I found myself enjoying this book even when I thought that I wasn't going to. It is about a girl who leaves her village and through a series of events winds up making friends with several dragons on her way to the city to make a life for herself. I found it a little predictable, but all in all, it was a fun, light read. ( )

Very good for juvenile fantasy. I haven't read any others in this series as of yet, but am intrigued to do so. The characters in this story are so vivid and distinct that I found myself thinking about them and their individual plot lines between readings.

Because there is a bit of a slow start, it is not one I would necessarily recommend for reluctant readers, but the pace does pick up after about 35 pages. ( )

Reviewed by Jocelyn Pearce for TeensReadToo.com

DRAGON SLIPPERS is one of the best fantasy books I've read in ages! I always feel like good fantasy is hard to find, but this book certainly succeeded in being that and much more.

When Creel's parents die, her rather silly aunt is going to be hard-pressed to come up with the money to feed Creel and her brother, so she comes up with a plan. She's going to give Creel to the dragon rumored to live in the hills near their town and convince a local nobleman's son to rescue and marry the "fair maiden."

Anyone with sense knows this is ridiculous. The dragon is only a myth...Right?

Wrong. Creel, however, is clever enough to talk her way out of the hands of the dragon (who doesn't really want to eat her, and, by the way, collects shoes, not gold), and out of the bargain she gets a comfortable pair of blue slippers, which she wears on the long walk to the capitol, where she wants to find work putting the sewing and embroidering skills taught to her by her mother to use. It seems like a simple enough plan; however, life is never as simple as we think it is going to be.

DRAGON SLIPPERS is an un-put-downable read, set in a vividly created fantasy world. The characters are wonderful, too (although I feel the storytelling, rather than the characters, is Jessica Day George's strength in this story). DRAGON SLIPPERS is an excellent novel, one sure to appeal to fantasy fans of all ages. ( )

Recommended Ages: Gr. 6-9

Plot Summary: Creel's aunt can't afford to feed her anymore and hopes a prince will rescue Creel from a dragon. But when Creel and her family go near the cave, they are shocked when a dragon sticks it's head out. Creel thinks quickly, even though she's scared, and arranges for a pair of blue slippers in exchange for convincing the prince not to fight the dragon. As she walks to King's Seat, where she hopes to get a job as a seamstress, Shardas saves her from people giving her trouble, takes her in for a month as she embroiders samples, then delivers her to King's Seat to find work. She gets work at a dress shop where one of the customers, Princess Amalia, admires her blue slippers. When the slippers show up missing, trouble starts. The dragons are controlled by the slippers, and it becomes Creel's job, with Prince Luka, Tobin, and Ulfrid's help, to help get the dragons out of the control of evil Amalia.

Setting: starts in Carlieff, then at King's Seat, all in Feravel. Nearby is Roulain.

Characters:
Creelisel Carlbrun -
Theoradus - 670 yo brown dragon, in cave just ouside Carlieff, collects shoes
Shardas - yellow gold dragon, collects stained glass windows, gave Creel a home for a month
Feniul - green dragon, collects dogs, like an old uncle
Azarte - Feniul's favorite dog
Milan the First
Hagen - Creel's brother
Prince Luka - younger prince, Creel's friend
Prince Miles - crown prince, engaged to Princess Amalia
Tobin - Luka's bodyguard, tatooed, deaf
Princess Amalia - evil princess
Ulfrid - Tobin's mom
King Caxel and Queen Temia - royal family in Fervel
Derda - dress shop owner
Larkin - works in dress shop, walks with limp, helps Princess Amalia
Marta - works in dress shop, wants to be co-owner of store with Creel, interested in Tobin
Alle - works in dress shop
Duke and Duchess of Mordrel - Creel's friends
King Milun - king of Roulain, Amalia's father
Velika - dragon queen, Shardas' mate

Recurring Themes: dragons, commoners and princes, seamstress, embroidery, stained glass windows, collections, friendship, employers

Controversial Issues: pg 5 "I am a virgin, pure and true."

pg 6 "It was almost exactly like the caves to the east where my girl cousins met their swains to canoodle."

Personal Thoughts: This book was wonderful. I found myself sneaking in 1-3 pages at a time just so I could find out what happened next. My favorite part was the good character development. I liked the way Creel and her friendships formed. They were believable and authentic.

If you like Shannon Hale, try this. It was really quite good! ( )