The Thunder Egg (Dragon Games #1)

When Luca, Yazmine, and Zane are inexplicably asked to remain in their classroom during lunch, touching a football-size geode called a Thunder Egg transports them to Imperia, the subject of stories told by the students’ teacher. From her tales, they know that dragons once ruled the realm, now overseen by an oligarchical entity. Upon arriving, Luca transforms into a fire-breathing purple dragon, Zane turns into a purple-furred beast, and Yazmine, who carries the Thunder Egg, gains the power of invisibility. Facing entities such as a fanged magma serpent, they soon discover that the geode acts as a kind of magical map, and are offered a warning: they are now “part of the game,” tasked with heading to the Crown of Fire while watching out for ominous Dartsmith, who seeks to “win at any cost.” Short on details and packed with action, this play-by-play series kickoff from Mara (the Dragon Girls books) wastes no time launching the three unlikely teammates into a magical adventure that requires collaboration, furthering their teacher’s applied-learning approach via a video game-like plotline. Occasional b&w cartoons by Claridades portray Luca with dark skin, and Yazmine and Zane with light skin. Ages 7–10. (May)