Synopses & Reviews
Dragons are dangerous creatures---all the stories say so. But after eleven-year-old Alanna accidentally stumbles upon a cave full of dragon eggs, she soon discovers that maybe the stories have it wrong.
"Weigel has created a compulsively likable heroine who seamlessly blends her strength and compassion, reminiscent of Ben Hatke's Zita the Spacegirl. With lovable dragons, flying ships and danger around every corner, this delightful fantasy doesn't disappoint." --Kirkus Reviews
"A lively yarn whose only fault is that it's over too soon." --Publishers Weekly
Eleven-year-old Alanna and her older brother Hamel are orphans and doing their best to take care of each other until one day Alanna stumbles upon a cave full of dragon eggs.  When the eggs hatch with no mother dragon in sight, Alanna decides to take care of the babies herself, even creating a clever costume so that the babies think she, too, is a dragon. With their large appetites and accidental fire burps, Alanna learns that dragon babies are hard work! And when a mama dragon finally comes to claim the babies, Alanna’s costume is so convincing that she is swept along for the ride as they journey to Dragon Rock, a mysterious magnetic force that draws dragons of all shapes and sizes to a magical, untouched valley.
Review
"Weigel has created a compulsively likable heroine who seamlessly blends her strength and compassion, reminiscent of Ben Hatke’s Zita the Spacegirl. With lovable dragons, flying ships and danger around every corner, this delightful fantasy doesn’t disappoint. Get this charmer into the hands of fans of Jeff Smith’s Bone series and its spinoffs." (Kirkus Reviews)
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"Alanna’s ingenuity, daring, warmth, and sense of humor make the prospect of future adventures a welcome one." (Publishers Weekly)
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"It is refreshing to have a female protagonist in a story about dragons, adventure, and battles. An engaging choice." (Andy Plemmons, School Library Journal)
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"...a rip-roaring adventure… the kind of book I loved as a kid." (Brigid Alverson, Comic Book Resources "Robot 6" Blog)
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"...a graphic novel that will appeal to readers who love dragons and are looking for a brisk adventure…The characters are rich and interesting." (Esther Keller, School Library Journal's "Good Comics for Kids" blog)
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"This is a fun and adventure filled book with a strong female heroine that will definitely appeal to girls ages 7 to 12. The combination of text and illustrations makes this book appealing to kids who like comics and to kids who are reluctant readers.” (Time to Play Magazine)
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"…you should check out this highly enjoyable graphic novel." (Eric Henrickson, Detroit News)
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"Dragon Girl: The Secret Valley is enthusiastically recommended for public and school library graphic novel collections, as well as for dragon lovers everywhere." (Midwest Book Review)
About the Author
Jeff Weigel is an author, illustrator, and designer. He worked with Michael P. Spradlin to create the New York Times bestseller It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Zombies, a book of zombie Christmas carols. Weigel has also written his own children's books, Atomic Ace (He's Just My Dad) and Atomic Ace and the Robot Rampage in addition to his graphic novel Thunder From The Sea: Adventure on Board the HMS Defender. Weigel also created an interactive story-telling app for the iPad and makes frequent guest appearances at elementary schools to teach kids about drawing and writing.