Dragons in a Bag

Great fun -- a combination of dimensional/time traveling, interesting and mysterious characters (invisible man! Phoenix in a back yard! a witch!) and a wonderful marriage of magic and everyday life. I particularly appreciated that Jax is presented as a full fledged character, with many facets -- he loves geography, and is full of interest in the world around him. He's worried about his mother and about getting evicted from their apartment. His father died some time ago, and he thinks he and his mom are alone in the world, but he has good family friends to call on, and he has a distinct and thoughtful relationship with his neighborhood in Brooklyn. He's an impoverished child of color, but he's not in any way presented as a stereotype -- show more that's just one of the many things that make up his identity, and the point of the book is the magical adventure. How refreshing. show less

Jaxon's mom leaves him with "Ma" while she goes to court to try to prevent their eviction. Ma turns out to be a witch, and the mysterious package in her kitchen is...dragons! Ma is tasked with bringing the dragons out of Brooklyn and into the magical realm, and Jaxon is her helper for the day. But all does not go according to plan...first the transporter doesn't work and they end up in the time of the dinosaurs, then Jaxon and Ma are separated, then Jaxon's friend's little sister Kavita takes the dinosaurs out and feeds them sweets...and they begin to grow.

Throughout the book, Jaxon is always polite, and insists on a certain amount of respect for himself as well (for instance, not answering to "boy," only his own name). He is good at show more geography, but leans on Vik and Kavita for paleontology facts. This fun fantasy is a quick read (with a sequel), set in Brooklyn. Jaxon, his mother, and Ma are Black; Vik and Kavita are South Asian; and Ambrose is invisible.

Back matter includes acknowledgments and a sneak preview of The Dragon Thief; readers are likely eager to know what happens next, as the three dragons have yet to be returned to their realm!

See also: Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher by Bruce Coville

Quotes

"She keeps trying to outrun trouble, but life don't work that way. Trouble will come for you no matter where you try to hide. Best thing is to be ready for it." (Ma to Jaxon, 30)

"Sometimes you can't let your love show. Sometimes you have to say no when you want to say yes, because it's the responsible thing to do." (Ma to Jaxon, 39)

"Ma believed in me, and that made it easy to believe in myself." (Trub to Jaxon, 104)

"People fear what they don't know, and when you're separated from folks just 'cause you're different...well, our people know what that feels like." (Trub to Jaxon, 117)

"...sometimes you don't have time to make a plan. Sometimes you just have to use whatever you've got to do whatever you can." (Ma to Jaxon, 132) show less

Jaxon’s life has not been easy; his father’s dead, his mother’s the only family he has, and the landlord is intent on evicting the two of them. But just one day is about to change his whole life.

Parents, if possible, do not read the children the blurb to this — pardon the pun — magical book. It gives too much away. Just tell them this. Jaxon’s mom, Alicia — desperate to stave off eviction and with nowhere else to turn — begs a curmudgeonly old lady to watch Jaxon for just a few hours. The stern old lady, called by Ma by everyone, very reluctantly agrees, but Ma and Jaxon both have more than they can handle when three baby dragons show up in the mail and Jaxon discovers that Ma is an actual witch!

Zetta Elliott turns show more Brooklyn into a place of unseen wonder and delight as she weaves this wonderous tale of how family is where you find it. If possible, parents and grandparents will love it more than the kids. Highly recommended.

P.S. — Be sure to have the sequel The Dragon Thief on hand. You’ll want to jump right in after the first chapter book’s cliffhanger ending. show less

I enjoyed this urban fantasy with unique and well-developed characters. Nine-year-old Jax has been dropped off with an older woman he doesn't even know when his single mom has to go to court to file a claim against their landlord, who is trying to evict them. "Ma" and he do not hit it off in the first hour, so Jax runs off, but when Ma explains herself, and Jax learns she needs help with baby dragons, they begin to develop a friendship. It's not all easy, though. Ma doesn't baby Jax, she lies to him, and tells him very little about herself and her work. Jax figures things out on his own, and with the help of two strange, but kind men who appear homeless. Elliott creates a realistic urban world in Brooklyn, complete with descriptions of show more the real Prospect Park, and a parallel fantasy world, both believable. It is unusual to see Blacks featured in fantasy novels for young readers, so I find this well-written novel heartening. Elliott's characters, settings, science, and uniqueness are a breath of fresh air. I'm eager to read Jax's further adventures in "The Dragon Thief". show less

When nine-year-old Jaxon’s overwhelmed mother drops him off to stay with Ma for a day, the two don’t exactly hit it off. And when the elderly woman leaves him with a bag full of baby dragons and a mission, he must find the courage and the inner strength to complete it.

In this lower middle-grade novel, Jax is instantly likeable. His refusal to be cowed by a cranky adult and his resourcefulness as the day goes from bad to worse kept me rooting for him throughout the book.

All the characters are distinctive, and even those who seem villainous are more complex than they first appear. Items so common that we overlook them have magical uses. Teamwork, not violence, saves the day. And I loved the humor!

I really really enjoyed this romp through a magical version of NYC.

When Jaxon's mom is busy she reluctantly drops him off at "Ma"'s house - but Ma isn't his grandmother - she is an urban witch who's got some baby dragons to deal with. Suddenly Jaxon is going through space & time in an effort to find a safe place for dragons before they start to grow.

He is "helped" by a couple of school friends but their help may be his undoing....

I loved this one. It has a very simple narrative but is brilliantly written as a introductory fantasy novel for young readers. It places the narrative behind a single character and takes him on a whirlwind adventure through time and reality. Things I liked about this book: magic and science are presented as one and the same. I would classify this book as both an introduction to fantasy and science fiction. Any young readers interested in getting into Harry Potter would do well to read this one first. It eases the reader into world building as a narrative concept. The author states that her intention with this book is to subvert the commonly used fantasy trope that secret fantasy worlds are only for a select few.