Book Briefs: Beka's Picks

Not Your Typical Dragon, by Dan Bar-el

Crispin is not your typical dragon. On his seventh birthday, Crispin tries to breathe fire for the first time. His family is surprised when, instead of fire, Crispin breathes out whipped cream!

Throughout the story, Crispin’s inability to breathe fire is treated as a problem by all of the adults in his life. His idea of a “real dragon” is deeply ingrained in his mind, and Crispin begins to believe that he will never be a real dragon himself. He leaves home, where he meets a quirky knight, Sir George, who struggles with relatable problems. Together, the duo tries and try to help Crispin learn how to breathe fire.

Crispin is worried he will never find his fire and nearly gives up, but when he returns home, and a family emergency breaks out, he saves the day with his not-so-typical abilities.

Not Your Typical Dragon was a fun read with my three-year-old, who loved the quirky dragon illustrations. The book offers a young-age-appropriate lesson in acceptance and friendship. It was also a great reminder, as an adult, that we can always grow, learn and do better. Not Your Typical Dragon is geared towards preschool-aged through first grade-aged children, and is available on all major book platforms.

LATER, by Stephen King

The son of single, struggling publisher Tia Conklin, Jamie Conklin is an unusually perceptive eight-year-old. He can see dead people, but not like Haley Joel Osment in “that Bruce Willis movie.” Furthermore, he can communicate with the dead, and the dead can’t lie.

Once the adults in his life recognize his gift, it is exploited and used against his wishes. Jamie understands the “rules” of communicating with the dead (not to be confused with ghosts), and he follows those closely. Things are okay until crooked cop Liz Dutton uses it to her advantage and exposes Jamie to a long list of dangers with serious consequences for both of them.

The New York Times described Later as “something of a genre hybrid: part detective tale, part thriller, with a horror story filling in the seams,” which drew me in. King crafted a creepy yet painfully believable story with paranormal and otherworldly terrors, and plenty of familiar horrors, like losing loved ones. He buckled the book together with plenty of dark humor.

Later was published in March of 2021 and is available on Audible, the Kindle store, and Google Play Store. Copies of the book are available through most major platforms.