Dragon Catchers

Olivia's Secret Scribbles #8

by Meredith Costain, Danielle McDonald (Illustrator)

Olivia has invited her BFF Matilda to go on her family's camping trip. But what are those creepy night noises, who's leaving those interesting tracks, and could that be a dragon they saw?

96 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2020

Reviews

[Sonya Bright]

Written in diary form with heaps of energy and illustrations, Olivia records her life in this appealing series that comes with heaps of experiences young readers will relate to. And most Australian kids will see themselves in the family (and friends) as they go camping in the bush.

Children will no doubt want to try cooking the breakfasts the kids make in this book—especially the cookie dough “brown bears”! I’m sure they’ll also want to try some of the other things Olivia gets up to, like making a raft. The illustrations are helpful without pulling readers out of the book to “instruct” them.

I was wondering how they’d tie up the dragon theme, and I thought the ending was smart (and educational at the same time!).

I’ve read the Olivia series, the Ella series (about her older sister) and the junior spin-offs in no particular order, and there’s definitely so much kid appeal to them. I can see young girls in particular getting hooked!

[Mabel Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

It made me feel good when Olivia and Matilda’s boat SS Tilvia won the race. I would recommend this book to kids in grade 2 and 3. There are lots of chapters, but they’re fun.