Jeremy Thatcher Dragon Hatcher (Bruce Coville)

This was our book for Gr. 3 book club this month. It was a great choice. I was not familiar with Bruce Coville prior to this. Apparently Bryce Coville is a prolific writer that I hadn't spent time with yet. I chose the book because United Library Services had a lot of copies and so did the library, and because it looked fun for kids. I have a rule that I have to read the book prior to recommending it for book club. This time I broke that rule - but it worked out okay.  It was a great choice for Gr. 3 book club.

I loved the magic in the story. Jeremy Thatcher finds himself in a magic store and ends up taking home a dragon egg. He has no idea what he is in for. It sets off an amazing adventure.

Many people (not just adults) cannot see the dragon. You can only see it if you believe and know about dragons. The interesting thing is that animals can see it!

I liked the boy/girl friendship in this book. It starts off poorly, with Mary Lou writing a note that she plans to kiss Jeremy. Jeremy is horrified. His friends immediately start in on the teasing. However, in time, Jeremy and Mary Lou become friends despite the ribbing.

To me, an interesting aspect of this book, is that the main character, Jeremy, has an experience that changes him that he can never share with his parents. My book club kids never brought this up, but I think it would make for an interesting discussion.

Amazon.com summary:

When Jeremy Thatcher stumbles into Mr. Elives' magic shop, he leaves with a small marbled dragon's egg. When it hatches, Jeremy's wildest dreams take wing.