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Raising Dragons
(Dragons in Our Midst #1)
by
A boy learns of his dragon past; a girl has known hers for years. They combine their faith, courage, and love to overcome an evil slayer who seeks to bring an end to dragon heritage, forever.
The kids at school call Billy "Dragon Breath" for good reason. His breath is bad! It isn't the normal, morning-mouth bad; it's the hot-as-fire, "don't-you-dare-get-near-me" bad. Troubl ...more
The kids at school call Billy "Dragon Breath" for good reason. His breath is bad! It isn't the normal, morning-mouth bad; it's the hot-as-fire, "don't-you-dare-get-near-me" bad. Troubl ...more
Paperback, 399 pages
Published
June 21st 2004
by Scrub Jay Journeys
(first published June 1st 2004)
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Review by my 10 yr old son :-)
Billy and Bonnie are both half dragons. Bonnie has known her entire life but Billy only just found out. Not long after hearing what he is, he finds himself on the run from a crazy Dragon Slayer. He learns what and who his dad is and how and why they are being hunted.
I love Dragon books and my mom gave me this to try. I enjoyed it and found the story good - a boy finding out he is half dragon (how cool would that be???)and that his dad is a full dragon (even cooler) ...more
Billy and Bonnie are both half dragons. Bonnie has known her entire life but Billy only just found out. Not long after hearing what he is, he finds himself on the run from a crazy Dragon Slayer. He learns what and who his dad is and how and why they are being hunted.
I love Dragon books and my mom gave me this to try. I enjoyed it and found the story good - a boy finding out he is half dragon (how cool would that be???)and that his dad is a full dragon (even cooler) ...more

This is at least my fourth time visiting Billy, Bonnie, and Walter in Castlewood--and every time it's like returning to old friends!
A tale of a boy coming to grips with his father's hidden past, friends finding courage, Arthurian legend reaching through history, and a remnant dragonkind fighting to survive, I found myself remembering certain scenes with perfect clarity. Others surprised me. I'd forgotten things like Professor's crazy driving, the jar of shark teeth, what Mr. Foley looks like... ...more
A tale of a boy coming to grips with his father's hidden past, friends finding courage, Arthurian legend reaching through history, and a remnant dragonkind fighting to survive, I found myself remembering certain scenes with perfect clarity. Others surprised me. I'd forgotten things like Professor's crazy driving, the jar of shark teeth, what Mr. Foley looks like... ...more

I was tempted to give this five stars for "entertainingly bad." I mean, I have gotten a great deal of enjoyment from reading this, just not for the reasons the author intended.
Now, before I get any further, allow me to say that I think the concept had potential--dragons are cool when done well, and the idea of them hiding out in human form is interesting, etc.
But the execution was...poor. The characters are about as well-developed and intriguing as oatmeal (and they're named "Billy Bannister" a ...more
Now, before I get any further, allow me to say that I think the concept had potential--dragons are cool when done well, and the idea of them hiding out in human form is interesting, etc.
But the execution was...poor. The characters are about as well-developed and intriguing as oatmeal (and they're named "Billy Bannister" a ...more

I really enjoyed this. It was many years ago when I first read this and I wasn't sure my opinion would be the same. Overall it was.
A lot of fantasy some chase and intrigue and a dash of light comedy and good action. The pace is busy from beginning to end. I was quickly drawn into the characters and their predicaments. They are easy to connect to. My favorite characters are the enigma Mr. Hamilton and Walter who is an amazing best friend on many levels. Some prophecies spoken in the the time of ...more
A lot of fantasy some chase and intrigue and a dash of light comedy and good action. The pace is busy from beginning to end. I was quickly drawn into the characters and their predicaments. They are easy to connect to. My favorite characters are the enigma Mr. Hamilton and Walter who is an amazing best friend on many levels. Some prophecies spoken in the the time of ...more

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.

Raising Dragons is a fantasy by Bryan Davis about two kids: Billy and Bonnie. They are fairly normal teenagers except for one thing: Billy breathes fire, and bonnie has wings. Bonnie already knows one of her parents was a dragon, Billy finds out on his own when he blows at a smoke detector and sets it off. They also find out that someone very close to them is a dragon slayer. When they crash land out of a plane they are stranded on the top of a deserted mountain: with the slayer. Will they make
...more

The writing is slow and overly-descriptive, so stunted that I just couldn't get into the pacing of the book. Davis spends so many words explaining ideas, instead of letting things happen through dialogue. The characters felt very juvenile and underdeveloped, even though they were teenagers and should have been getting into deeper/darker issues.
This book felt like the cliche coming-of-age story with the misfit young hero, elderly guide, and innocent heroine. Someone in another review described Da ...more
This book felt like the cliche coming-of-age story with the misfit young hero, elderly guide, and innocent heroine. Someone in another review described Da ...more

Very good. A unique take on the genre. More to come.
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Ok so I read this a while ago. Like, a WHILE. (I wasn’t aware that goodreads was a thing at the time) but I remember loving it. Many biblical references. This is THE dragon book - better than all the rest. This is the book to read if you hated eragon.
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Ok so I read this a while ago. Like, a WHILE. (I wasn’t aware that goodreads was a thing at the time) but I remember loving it. Many biblical references. This is THE dragon book - better than all the rest. This is the book to read if you hated eragon.

**Updated Review: One if my book goals for 2020 is to revisit some old favorites from my childhood and early teen years, and the Dragons in our Midst series seemed like the perfect place to start. These were books that grew with me. I read them over and over, and carried them with me everywhere. When I received the series as audio books I listened to the books on repeat, more times than I can count.
They brought to life moral aspects such as honor, friendship, and faith in a way I found attainab ...more
They brought to life moral aspects such as honor, friendship, and faith in a way I found attainab ...more

This book is simply amazing! I picked it up and started reading not knowing how i would feel about it. It seemed weird how dragons could be incorporated into a christian story and still be a good thing without contradicting itself. But it was great, its one of those books which puts you into the story and sets the scene and all so you are there with the characters.
Well it starts off describing Billy and Bonnies life. They appear to be normal kids living in Montana but they are apart of a long l ...more
Well it starts off describing Billy and Bonnies life. They appear to be normal kids living in Montana but they are apart of a long l ...more

As a mother of young children and a lover of fantasy this book is a winner for me. Knowing this is a book geared toward children and teens, I read it keeping my eyes open for appropriateness and characters with integrity. I can say in that department, I give it a full 5 stars. This book is one I would gladly sit down and read to my children 6-10 without any qualms. The books characters exhibit qualities and traits that I would like to see developed in my own children and the story is one that gr
...more

I REALLY love this series. It's fantasy, and I love that, but more than that, it's inspirational. I love all the symbolism and Christianity in it. You're an awesome author Bryan! keep at it!!!
...more

Billy "Dragon Breath" Bannister has some serious problems, and not all of them are about his super-hot breath.
1: The new principal at his school is really creepy.
2: Adam Lark keeps getting him into trouble.
3: Kids are saying that he and the new girl, Bonnie Silver, a foster child, have the hots for each other.
And... oh yeah.
4: His dad is a dragon.
Billy is launched into an incredible adventure revolving around the stories of Clefspeare the dragon, King Arthur, the New Table, and the foster kid B ...more
1: The new principal at his school is really creepy.
2: Adam Lark keeps getting him into trouble.
3: Kids are saying that he and the new girl, Bonnie Silver, a foster child, have the hots for each other.
And... oh yeah.
4: His dad is a dragon.
Billy is launched into an incredible adventure revolving around the stories of Clefspeare the dragon, King Arthur, the New Table, and the foster kid B ...more

Billy and Bonnie are beyond your normal teenagers. Bonnie has wings that she hides under a backpack and Billy is able to breathe fire... This strange nominally is because their parents or at least one of their parents was a dragon. YEP! A dragon. Not only a dragon but one that is 1500 years old and being hunted by slayers.
The writing is missing a beat, but the artwork is really very good. BUT it was good enough that I kept reading it. I don't know that I will read the whole series, but I am alr ...more
The writing is missing a beat, but the artwork is really very good. BUT it was good enough that I kept reading it. I don't know that I will read the whole series, but I am alr ...more

Raising Dragons by Bryan Davis is the first book in the Dragons in Our Midst series.
Like I said in one of my many status updates for this book, this isn't normally the type of book I'd read. However, I ordered my friend to read the first Love Comes Softly book, and that isn't normally the kind of book she reads. So I felt obligated to read it when she told me it was good. So there's a little backstory for you. ANYWAY.
In this book, a teenager, Billy, learns a secret his parents have been keepin ...more
Like I said in one of my many status updates for this book, this isn't normally the type of book I'd read. However, I ordered my friend to read the first Love Comes Softly book, and that isn't normally the kind of book she reads. So I felt obligated to read it when she told me it was good. So there's a little backstory for you. ANYWAY.
In this book, a teenager, Billy, learns a secret his parents have been keepin ...more

This Book was amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was talking about how the parents that were former dragons affected their children's lives since that are all being killed by a slayer that drank a potion to live forever. When Bonnie the daughter of a former dragon finds a boy named Billy. And what brought them together? The dragon part of them brought them together, with Bonnie's Dragon wings and Billy's fiery breath they came together to fight off the slayer and hopefully find out about their parents pa
...more

Storyline - Raising Dragons - Billy is a regular kid, with a regular family, with regular problems. Or so he thought. One day he finds out he is really part dragon. But that is not the only problem, a dragon slayer has come to kill them and the other part dragon kid Billy has become friends with, Bonnie. Will they be able to defeat the slayer and survive? And what exactly happened to the dragons?
Positive - The characters are honorable and self sacrificial. They fight the evil that is not only co ...more
Positive - The characters are honorable and self sacrificial. They fight the evil that is not only co ...more

When I first read this story in sixth or seventh grade, I found it riveting. It was my first taste of fantasy fiction, and I could hardly put the book down. Revisiting it now that I have some life experience and know what good writing actually is, this is terrible. If I need to give someone an example of bad writing that actually got published, this is what I point them to. (What is even more appalling is that his publication has led to Mr. Davis teaching writing at seminars.) I simply cannot ra
...more

What I thought of it:
Raising Dragons is the awesome first book to the Dragons in our Midst series by Bryan Davis. It is a Christian fantasy book with some medieval times (mostly later in the series) and I happen to love all those genres.
Anyways, onto the review! I love all of this book. After reading this, I kept hoping that at least one of my parents was a dragon, but that hasn’t happened… yet. I’d love to list all my favorite parts, but it would be way to long and full of tons of spoilers.
Brya ...more
Raising Dragons is the awesome first book to the Dragons in our Midst series by Bryan Davis. It is a Christian fantasy book with some medieval times (mostly later in the series) and I happen to love all those genres.
Anyways, onto the review! I love all of this book. After reading this, I kept hoping that at least one of my parents was a dragon, but that hasn’t happened… yet. I’d love to list all my favorite parts, but it would be way to long and full of tons of spoilers.
Brya ...more


**Find this and other reviews, plus fun stuff, on my blogs! Booklikes or Blogspot**
Basic Info
Format: Audio
Pages/Length: 8hrs
Genre: Young Adult; Fantasy; Dragons
Reason For Reading: Challenge
At A Glance
Love Triangle/Insta Love/Obsession?: Insta a little.
Cliff Hanger: No
Triggers: n/a
Rating: 3 stars
Score Sheet
All out of ten
Cover: 7
Plot: 6
Characters: 6
World Building: 6
Flow: 5
Series Congruity: n/a
Writing: 6
Ending: 6
Total: 6
In Depth
Best Part: Dragons
Worst Part: Bored characters
Thoughts Had: you ne ...more

Got dragon breath?
Raising Dragons is the first novel in the Dragons in Our Midst series by Bryan Davis.
Billy has dragon breath, and he didn’t just forget to brush his teeth. His breath scalds his own fingers, burns his mother’s cheek when he kisses her goodbye, and sets off the school fire alarm. Despite his attempts with soda, water, and breath mints, nothing seems to cool his breath. The answer to his concerns comes when his father reveals a long-kept secret: he is a dragon who has been hiding ...more
Raising Dragons is the first novel in the Dragons in Our Midst series by Bryan Davis.
Billy has dragon breath, and he didn’t just forget to brush his teeth. His breath scalds his own fingers, burns his mother’s cheek when he kisses her goodbye, and sets off the school fire alarm. Despite his attempts with soda, water, and breath mints, nothing seems to cool his breath. The answer to his concerns comes when his father reveals a long-kept secret: he is a dragon who has been hiding ...more

I will just start off by saying, I LOVED THIS BOOK! I have been reading quite a bit lately, and this book struck me like none has in a while. I am not sure if it is the style of writing by the author, the characters, the setting, the topics, or maybe that magical element the author just happened to nail.
There was plenty going on in this book, so I never felt there were any parts that dragged along. We went from one scene to the next, with something happening in every chapter, but not the "their ...more
There was plenty going on in this book, so I never felt there were any parts that dragged along. We went from one scene to the next, with something happening in every chapter, but not the "their ...more

this book was great. its about a young man and his friends. but not just any young man and friend. he is from a long line of ancient dragons and he has the ability to breathe fire. this is the first book in the series, so he is trying to learn to control his ability. it just happens randomly throughout the story. his friend is a girl who has also come from a long line of dragons, she has dragon wings and can fly. her mom and billy's (the boy) dad knew eachother as dragons back in king arthur tim
...more

Billy is known at school as 'Dragon Breath' and it turns out to be true. Bonnie is known as 'Bonnie Backpack' which she won't take off because it hides her wings, dragon wings. It turns out that they are both halfbreeds. Bonnie grew up knowing, but her mothers was killed and now she lives with foster parents. Billy's mother and father have hidden it from him for all of his life until they realize that his breath is absolutely scorching and not in the strictly smelly sense. so, the kids are half
...more

Raising Dragons, by Bryan Davis is an spectacular action adventure, with lovable characters. It created the sensation of wanting to read more and explore the world of magic and dragons. The author also used many different descriptive words, enhancing the reader. Bryan Davis created an adventure with lovable characters and movie-like descriptive sentences.
It starts of with Billy, the main character, explaining how he has "Dragon Breath", this catches the readers attention of Billy and how he is ...more
It starts of with Billy, the main character, explaining how he has "Dragon Breath", this catches the readers attention of Billy and how he is ...more

The writing in this story (and subsequent books) is amazing. Bryan Davis keeps the story moving at rip-roaring speed and you never want to put it down. At the end of book one, you can’t get to book two fast enough. That said, books that combine ‘other worldliness’ (i.e. Dragon’s that can turn into humans) with real world (God and salvation) always make me a little uncomfortable. I feel more doctrinally safe in worlds like Narnia that are separate from ours and allow our world’s rules to stay the
...more

This book was excellent; I have read it several times. It has fantasy but later on it adds a dash of science fiction. Not to mention there are some pretty funny (HILARIOUS) characters. It had a very thorough plot and an ending that is to die for. I definitely recommend this series. There is also a prequel and sequel series, but they are not necessary to read before or after this series (I have not yet read them , although I intend to.)
http://www.rachelsbookreviews.com/q-z... ...more
http://www.rachelsbookreviews.com/q-z... ...more
topics | posts | views | last activity | |
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YA Buddy Readers'...:
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7 | 16 | Apr 16, 2017 06:38PM | |
What did people think of Raising Dragons? | 6 | 29 | Apr 11, 2016 11:31PM | |
What's the Name o...: SOLVED. Book about boy with Dragon Parents and starts having Dragon abilties [s] | 7 | 156 | Jul 07, 2014 01:53PM |
Bryan Davis is the author several speculative-fiction series, including Dragons in Our Midst, Oracles of Fire, Children of the Bard, The Reapers Trilogy, The Time Echoes Trilogy, Tales of Starlight, and Dragons of Starlight.
Bryan lives in western Tennessee with his wife, Susie. Bryan and Susie have homeschooled their four girls and three boys.
Bryan was born in 1958 and grew up in the eastern U.S. ...more
Bryan lives in western Tennessee with his wife, Susie. Bryan and Susie have homeschooled their four girls and three boys.
Bryan was born in 1958 and grew up in the eastern U.S. ...more
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Dragons in Our Midst
(4 books)
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“Forever and ever Bonnie, I will always be your friend.”
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“Dad just told me that I'm the son of a dragon!And then he leaves?”
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