes for both kids and young adults. She is the bestselling and multi-award-winning author of Lenny’s Book of Everything. Dragon Skin is her newest magical tale.
Pip is a charismatic, exciting yet raw and authentic character who I connected with instantly. Her untamed personality keeps both her mother and the readers on their toes, as they try to figure out what her next move is. After finding the baby dragon at the waterhole, realities are brought to light and her – and the dragon’s – whole world changes.
Dragon Skin touches on growth, love, loss, and domestic violence. These themes are portrayed by Foxlee in a way I haven’t seen before in a children’s book. To me, the magic is the novel’s point of difference; it provides the perfect dose of escapism to tackle these heavy themes. This novel broke my heart at many points, but each break was mended.
The dragon and Pip mirror one another. In the beginning, they’re both broken – literally and metaphorically. At one point, Pip focuses on the word ‘lost’ and thinks of it in relation to the dragon, but also in relation to herself. Together, they overcome life’s obstacles, moving and healing in tandem.
Dragon Skin is ideal for readers aged 10+. It prompts conversation about important topics, and also offers websites and phone numbers, such as the Kids Helpline. It’s a book that will stick with you for a long time after reading – I know it has for me.
Thanks for the review, I’ve recently purchased this book.
Saara xx