13 fantasy books for dragon-obsessed children

One of my proudest moments as a parent was when I realized that I had succeeded in convincing my child that books in which dragons play an important role are, objectively speaking, extremely cool and good.

Now she’s only 7, and she’s got plenty of time to realize that mom is a huge nerd and that her teenage rebellion will be to get really into tennis or something. And that’s OK! She needs to make her own way. But in the meantime, while she’s still young enough to enjoy me reading to her, I’m going to feed her dragon fandom with everything I’ve got.

So I’ve done a lot of research into what we could read next and am sharing it with you today, along with the books that have been a hit in our house so far.

Dragon Master by Tracey West

These books, more than any other, have inspired my daughter to explore longer, more complex stories. (We introduced them to her when her father and I just couldn’t read a single book anymore.) Rainbow Magic Book.) The story begins when 8-year-old Drake is plucked from his life on an onion farm to become a Dragon Master, working with a dragon named Worm. We watch as the ranks of the Dragon Masters grow with children and dragons from a variety of cultures from across a whole fantasy world, battling various villains. Also nice: Book 22 in the series, The invisible dragons guardhas a non-binary character who is seamlessly and casually incorporated into the story.

The Chronicles of the Enchanted Forest by Patricia C. Wrede

My daughter is so obsessed with this series—which has been around since I was her age—that when we finished the fourth book, we immediately started over again. (We also found the whole book on CD at the library and decided to listen to it in the car this summer when we drive to her grandparents.) These books are about the adventures of Cimorene, a very naughty princess who wants to do all the things princesses aren’t allowed to do (like learn magic, or really anything other than courtly dancing and protocol). So she runs off to become a dragon princess, and silly shenanigans ensue. Basically, it’s a whole bunch of inside jokes about the conventions of fairy tales, and it’s a delight.

Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke

The same librarian who recommended the Enchanted Forest Chronicles also referred us to Cornelia Funke’s Inkheart. Unfortunately, I made the fatal decision to show too much enthusiasm and my child was immediately stubborn. Maybe we’ll read it one day! It looks absolutely gorgeous! In the meantime, I have high hopes for this book about a lonely boy, a brave dragon and a quest. (You just have to love quests.) But I’m playing it very coolso that this does not happen again Inkheart Situation.

How to train your dragon by Cressida Cowell

The film adaptations of this series are so popular that it is easy to forget that it was a book series first! But it is our next stop after Half magic. (This will give us something to do until we can ride the Dragon roller coaster at Universal in 2025.)

Eragon by Christopher Paolini

This book is more for teens than middle grade readers, but I know it’s in our future because it’s one of the most iconic young adult fantasy series of the last 20 years… and I’ve never read it!

Dragon Breath by Ursula Vernon

I am a huge fan of Vernon’s adult books written under the name T. Kingfisher. (Start with the absolutely beautiful Nettle & Boneand then on to her very funny and adorable paladin romances.) And that’s why I really hope my kid will love her middle grade series about a dragon named Danny Dragonbreath.

Dragon Kingdom of Wrenly by Jordan Quinn

We are currently in the phase of learning to read, in which my child may reads pretty much anything she can get her hands on, but she hasn’t started reading for pleasure on her own yet. However, I’m not sure that’s entirely true, as I regularly find piles of books on the floor of her room, which leads me to believe that she’s secretly reading to herself, but refuses to give up the game so we can keep reading to her. (Which we would do anyway, of course!) What I’m saying is that the first book in this series is the first one I’ve caught her reading silently to herself at breakfast.

Dragon Girl by Maddy Mara

OK, this one has a bit Rainbow Magic Energy. But hey, the reason so many of us have read a million sequels to the adventures of Kristy Tate and Rachel Walker and their weird fairy friends (the baby animal rescue fairies? Really?) is because kids LOVE them. I’m hoping my kid will be so obsessed with them that he’ll read them on his own.

Fire Wings by Tui T. Sutherland

We listened to about 10 minutes of the first part of this series on audiobook a few years ago – just long enough to keep my child hooked and for me to conclude that she wasn’t quite ready for the subject matter. But I think we’re ready now!

Dragonology by Dugald A. Steer

I would be completely remiss if I skipped the “non-fiction” subgenre of dragon books. And the absolute gold standard for these types of books is still the iconic “ology” books. The dragon part is a delight (though for my money, not quite as good as Oceanologywhich in my opinion is the best of all).

The discovery of dragons by Graeme Base

Likewise, this purports to be a historical text by a 19th century dragon researcher. (In fact, it is by the man who wrote Animals — remember that?) And I found it absolutely hilarious, so much so that I giggled while reading it to my child, not least because the fictional author can’t stop talking about how much he loves the Offal of another fictional dragon researcher from the 19th century. It’s never too early for the kids to learn about bitter professional rivalries. This book is actually out of print, but I bet there’s a copy at your local library. Plus, you can get it second hand.

The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien

Yes, it takes a while before we get to the actual dragon part of this classic about Bilbo Baggins, the upstanding hobbit nobleman who embarks on an adventurous career when he is recruited by the wizard Gandalf as a burglar and travels halfway around the world (and back again, of course). But The Hobbit is actually very droll and funny and often silly in a way that kids love, and it’s all about the journey, right? Just beware if there are any arachnophobes in the house. It’s a bit too demanding for younger children and shorter attention spans, but I bought this illustrated edition and the pictures helped keep my child engaged. I also highly recommend the BBC radio adaptation, which is great for long car journeys.

The Earthsea Cycle by Ursula K. LeGuin

My lifelong fantasy readers know that this book is a must-read. But much of it is quite heavy thematically, so there is a good chance that when my child is actually ready for The Earthsea Cycleshe’ll be old enough to insist on reading for herself. (Sob.) But maybe I can persuade her if I try this beautiful illustrated edition. As long as I don’t show too much enthusiasm, of course.