Degrees of Affection

A friend from college pointed me to this hilarious and cute book. If the book has a dragon in it, he's probably read it. Did I like it?

...I'm counting down the days until I can go back to the library and get more!

Danny Dragonbreath is a young dragon who is a mythical creature caught in a realistic world. The only dragon at a school full of reptiles and amphibians, he's the target of bullies, his father's motivational speeches for his lack of fire breathing, and his own overactive imagination. His best friend, Wendell (an Iguana), tries to use logic but it seems to bounce off his scales. After turning in a paper on the ocean about Snorklebats (which you hopefully know is something he created), Danny is given a chance to rewrite the paper with actual facts. Evidently libraries are not something he can process instead he drags Wendell to the sea to meet his cousin Edward, a Sea Serpent.

Their travels though the sea are fun, exciting, and terrifying. While obviously meant for boys, I think many girls would find this entertaining.

I did have one issue though. Danny, while young and having a lot to learn, was obnoxious, dismissive of Wendell's feelings, thoughtless of consequences, and ignored every piece of good advice given to him. While that makes him completely believable as a character, it also made him extremely annoying. If I were Wendell, I'd have told him politely to kiss my butt and gone home immediately. (Actually, I'm a wuss and would have probably gone along...sadly.)

However, I enjoyed the book over all and can't wait to read further in Danny's adventures. Hopefully, he grows up a bit.