City of Dragons: The Awakening Storm

City of Dragons: The Awakening Storm
Jaimal Yogis & Vivian Truong
Graphix/Scholastic, 2021
233 pages
Grades 4-7
Graphic Fantasy
City of Dragons series #1

After losing her beloved father to cancer, Grace's mother remarries her late dad's doctor and the family moves to Hong Kong for step-dad's work. Starting at a new school is scary, but at the elite private international school, Grace eventually makes a small group of like-minded nerdy friends. While ditching school with one of her new pals, Grace is called a "Hunxue" by a strange elderly lady and given a blue stone. Imagine Grace's surprise as the stone hatches--into a baby dragon! Complications arise as Grace and her friends try to keep the dragon hidden from prying eyes and learn to care for it. They name the dragon Hank (after Grace's deceased father) and go in search of help from the elderly lady once Hank starts failing. This search proves to be futile, but does lead them to a weird old man, who is referred to as "The Prophet". The man not only knows the legend behind the dragons, but what Hank needs to survive. A journey to an island to help Hank leads to danger and surprises, unleashing a chain of events, making it difficult for the gang to know who to trust or where to turn next. 

A new graphic novel series starts with a bang and introduces two newcomers to the field. Dragons are currently trending and Yogis and Truong introduce western readers to the eastern version of the mythological beasts. Seeped in folklore and legend, readers will enjoy the action packed story, as they learn about Chinese culture. Who wouldn't want to discover a dragon egg? This is a popular theme in children's literature, yet this series does it a bit differently. Being of mixed race makes Grace "special" and able to communicate with dragons. Biracial kids will feel empowered by the magic that is within them and celebrated between the books pages. The full-color illustrations have an anime quality that will appeal to a variety of readers. Containing a little something for everyone, this book is sure to find an audience. As part of the Scholastic book club machine it is guaranteed to get on kid's radars and, as a cut above the usual graphic novel for kids, it should have a long shelf-life.