Eragon, by Christopher Paolini

Bibliographic Information:
Paolini, Christopher. Eragon. Alfred A. Knopf, c2002. ISBN-10: 0375826688

Book Awards:
Rebecca Caudill Young Reader's Book Award


Plot Summary:
Eragon is a 15 year old farm boy who lives with his uncle. His mother named him and gave him to his uncle to raise, and then disappeared forever, taking the identity of Eragon's father with her. On an extended hunting trip during increasingly hard times, Eragon sees a strange blue rock appear before him. He brings it home, and when no one will exchange it for food, he reluctantly keeps it. It hatches! Eragon is now the sole and secret caretaker of a tiny blue dragon, who doesn't remain tiny for long. Now he is the last and only dragonrider in a troubled Empire, and when dark forces sweep across the land, Eragon and the dragon must learn lost arts quickly. Will they join forces with the rebels? The elves? Who will guide them? Why has the evil King sent monsters and sorcerers in desperate pursuit of one boy and a dragon?

Critical Evaluation:
Although Paolini borrows heavily from various mythologies, folktales, and fantasy series, his actual plot is unique and engrossing. The prose is not sophisticated, but neither is its intended audience. The main characters, Eragon and Saphira (the dragon), are complex and well-developed, with various other interesting characters coming and going. The elven language and the place and character names are very foreign and difficult to pronounce, many with accent marks. The action is fast-paced, and the storyline is easy to follow-- no skipping around to other characters' points-of-view, making this book accessible by a younger audience than its length would otherwise indicate.

Reader's Annotation:
What is a fifteen year old boy to do when he finds a rock and it hatches a dragon? When an evil king says, "Join me, or die!"? Simply become a dragonrider and free an Empire, of course!

About the Author:
Christopher Paolini was home-schooled his entire life by his mother, a former Montessori teacher. As a challenge to himself, he began to write Eragon when he was fifteen. He spent two years writing and editing it, and then self-published it. He spent one year touring the U.S. promoting the book, with very limited success. Carl Hiaasen discovered it and helped Paolini get it published at a publishing house. He is currently working on the fourth and final book in the series.

Genre:
Fantasy

Curriculum Ties:
Mythology

Booktalking Ideas:
Saphira more human- or more dragon-like.
Eragon's choices.

Interest Age:
9+

Challenge Issues:
None

Reason Included:
Both of my children and my husband love these books, and I was very intrigued by the idea of a teenage author.