Dragon's Blood by Jane Yolen (Book 1 of Pit Dragon Trilogy)

Let’s ignore the review for now and talk about Covers. You know that you judge a book by its cover, I mean literally. Once that initial honeymoon stage is over and the books is a keeper, then the cover doesn’t matter as much. As far as Tweens go, the cover does more than just catch their attention, but also can act as a status symbol. (Like wearing a cool new set of headphones or sweat pants that say Juicy on the backside). So the cover better be super cool. This book has gone through many cover up-dates and the age of the main character just keeps going up! I think the original cover on the left shows a 10 year old boy, while one in the middle shows a 13 year old, while the cover on the right shows a full out 16-18 year old teen. So depending on the book cover this book might find its way into the children’s section or teen section.

The main character, Jakkin is facing a crossroads. He can stay the same, a slave to dragon breeders -a monotonous yet mostly safe, life sentence. Or Jakkin can step up, take a chance and become a man. He can steal a dragon egg, raise it, and help it to win money at the dragon fights so he can buy his freedom. That is a big mountain to climb, but Jakkin has a secret, an in-born trait that gives him an advantage. On top of everything else, he has his slave duties, his friends, his enemies, the need for sleep to deal with, and his first crush to deal with.

My favorite thing about this book is that Jakkin has the opportunity to move beyond the normal challenges for a person his age, to excel and to dream big. My second favorite thing is that there are two more books already published to keep reading more about Jakkin’s story. Dragons are a popular genre now, so don’t let this one get swept out with the old, it’s a keeper for many more generations.

For Tweens?
This book is an ageless classic and also a great book for Tweens. Because it is science-fiction/fantasy there is nothing to 'date' it -like mentions of old technology or no longer current media references. The unique world presented by Yolen is enthralling and her characters are stunning.
Final Word?
Classic. Keeper.

Yolen, J. (1982). Dragon's Blood: The Pit Dragon Chronicles, Volume One (Pit Dragon Chronicles). New York: Magic Carpet Books. ISBN #0152051260