If That Breathes Fire, We're Toast!

by Jennifer J Stewart

Overview

Rick is none too happy when his mother ups and drags him from San Diego, where he had friends, to Arizona, where he knows no one except for Fat Boy, his cat. He dreads a long, dull, boring summer, until the day Madam Yang arrives on the scene.

Madam Yang is no fairy godmother. She's a fire-breathing, marshmallow-eating, princess-chasing, time-traveling, hotheaded dragon, with her own ideas on just about everything.
Now Rick and his neighbor Natalie are in the hot seat. Will the two of them be able to keep Madam Yang happy, or will their goose be cooked?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780989429443
Publisher:	Hummingbird Press
Publication date:	06/19/2016
Pages:	130
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 7.99(h) x 0.31(d)
Lexile:	680L (what's this?)
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

About the Author

Award-winning author Jennifer J. Stewart is known for her seriously funny books for children. Her debut novel-If That Breathes Fire, We're Toast!-was named to VOYA's Best Fantasy list and was a finalist for the Oklahoma Sequoyah Book Award. She is also the author of Close Encounters of a Third-World Kind, The Girl Who Has Everything, and The Twelve Days of Christmas in Arizona.

When Jennifer is not writing or speaking in schools, she volunteers with the non-profit organization, Make Way for Books, which she co-founded. Its mission is to give all children the chance to read and succeed.

Table of Contents

1.	In Which I Leave My Heart in San Diego	1
2.	Dragonwerks Delivers	14
3.	Damsel Distressed	27
4.	Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch	35
5.	The Proper Diet for a Dragon	46
6.	The Dragon's Lair	60
7.	Some Enchantments Are Better Left That Way	69
8.	Dragon Flight	77
9.	Dragons Will Make You Crazy	88
10.	Madam Yang Bends the Rules	101
11.	Please Don't Eat the Princess	105
12.	Starting Over	115

Editorial Reviews

Gr 4-6-Eleven-year-old Rick narrates this humorous story of new beginnings in Arizona. When the furnace in their new house is not working, Rick points out a small label that says "Dragonwerks, Ltd. Lifetime Guarantee." His mom calls and the company agrees to send out a temporary replacement until the new models are available. What arrives in a crate is Madam Yang, a 500-year-old dragon. Rick and his new friend, Natalie, discover that Madam Yang has the ability to time travel and they have a few interesting visits to the past and one to the future. After she leaves, the children discover a gift from her, and a sequel seems probable. The writing is strongest when Rick is dealing with troubles in the present. The dialogue is fresh and the characters are likable, including the adults. The only real negative is the time-travel aspect, which seems forced; it is used to teach the kids lessons, and interrupts the developing relationships. A quick, fun read.-Karen K. Radtke, Milwaukee Public Library Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

Library Journal

Tucson gives a young San Diegan a warm welcome in more ways than one in this relaxed, readable debut. Rick Morales isn't all that happy to be moving with his mother, Sylvia, to another state, but meeting Natalie, a friendly girl, and Madam [sic] Yang, a collie-sized, 500-year-old dragon, soon puts him into better spirits. Madam Yang does not grant wishes ("Do I look like a genie? You've been mythinformed"), but does breathe fire, and volunteers to transport Rick, Natalie, and her little brother, Ben, into magical adventures. Weaving in a budding romance between Sylvia and a local veterinarian, Stewart decorates the plot with comic set pieces, such as an ugly pet contest and a nearly disastrous encounter between Madam Yang and Nat's deliciously princess-like cousin Olivia. Although everyone tends to take Madam Yang so much in stride that she seems more an exotic pet than an Event, the likable cast and tongue-in-cheek humor will keep readers turning the pages. (Fiction. 10-12)

Kirkus Reviews