After one of the other Dragon Masters decides to illicitly take the dragons outside, disaster strikes. It isn’t long before Drake begins to realize he has a very strong connection with Worm and can share what seem to be his dragon’s thoughts. Drake’s dragon is a long brown creature with, at first, no particular talents that Drake can identify. The dragons are a secret, and the reason King Roland has them is a mystery, but what is clear is that the Dragon Stone has identified Drake as one of the rare few children who have a special connection with dragons and the ability to serve as a trainer. Alice on the Island, Ann Fights for Freedom, and Noelle at Sea publish simultaneously, spotlighting Pearl Harbor, the Underground Railroad, and the Titanic, respectively.įast-paced intrigue, especially for reluctant readers there may be a plethora of survival stories, but this one doesn’t disappoint.ĭrake has been selected by the king to serve as a Dragon Master, quite a change for an 8-year-old farmer boy.

An author’s note further explains that the Great Fire had a way of equalizing everyone. Although all three primary characters are white, Alikhan does explore prejudices immigrants faced along with tensions between religious groups. Perilous close calls, with some admittedly convenient coincidences, make for a gripping storyline. Emmi, Seamus, and Cara run through choking smoke and burning embers, trying to outmaneuver the flames. However, once the wall of fire begins to advance across the city and Emmi is separated from her father, she suddenly finds that her two enemies might be her only chance of survival. Seamus and Cara, a pair of Irish-immigrant twins, are particularly cruel to her. She immigrated with her father, her only family, so he could start a toy shop in America. In this entry in a series of heroic-girl survival stories, Emmi must escape the relentless flames of the Great Chicago Fire.Įmmi has lived in Chicago for two years, but she still misses the high mountaintops and fresh air of her hometown in Germany.

Emmi in the City by Salima Alikhan