Dragon's Blood, by Jane Yolen

Bibliographic Information:
Yolen, J. (1984). Dragon's Blood. Laurel Leaf. ISBN-10: 0440918022

Book Awards:
None


Plot Summary:
15 year old Jakkin is little better than a slave-- he is a bond servant. There are few ways to get enough money to buy his bond from his master-- owning a pit-fighting dragon is one of them. Jakkin's plan is to steal a dragon egg from one of his master's dragons, raise it and train it as his own, and then pray it wins enough fights to gain him his freedom. But things start to go wrong right from the beginning; the dragons hatch too fast, a girl discovers what he's doing, and he is nearly caught by a bitter, old man, a fellow bondservant. Can determination alone help Jakkin succeed against all odds? Will his dragon be strong enough?

Critical Evaluation:
In these days of post-Michael Vic, pit fighting is a sensitive subject, and might offend some readers or their parents. Yolen's world, however, was a penal planet, settled by convicts and their guards-- it was a harsh society. The master/bondservant social structure and the violent forms of entertainment fit the inhabitants of the planet. Setting that aside, therefore, we can admire Jakkin's courage and determination to change his circumstance, and enjoy the idea of training a dragon. There are few black and whites in this book: Jakkin's master is not evil, just a product of his society. Jakkin gets ahead by stealing and sneaking, but it is, again, a legitimate strategy in his society. Yolen is a master storyteller, and this book is no exception.

Reader's Annotation:
Can stealing a dragon and training it to fight in the pits win Jakkin his freedom?

About the Author:
Jane Yolen was born on February 11, 1939 in New York City. She grew up in Virginia, New York, and Connecticut, and attended Smith College. She wrote award-winning poetry, and published children's stories. She married David Stemple, and has three kids and six grandkids. She has currently written over 300 books.

Genre:
Fantasy

Curriculum Ties:
None

Booktalking Ideas:
train a dragon to fight

Interest Age:
9-14

Challenge Issues:
pit fighting
If a challenge should occur,
Read the book! Urge parent to do the same. Cite reviews. Refer to collection development policy. If dispute continues, parents' wishes regarding their own children will be respected.

Reason Included:
I love all the Jane Yolen books I've read, but this was my favorite-- I was pleased for the excuse to read it again.