Jaxon's mother drops him off at the door of a stranger she calls "Ma" while she goes to court to fight eviction from their Brooklyn apartment. Jax has never even heard of this "Ma" and she in turn does not seem happy to see him. Is she his grandmother? Ma makes Jax a peanut butter sandwich as he gets use to this unusual new environment. Ma has three tiny lizards that she puts in a mint tin, but are they really lizards? A walk to the park leads to a meeting with a bundled up homeless man and even more secrets. The man is a gatekeeper to other dimensions. Ma reveals that her job is to safely transport baby dragons born in Madagascar to a different world where they will be safe. Jax and Ma hop in the portal with the tin of baby dragons, only something goes wrong. They land in prehistoric times and a giant dinosaur is heading right towards them. Ma sends Jax with her bag of dragons back through the portal, leaving herself stuck in dino-danger. Where will Jax land? Will he ever be reunited with Ma, assuming she is alright? And what is to become of these baby dragons?
Dragons in a Bag hits a real sweet spot in children's literature. The reading level is perfect for those kids done with transitional chapter books, but not ready for Wings of Fire. Dragons are trending right now, yet there is little for this audience. Another selling point is the fully diverse cast, which is unusual for fantasy, which tends to skew white. Best of all, this adventurous story will hook readers right away and get their imaginations souring. Time travel, dinosaurs, and dragons are all brought together in a realistic contemporary Brooklyn setting. Jax is a likable and believable character with a loving yet struggling single parent family. Kids will identify with him and experience the adventure through his eyes. Beyond having a marvelous adventure, Jax learns to trust, grows in confidence, and discovers the importance of family, both that of which we were born into and that in which we make ourselves. A sequel, The Dragon Thief, follows. A wonderful flight of fancy perfect for a summer stuck at home. This title is also available for download through Overdrive/Libby.
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