Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher
Author: Bruce Coville
Genre: Fantasy
Age Level: 9-12 years
SUMMARY
Jeremy Thatcher is having problems in school. His art teacher hates him, a girl in his class threatens to kiss him, and the other boys tease him unmercifully. When he stumbles upon Mr. Elives' magic shop, and he leaves with a dragon's egg, Jeremy finds that an entirely new set of problems await him. Where will he keep the dragon? Will he be able to keep his new pet a secret as he has been instructed? How will he feed the dragon? How will he prevent the dragon from disturbing his father's animal patients? And ultimately, how will he bring himself to send the dragon back home when the time comes?
CRITIQUE
A good fantasy author, such as J.R.R Tolkien or J.K. Rowling, creates an entire world into which the characters and their actions come into existence. In this respect, Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher, was a failure. There was an extreme lack of depth and sophistication, not to mention character development. In my reading, I did not get the sense that the story took place within a larger framework. I realize that this book is part of a series, but still maintain that the author did not successfully create a coherent fantasy world.
I was also disappointed with the implicit message of this novel. It would have been more satisfying to watch Jeremy grow into a stronger person - after his adventures with the dragon - who was more equipped to deal with the problems he faced. Instead, to a large extent, Jeremy used his relationship with the dragon as a form of escapism (e.g. midnight flights, dreams, magical connection). While there was some character growth and development, it was very minimal compared to what we see, for example, is C.S. Lewis' The Silver Chair
.The bottom line is that while there is nothing highly objectionable in this novel, it is pretty superficial reading. I wouldn't recommend it.
RATINGS
Disrespectful/Bad Attitude: Mild
Frightening/Suspenseful: Mild
Profanity: Mild
Sex: Mild
Substance Use: None
Mature Themes: None
Violence: Mild
SPECIFIC CONTENT
Disrespectful/Bad Attitude:
-Mr. Kravitz, the art teacher, gives Jeremy a "smug, nasty smile."
-Jeremy calls Mr. Elives an "old fruitcake" behind his back.
-Jeremy calls a cat "rotten" and then sticks his tongue out at him.
-Mr. Kravitz refers to one of his students as a "little weasel."
Frightening/Suspenseful:
-When Jeremy sets out to return Tiamat to her home on Midsummer Night, the fog becomes very dense and neither boy nor dragon know what to expect. Then a hooded figure steps out of the mist toward them.
-On several occasions, Jeremy fells unexpected pain and realizes that he is sensing Tiamat's pain and emotions.
Profanity:
-Words used include 'creep', 'shut up', 'fathead', 'stupid', and 'jerk.'
Sex:
-Mary Lou, a girl in Jeremy's class, writes him a note saying, "I think you are incredibly cute...I am going to kiss you after school today if it's the last thing I ever do."
-On several occasions, the boys in Jeremy's class make "loud, wet, kissing noises" when he walks past them on the playground.
-Students chant "Jeremy Thatcher and Hot-Stuff Hutton - the Ro-o-o-o-mance of the Century" every time they see him.
Violence:
-Tiamat, the dragon, sets fire to Mr. Kravitz's foot.
-A boy torments a cat by tying its legs together and then poking it with a stick.
-A boy gives Jeremy "a ferocious kick" that sends him "sprawling face first into the dirt."
-Tiamat, who is invisible to the boy, begins to claw at him. During the ensuing struggle the dragon becomes entangled in a thorn bush and her wings get scratched.
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