Anya and the Dragon

Anya and the Dragon
By Sofiya Pasternack
Interior Illustrations by CelesteKnudsen
Versify, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2019. 394 p.

In this alternate 19th Century (in a Russia-like country) Anya has a hard life. Her dad has been sent off to war and her family is struggling. Her paternal grandfather has her help with the goats (he has an animal magic) while her maternal grandmother and mother have her help with weeding the onion patch (they have plant magic). Many in the town don’t necessarily trust Anya’s family (due to their family being the only Jewish family in the community) and when her home is threatened Anya desperately wants her magic to manifest so that she can help. Things get more complicated when a family of Fools (sent from the Tsar) and a Viking come to the area to look for a dragon. Anya is promised a great reward if she helps find the dragon—only she wonders if it is right to help kill the dragon to save her family. This is a brilliant book that deals with big topics such as family, struggles, religious persecutions, right vs. wrong, and growing up all with a magical twist (and a dragon!). Young readers who want some adventure that isn’t gory or violent and want to see value in a young girl and how she can make a difference in the world will enjoy reading this delightful tale.

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