Anya and the Dragon — Sofiya Pasternack

A Sydney Taylor Award Honor Book

Sydney Taylor Honor winner Anya and the Dragon, the first in a duology, is a lush tale of magic and dragons, a gem for any adventure-seeking middle grade reader.

Anya and the Dragon is the story of fantasy and mayhem in tenth century Eastern Europe, where headstrong eleven-year-old Anya is a daughter of the only Jewish family in her village.

When her family's livelihood is threatened by a bigoted magistrate, Anya is lured in by a friendly family of fools, who promise her money in exchange for helping them capture the last dragon in Kievan Rus. This seems easy enough, until she finds out that the scary old dragon isn't as old -- or as scary -- as everyone thought. Now Anya is faced with a choice: save the dragon, or save her family.

And don't miss Anya and the Nightingale, the magical conclusion to the Anya and the Dragon duology for middle grade readers!