Voices of Dragons - C. Vaughn

[Heather]

[Darcy]

I really liked this book. I thought it was a cute little story about tolerance and racism. Kay and the dragon were so very much the same in their thinking. It seemed like the adults around them were so much more closed minded. I also loved the ending and wished that we could have seen more about the island.

[Heather]

I loved it despite a plot issue or two that could have been strengthened up. Like Darcy, I'd like to hear more about the end.

This is what I wrote after reading the book:

***Spoiler***



I love that the book touches on prejudices and the fears that people have of people/ideas/things in general that are foreign to them. That, if it weren't for the bigots in this world, peace could be more of a possibility than it currently is. I'd love to use this book in class with a few others to initiate discussions of segregation, reservations, etc and have the kids relate it to actual historical events and the reasons behind people do things like this. What is it in human nature that makes us treat others the way we have. Whether it be placing Indians in reservations, policies of separate but equal, the slave trade, the Holocaust, etc. we're frequently motivated to wrong others because of our own fears. Or our own sense of superiority. It's hard to get them to read text books, or historical fiction, but books like this and other more fictional stories would be a more interesting approach for them. I look forward to trying it sometime, even if it's just an extra credit assignment, just to see what the students take away from doing a comparison project.
The book set off so many possible assignment buzzards in my head that I kind of wish I were teaching English.

[Literary Ames]

I really liked this book for many of the reasons described all ready. Apparently there will be a sequel but Carrie just doesn't know when it will get written as she's so busy with other projects at the moment.

http://carriev.wordpress.com/2010/03/...

[Heather]

That's good to know. That makes more sense since it cuts off right where you want to know more.

[Literary Ames]

I know. I wasn't happy with what felt like a huge cliff-hanger. I hope Carrie manages to squeeze in the sequel soon.

[Darcy]

I know what you girls are talking about. I want to know what happened when they got to the island.