Dragons and Mythical Beasts
A Mini-Bibliography for Young Adult Readers
To order any of these titles, contact the library by email, mail or phone. You may also request these titles online through our OPAC. Happy Reading!
Cassette Books
Black Unicorn by Tanith Lee.
RC 37074.
Sixteen-year-old Tanaquil may be the daughter of a sorceress, but she can't do any magic and she finds life in her mother's castle dull and lonely. Her one skill, that of mending things, leads her to piece together a pile of old bones found in the desert, and she unknowingly brings back to life a mysterious black unicorn. The unicorn needs Tanaquil to help it return to its own perfect world. For junior and senior high and older readers.
Child of an Ancient City by Tad Williams.
RC 40466.
During a banquet, Masrur al-Adan is encouraged to tell a story. Since his old friend Ibn Fahad is there, he tells of a trip they took many years earlier. A caravan of treasures they were escorting was attacked, and they were forced to return home. On the way, they were attacked again, this time by the vampyr. Masrur tells how they escaped death through all-night storytelling. For junior and senior high readers.
The Crock of Gold by James Stephens.
RC 14644.
This wise, whimsical fairy tale for adults tells of two philosophers who live in the pine wood in Ireland, and of their quarrelsome old wives, their respective offspring, and their strange feud with leprechauns. Adult reading level.
Dragons & Dreams.
RC 25544.
In these ten fantasy and science-fiction stories by Jane Yolen, Bruce Coville, Monica Hughes, Patricia A. McKillip, and others, we sample nightmares that come true, a dragon tale, a wizardly adventure, the mysterious world of the sea, and much, much more. For grades 6-9.
Dragon’s Milk by Susan Fletcher.
RC 36623.
Kaeldra is tall and fair, and has never been accepted by her foster mother. Kaeldra's own mother was a dragon-sayer, an inherited ability hidden from Kaeldra until her foster sister becomes gravely ill and can only be cured by dragon's milk. When a mother dragon is killed, Kaeldra takes the three orphaned draclings and searches for a new family for them—against the wishes of evil men determined to stop her. Violence. For grades 5-8 and older readers.
Eddie’s Blue -winged Dragon by C.S. Adler.
RC 32596.
Eleven-year-old Eddie, a tough, gutsy kid with cerebral palsy, has a burning desire to get even, just once, with Darrin, the bully who makes his life so miserable at school, and with Miss Clark, an unfair teacher who claims she can't understand his sometimes garbled speech. When Eddie buys a glass dragon as a birthday gift for his sister Mina, reality and fantasy blend as the dragon turns into a living weapon of revenge. For grades 5-8.
Eragon by Christopher Paolini.
RC 57232.
Fifteen-year-old Eragon bonds with the baby dragon, Saphira, that hatches from a mysterious blue stone. They train in magic and martial arts and, refusing to serve the evil king, sally forth to encounter warriors, dwarves, and others battling the empire. Some violence. For grades 6-9 and older readers.
Flight of the Dragon Kyn by Susan Fletcher.
RC 42628.
In this prequel to Dragon's Milk (RC 36623), the king directs Kara to use her power to call down dragons. When Kara summons a friendly dragon, she watches in horror as the king's archers slay it. Kara flees to join a "kyn" of dragons and help them take refuge from human predators. For grades 5-8.
Gold Unicorn by Tanith Lee.
RC 40922.
Sixteen-year-old Tanaquil is taken captive by the conquering army of Empress Veriam, who turns out to be her half sister, Lizra. Lizra has constructed a huge, mechanical, gold-plated unicorn as a symbol of her power, but only Tanaquil's talents can make it work. And Tanaquil finds the unicorn is much more than a machine of war. Sequel to Black Unicorn (RC 37074). For junior and senior high and older readers.
Half-Human edited by Bruce Coville.
RC 55769.
A collection of stories about such creatures as mermaids and centaurs, who are part-human and part-animal or part-plant, and their struggles to understand their true identity. For grades 6-9.
Hexwood by Diana Wynne Jones.
RC 41065.
A young boy wanders into Banners Wood near London and suddenly finds himself in another world with a robot and a dragon. Ann, who lives close to Banners Wood and Hexwood Farm, watches people go into a barn and never return. And in another galaxy, a controller gets a message about the old computer in the archival library at Hexwood Farm. Soon the lives of all these characters will merge. For junior and senior high and older readers.
The Hobbit, or, There and Back Again by J.R.R. Tolkien.
RC 48978.
The wandering wizard Gandalf recruits Bilbo Baggins, a Hobbit, to be the fourteenth member of an expedition. Hobbits prefer comfort to adventures, but Bilbo joins the quest and encounters many perils, including a dragon. For junior and senior high readers.
The Hunting of the Last Dragon by Sherryl Jordan.
RC 55420.
England, 1356. When the last fire-breathing dragon destroys Jude's family and village, Jude vows to slay the beast. This unlikely hero forms a bond with Jing-wei, a young Chinese noblewoman, whose heritage gives her a knowledge of dragons. Together they search for the dragon's lair. For grades 6-9.
Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher by Bruce Coville.
RC 37037.
Sixth-grader Jeremy Thatcher hates being small for his age—and he hates the bullies that pick on him. He also hates Mary Lou Hutton, whose one goal in life is to give Jeremy a kiss. One afternoon, trying to escape Mary Lou, he runs down a street he has never seen before and stumbles upon a magic shop. There he purchases a dragon's egg that soon hatches, making Jeremy the proud parent of a baby dragon that only he and Mary Lou can see! A Magic Shop book. For grades 5-8.
The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle.
BR 10311.
A beautiful white unicorn worries that she is the last of her species, and so sets out in search of any surviving relatives. Accompanied by a second-rate magician and a sad, thin woman, the unicorn has fairy-tale adventures and finds her family enslaved by a wicked king. Adult reading level.
Sign of the Dove by Susan Fletcher.
RC 52532.
As the last of the dragon eggs that were laid long ago begin to hatch, Lyf becomes a reluctant friend who tries to save both the dragon mothers and their newly born children from their enemies. Sequel to Dragon's Milk (RC 36623). For grades 5-8 and older readers.
The Truth about Unicorns by James Giblin.
RC 35381.
From ancient Greece and China to medieval Europe, and from Hindu myth and the Bible to contemporary T-shirts and greeting cards, belief in the unicorn has had an enduring hold on the human imagination. Although scientists have discredited the idea that unicornsexist, the unicorn remains a symbol of sensitivity, courage, and love. For grades 5-8 and older readers.
The Two Princesses of Bamarre by Gail Carson Levine.
RC 52087.
Until Princess Meryl was struck with the Gray Death, Princess Addie had always been afraid of everything. Now Addie battles specters, gryphons, ogres, and dragons while seeking a cure for her sister. Along the way, she fulfills an ancient prophecy. For grades 5-8.
Zoo of the Gods: Animals in Myth, Legend & Fable by Anthony S. Mercatante.
RC 8931.
A bear marries a prince, a hyena mimics the human voice, foxes outwit the Angel of Death, and a spider saves Frederick the Great in these sketches of birds, beasts, and fish. Adult reading level.
Braille Books
The Book of Imaginary Beings by Jorge Luis Borges.
BR 1249.
Unicorns, dragons, and monsters are some of the imagined creatures in this collection. Adult reading level.
The Dragon and the Thief by Gillian Bradshaw.
BR 10188.
Seventeen-year-old Prahotep can't seem to get anything right. He doesn't even make a good thief! When he turns to robbing graves, he thinks he's breaking into an Egyptian pharaoh's tomb, but it's actually the cave of Hathor, a wealthy dragon. Hathor wants to protect her fortune and to find her kin, if any survive. Prahotep agrees to help her, and together they escape up the Nile, followed by an evil magician. For grades 6-9 and older readers.
Dragon’s Son by Sarah L. Thomson.
BR 15254
Four short stories about King Arthur as seen through the eyes of family members and friends. In the first, Nimue marries a bard who supports the king in uniting England against the invading Saxons. In the last, Arthur's son arrives to overthrow his father. Some violence. For junior and senior high readers.
Eddie’s Blue-winged Dragon by C.S. Adler.
BR 8463.
Eleven-year-old Eddie, a tough, gutsy kid with cerebral palsy, has a burning desire to get even, just once, with Darrin, the bully who makes his life so miserable at school, and with Miss Clark, an unfair teacher who claims she can't understand his sometimes garbled speech. When Eddie buys a glass dragon as a birthday gift for his sister Mina, reality and fantasy blend as the dragon turns into a living weapon of revenge. For grades 5-8.
The Hobbit, or, There and Back Again by J.R.R. Tolkien.
BR 11595.
The wandering wizard Gandalf recruits Bilbo Baggins, a Hobbit, to be the fourteenth member of an expedition. Hobbits prefer comfort to adventures, but Bilbo joins the quest and encounters many perils, including a dragon. For junior and senior high readers.
The Land of Gold by Gillian Bradshaw.
BR 10505.
Princess Kandaki, awakened in the middle of the night by screams, discovers her parents dead and a guard standing nearby with a bloody spear in his hand. Kandaki is taken captive and promised as a sacrifice to the water dragon. Fortunately Prahotep the Egyptian thief and Hathor, a benign dragon, come to Kandaki's rescue and help her regain her kingdom. Sequel to The Dragon and the Thief (BR 10188). For grades 6-9.
The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle.
BR 10311.
A beautiful white unicorn worries that she is the last of her species, and so sets out in search of any surviving relatives. Accompanied by a second-rate magician and a sad, thin woman, the unicorn has fairy-tale adventures and finds her family enslaved by a wicked king. Adult reading level.
The Magic and the Healing by Nick O’Donohoe.
BR 10524.
B.J. Vaughan's dreams of becoming a veterinarian are shattered when she discovers she has Huntington's chorea. However before she leaves school, B.J. travels to Crossroads, a world where imaginary creatures live and where a unicorn needs her help. Prequel to Under the Healing Sign (BR 10525). For senior high and older readers.
Trouble with Dragons by Oliver G. Selfridge.
BR 3937.
Three foolhardy princesses attempt to slay a dragon in order to win the hand of a handsome price. A contemporary fairy tale for grades 5-8 and older interested readers.
The Two Princesses of Bamarre by Gail Carson Levine.
BR 13432.
Until Princess Meryl was struck with the Gray Death, Princess Addie had always been afraid of everything. Now Addie battles specters, gryphons, ogres, and dragons while seeking a cure for her sister. Along the way, she fulfills an ancient prophecy. For grades 5-8.
Under the Healing Sign by Nick O’Donohoe.
BR 10525.
In this sequel to The Magic and the Healing (BR 10524), B.J. Vaughn, a young veterinarian, practices her work in Crossroads, an alternate world inhabited by imaginary creatures. When evil Morgan obtains the secret map to Crossroads, B.J. must battle Morgan's army to save the land. For senior high and older readers.
Large Print Books
The Crock of Gold by James Stephens.
LP 198.
This wise, whimsical fairy tale for adults tells of two philosophers who live in the pine wood in Ireland, and of their quarrelsome old wives, their respective offspring, and their strange feud with leprechauns. Adult reading level.
The Hobbit, or, There and Back Again by J.R.R. Tolkien.
LP 1255.
The wandering wizard Gandalf recruits Bilbo Baggins, a Hobbit, to be the fourteenth member of an expedition. Hobbits prefer comfort to adventures, but Bilbo joins the quest and encounters many perils, including a dragon. For junior and senior high readers.