cover image The Dragons of North Chittendon

The Dragons of North Chittendon

Susan Fromberg Schaeffer. Simon & Schuster, $2.95 (208pp) ISBN 978-0-671-52587-3

In her first venture into the YA market, adult novelist Schaeffer has written an uneven fantasy. Unknown to most humans, except for an occasional child, dragons still inhabit the world, and many tribes of them live above the village of North Chittendon, Vermont. One of the dragons, Arthur, the late chief's son, has always been fascinated by humans, so it's natural for him to rescue a human baby. Against orders, he feeds the baby some dragon's milk, so that the two, Arthur and the boy Patrick, become attached through their dreams. Later, Arthur saves Patrick during a blizzard, and Patrick longs for the opportunity to return the favor. When the moonwho has always hated the dragonsbegins her plan to destroy the world, it's up to Arthur, ultimately with Patrick's help, to save dragons and humans alike. Though occasionally funny, with some exciting parts, the story suffers from the author's unfamiliarity with her audience. (8-12)