After reading the fabulous Dragon Slippers and Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow, Dragon Flight was a let down.  It was still an entertaining sequel to Dragon Slippers, but it didn’t have the magic of George’s first two books.  There were no real new characters introduced, and we didn’t learn anything new about, or see much growth in the old characters.  It kind of seemed like the same people doing more of the same thing.

After absolutely loving the first book I read by George – Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow – I had high hopes for Dragon Slippers, and I was not disappointed.  Dragon Slippers targets a slightly younger audience (late elementary/middle school), yet is such a phenomenal story that readers of all ages will enjoy it.

Creel and her brother are orphans, being reluctantly cared for by their poor aunt and uncle.  When Creel’s aunt devises a scheme to get Creel a dowry and a rich suitor, Creel feels she has no choice but to go along with the plan.  Unfortunately, the plan involves a dragon.  Creel doesn’t get either a dowry or a suitor from her dragon encounter.  What she does get is a pair of shoes, a trip out of town to seek her fortune, and a chance to save her country.  Creel is a fabulous heroine, and can proudly take her place among the great heroines of fantasy literature such as Ella,  the Goose Girl, and Miri.  I’m eagerly awaiting a chance to read the sequel, Dragon Flight, and I expect that it won’t be long before we see George’s movies appearing on the big screen.

“The lass” is the youngest of the poor woodcutter’s nine children.  At her birth, she was not even given a name, since she was just another useless daughter.  The lass is a kind girl, and loves most of all to spend time with her oldest brother, Hans Peter, learning the meaning of the mysterious signs that he carves over and over.  When she is given the gift of understanding animals, the lass is content in her life, until one night, a huge bear shows up, asking her to come live with him in his castle for a year and a day.  In return, her family will be made rich.  The lass goes to live with the bear in his enchanted castle, full of enslaved servants, mysterious carvings, and unanswered questions.

George’s retelling of the Nordic fairy tale, “East of the Sun, West of the Moon” is fabulous.  George became passionate about all things Norwegian when she was just a girl, and this passion infuses her book with realistic details.  The details and changes that she makes to the original story only make it more exciting and believable.  This book can proudly take its place amongst the finest of fairy tale retellings.