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kylielovesbooks's review
4.0
This was a fun middle grade read. It felt very magical, I mean who doesn't love a book about dragons!
Anya was an adorable main character, she starts out in a town where magic is forbidden. She finds out that because her family is Jewish, they will be losing their house, so when the fools come to town and tell her they will give her money to hunt one of the last dragons, she really just wants to help her family. Once Anya finds the dragon, she's not sure she can do that. Her journey to finding what she thinks is the right answer was so fun.
Most of the other characters added a lot to the story. Anya has a wonderful relationship with her mom and grandmother (her dad has been sent to the front lines of war) and their domovoy (spelling? I listened to the audiobook!) is the funniest character. He was so mischievous but still the protector of the house. Ivan (again, spelling?) was a great secondary/main character. The villain (I'm not even going to try to spell his name) was actually scary. And of course the dragon ended up being so incredibly adorable.
Even though a lot of things I really enjoyed, I didn't love anything. And there were many Russian words that I couldn't follow especially listening to the audiobook and a lot of the names were foreign.
I really can't wait to see what happens next!
Anya was an adorable main character, she starts out in a town where magic is forbidden. She finds out that because her family is Jewish, they will be losing their house, so when the fools come to town and tell her they will give her money to hunt one of the last dragons, she really just wants to help her family. Once Anya finds the dragon, she's not sure she can do that. Her journey to finding what she thinks is the right answer was so fun.
Most of the other characters added a lot to the story. Anya has a wonderful relationship with her mom and grandmother (her dad has been sent to the front lines of war) and their domovoy (spelling? I listened to the audiobook!) is the funniest character. He was so mischievous but still the protector of the house. Ivan (again, spelling?) was a great secondary/main character. The villain (I'm not even going to try to spell his name) was actually scary. And of course the dragon ended up being so incredibly adorable.
Even though a lot of things I really enjoyed, I didn't love anything. And there were many Russian words that I couldn't follow especially listening to the audiobook and a lot of the names were foreign.
I really can't wait to see what happens next!
yapha's review
4.0
A Jewish girl and a dragon? Yes please! This was the book I needed in elementary school!
Anya and her family are the only Jews in their small town in medieval Russia. It is also one of the few places left in Russia that hosts magical creatures. Although it is illegal, some people are still able to use magic as well. Anya's father has been conscripted and the magistrate threatens her mother that they will lose the house if she doesn't pay the taxes. When Anya is given the opportunity to help her new friend Ivan and his father track down a local dragon, possibly the last dragon in all of Russia, in exchange for a considerable sum of money, she jumps at it. But when more dragon hunters arrive, Anya begins to question her decision. A fantastic action-packed story of magic, courage, and friendship. Recommended for grades 4 & up.
ARC provided by publisher.
Anya and her family are the only Jews in their small town in medieval Russia. It is also one of the few places left in Russia that hosts magical creatures. Although it is illegal, some people are still able to use magic as well. Anya's father has been conscripted and the magistrate threatens her mother that they will lose the house if she doesn't pay the taxes. When Anya is given the opportunity to help her new friend Ivan and his father track down a local dragon, possibly the last dragon in all of Russia, in exchange for a considerable sum of money, she jumps at it. But when more dragon hunters arrive, Anya begins to question her decision. A fantastic action-packed story of magic, courage, and friendship. Recommended for grades 4 & up.
ARC provided by publisher.
wyvernlordthor's review
5.0
Anya and the Dragon is perhaps my favorite book I've read this year (although to be fair I didn't read nearly as many as I would have liked). The setting of 10th century Russia is blended so well with the mythological fantasy elements that characters using spells and interacting with fantasic creatures seems perfectly natural. The characters are all excellent, especially Anya, who has an extremely interesting motivation and character arc for a middle grade protagonist, and aside from some poorly foreshadowed plot elements near the end the plot is really good too. I would highly recommend anyone who enjoys middle grade fantasy give this one a try.
the_ghost_penguin_reader's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
briarrose1021's review against another edition
5.0
11-year-old Anya lives a simple life in her tiny village, and she thinks all is well until the local magistrate threatens her family's land unless her family can pay 250 rubles in one month. When Anya meets a family of Fools who is looking for a dangerous dragon, she offers to help in exchange for payment. But when Anya meets the dragon and discovers that the danger may be greatly exaggerated, Anya has to decide whether to save her family or the dragon.
I loved this story. In some ways, it reminded me of Fiddler on the Roof, only with magic and dragons. Both are set in Russia, and the families in both suffer discrimination based solely on their status as Jews. Unlike in Fiddler, though, Anya is not in search of a husband - though we do meet several young boys who would be more than happy to marry her, some declaring it before even properly meeting Anya. Anya declines. No, Anya is a strong and brave young girl who is a wonderful protagonist for the story. She studies the Torah in preparation for her upcoming bat mitvah and struggles with understanding various passages of the Torah. In particular, she keeps coming back to the commandment of "You shall not kill" and wondering if it's ever okay to do so.
Helping her in these discussions is her grandmother, her babushka. Babulya is quite the character, and I think I would love to meet her in real life. Well, maybe not. Her magic and her ability to know things are kind of scary. Lol.
I also loved the way magic was used in this book. It was a somewhat unique concept that I've only seen in a couple of other books I've read. I definitely liked the way the magic was combined with all of the different magical creatures that were also pulled from Russian folktales.
I think this book is a fabulous story and I'm definitely looking forward to reading more stories with Anya and Ivan. I also think this book could be a great introduction for discussions of history and discrimination with young readers. The former teacher in me can't help but see the possibilities of cooperative lessons between History or Social Studies teachers and English teachers, especially with the mythologies involved.
So, if you like strong female characters, magic, dragons, swords, mythical creatures, and mischievous house spirits who don't mind letting you know when they're upset, then you should definitely read this book.
I loved this story. In some ways, it reminded me of Fiddler on the Roof, only with magic and dragons. Both are set in Russia, and the families in both suffer discrimination based solely on their status as Jews. Unlike in Fiddler, though, Anya is not in search of a husband - though we do meet several young boys who would be more than happy to marry her, some declaring it before even properly meeting Anya. Anya declines. No, Anya is a strong and brave young girl who is a wonderful protagonist for the story. She studies the Torah in preparation for her upcoming bat mitvah and struggles with understanding various passages of the Torah. In particular, she keeps coming back to the commandment of "You shall not kill" and wondering if it's ever okay to do so.
Helping her in these discussions is her grandmother, her babushka. Babulya is quite the character, and I think I would love to meet her in real life. Well, maybe not. Her magic and her ability to know things are kind of scary. Lol.
I also loved the way magic was used in this book. It was a somewhat unique concept that I've only seen in a couple of other books I've read. I definitely liked the way the magic was combined with all of the different magical creatures that were also pulled from Russian folktales.
I think this book is a fabulous story and I'm definitely looking forward to reading more stories with Anya and Ivan. I also think this book could be a great introduction for discussions of history and discrimination with young readers. The former teacher in me can't help but see the possibilities of cooperative lessons between History or Social Studies teachers and English teachers, especially with the mythologies involved.
So, if you like strong female characters, magic, dragons, swords, mythical creatures, and mischievous house spirits who don't mind letting you know when they're upset, then you should definitely read this book.
heysunbee's review
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
becca_willie04's review
adventurous
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5