Drake doesn't like digging onions, but he's resigned to that future. That is, until one of the king's men scoops him up and whisks him away to the castle to become a Dragon Master. When faced with the door to the dungeon, Drake thinks the onion field might be the better choice. But then he sees the dragons. Disappointment strikes again when he meets his particular dragon: the Earth Dragon. It's not flashy, can't fly, and looks like a snake. Still, Drake senses a connection and names it Worm. The two form a bond and save the other dragons and their masters when they attempt to break the rules. In this first of the Dragon Masters series, vocabulary is accessible; sentences, paragraphs, and chapters are short; and dialogue moves the story along rapidly. Black-and-white sketch-type drawings add depth to the story and feelings to the characters (both children and dragons). Emergent readers will find happy success here.

Gr 1-3 In this heavily illustrated chapter book series for newly independent readers, eight-year-old Drake is chosen by the magical Dragon Stone to train dragons along with three other Dragon Masters-in-training. The four students must learn to connect with their dragons and discover their unique powers.