Lively and cannily told, this rollicking adventure mixes sci-fi, fantasy and ancient mythology. Aidan and his mum have a secret, a very unusual one: she is part dragon, able to breathe fire and with sharp, scaly claws for fingers. They’ve managed to keep this hidden, but just after Aidan has started school after years of home-schooling, someone finds out and Mum is kidnapped. With the help of his new friend Charlotte, Aidan sets out to rescue her. It turns out Mum is in real danger, along with some other unusual prisoners… The mix of ordinary life and fantasy is very well handled, and the narrative – mostly handled by Aidan but with interjections from Charlotte, and a mysterious third voice – will keep everyone on tenterhooks.
Aidan Mooney has the mother of all problems. His mum is part dragon. He's spent his whole life struggling to keep her hidden from the world. But now, with the help of his super-smart new friend Charlotte, Aidan discovers a much darker secret hiding in the woods ...
‘A smashing romp. The writing is excellent.’ – Celine Kiernan, author of Begone the Raggedy Witches
'Unforgettable characters and page-turning action’ – ER Murray, author of the Book of Learning trilogy
Author
About Debbie Thomas
Debbie Thomas trained as a BBC radio journalist. She lived in Bangladesh and South Africa for ten years where she worked for aid agencies. She now lives in County Kildare with her husband and three daughters and has written four books for children: the Abbie Hartley trilogy and Class Act. She is the Writer in Residence at Crumlin Children’s Hospital and a board member of the Irish section of IBBY (the International Board on Books for Young People).
She says ‘The idea for My Secret Dragon came from my work with a charity that supports people with leprosy in Nepal, some of the most stigmatised in the world. Add to that those common childhood rejections (the party non-invitation, the failure to be picked for the Rounders team) and some genetic fireworks, and welcome to Aidan Mooney who’s spent his life trying to hide his mum’s superpower, or disability, depending on your point of view. I chose a realistic setting in order to explore authentic reactions to difference, from fear to awe to ruthless exploitation. Who else would I approach with this truly Irish tale than the wonderful Little Island?!’
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