Skip to main content

City of Dragons: The Awakening Storm

(City of Dragons #1)
By Jaimal Yogis and Vivian Truong
New York: Graphix, 2021. Graphic novel.

Three years after she loses her father to cancer, Grace moves to Hong Kong with her mom and stepdad. She's not exactly excited about the move, or about being the new kid at a super-fancy private International school with lots of super rich kids. Not long after school starts, a mysterious old woman approaches Grace on a school field trip and gifts her an egg -- an egg that contains a baby dragon. Grace and her new group of friends are determined to care for the dragon and discover why the egg was given to Grace in the first place. Their search takes them on a journey through Chinese mythology as they fend off dark, mystical forces and an evil corporation determined to recover the dragon themselves.

This is a fun and exciting graphic novel series opener that is sure to appeal to readers looking for a fantasy series. Grace and her friends, a diverse and multiethnic group, are protagonists worth rooting for and the Hong Kong setting is a refreshing change. The panel work in this comic is clean, bright, and easy to read which makes it well suited for a reader practicing their graphic novel reading skills. But the high-octane plot, quick wit, and super appealing premise will make it popular with most readers.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Review: The Mixed-Up Owl

The Mixed-Up Owl  Written by Marzena Sowa Illustrated by Joanna Lorno New York : Hippo Park, 2025. Picture Book. When Owl can't sleep at night, he heads off to see if any forest animals can help him understand why, and even more so, how to fix it!  Unfortunately, all the animals Owl runs into at night are asleep and all the animals he meets during the day are too rude or too busy to answer him.  Will Owl give up or will a chance meeting with a grumpy hedgehog provide all the solutions Owl was looking for? The premise of an owl trying to stay awake during the day because all the other animals around him do is very fun. Kids who know that owls are nocturnal will get a kick out of Owl's confusion and be quick to try to tell him what's going on.  Readers who don't know many facts about owls (or nocturnal animals in general) will get a brief introduction to the different ways animals sleep. The illustrations are charming, especially cute Owl and his expressive body langua...

Five Fives: Friendship

Friendship is such an important part of life! I love to have my friends to celebrate life's victories with. When I am having a rough time, I also rely on the strength of my friends. Picture books are a great way to talk to kids about friendships. With a new school year just around the corner, I think talking with kids about friendship and how to be a good friend is so important. These five books have friendships in them that might help facilitate discussions with your people! Love Grows Here By Amy Adele New York : Magic Cat Publishing, 2025. Picture Book. In this sweet story, there is a lovely garden that an elderly couple tends to with joy in their heart. When the woman is sent to the hospital for an extended stay, the animals that love the garden worry it won't be the same. But through grit and determination and teamwork, they work together and do what friends do best: take care of each other! The illustrations are absolutely amazing and will have kids enthralled with all of...

Review: Bug on the Bus

Bug on the Bus By David Catrow New York: Holiday House, 2026. Easy Reader.  Bug and many other creatures big and small hop onto the bus. A silly little bus driver witnesses the arrivals, and all is fine and well until Skunk joins the crew! Hilarity and fun ensue. This story is simple, but exciting. Early readers will be sure to love it! This book was a uniquely well done easy reader, as it is truly fully accessible for the most beginning reader! It is filled with simple words, many only three letters long. While it is filled with simple words, the story is fast paced and sure to please everyone listening. As an added bonus, the illustrations are charming and silly, which adds a lot to the book as a whole. Make sure to check this out for any budding readers in your life!