The Dragon of Lonely Island

The Dragon of Lonely Island #1

by Rebecca Rupp

Hannah, Zachary, and Sarah Emily are spending the summer at their great-aunt Mehitabel's house on faraway Lonely Island. There, in a cave hidden high above the ocean, they discover a fabulous creature: a glittering three-headed golden dragon with a kind heart, an unpredictable temper, and a memory that spans 20,000 years. Transported by the magic of the dragon's stories, the children meet Mei-lan, a young girl in ancient China; nineteenth-century cabin boy Jamie Pritchett; and, in more recent times, Hitty and her brother, Will, who survive a frightening plane crash on a desert island. In this fluidly written novel, Rebecca Rupp explores what three children from the present learn from the past - and from an unlikely but wise and generous friend.

Genres: Fantasy, Dragons, Middle Grade, Fiction, Childrens, Young Adult, Chapter Books

162 pages, Paperback

First published October 7, 1998

About the author

Rebecca Rupp is the author of SARAH SIMPSON'S RULES FOR LIVING, JOURNEY TO THE BLUE MOON, THE DRAGON OF LONELY ISLAND and THE RETURN OF THE DRAGON. She lives in Swanton, Vermont.

Reviews

[Holly · Rating 1 out of 5]

Started off promising but we couldn’t handle the obnoxious feminist message with weird feminine divine biblical symbolism. DNF.

[Shiloah · Rating 4 out of 5]

The kids really enjoyed this as a read aloud! They give it 5 stars and I give it 4.

[Katharine Ott · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Dragon of Lonely Island" - written by Rebecca Rupp and published in 1998 by Candlewick Press. This delightful little middle grade novel was languishing on my to-read list but was hard to track down. Siblings Hannah, Zachary, and Sarah Emily spend time at Aunt Mehitable's Victorian farmhouse on an island off the coast of Maine and follow clues to discover the tridrake dragon Fafnyr Goldenwings resting in a cave. During several visits, the dragon (each head taking a turn) tells them stories of its life, imparting life lessons along the way. I found myself imagining this as a read-aloud, with all the dragonly action-adventure and bright outlooks on life. A fun story for youngsters.

[KEISHIN T · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is very enjoyable.

[Ande Davidson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've always loved dragon books, but this was not one of my favorites. I think because it had 3 stories inside the main narrative, we never really got the character or plot development I wanted. In fact, other than finding the dragon... nothing really happened in our protgonists' storyline. The 3 headed dragon lore was interesting though!

[Lydia Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book of fantasy

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three kids are off to spend the summer with their Great Aunt Mehitabel on Lonely Island. They are surprised to discover, on the island, a very old (20,000 years old!) three-headed dragon.

The dragon tells the kids stories from the past and the kids find that
visiting an elderly aunt in an ancient house on a faraway island can be more fun than they might have anticipated.

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely find. Wonderful for girls and boys. Rebecca Rupp is a fine author, with good messages for everyone. Not only thate, but you get four stories in one. I'm looking forward to reading the sequels. Erika might like this one Kellie!

[Mr. Cody · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was completely unprepared for how effective this book was going to be as a teaching tool. STRONG emphasis on character development, metaphor & theme. Well within the grasp of young readers to comprehend and discuss. It’s definitely going to be used in my room again and again.

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

AWESOME didnt learn anything though but it was good

[Charity Dušíková · Rating 5 out of 5]

Three children on holiday on a private island encounter a dragon. At each meeting, the dragon regales them of a story from its adventures, each story containing something that one of the children particularly needs to hear. I read this aloud to my 7-year-old and 5-year-old, and both were fully engaged. The atmosphere of an eccentric house on a small island is charming, and it's delightful to see the kids discover their great great aunt's childhood treasures in her rambling home. Moreover, there are all the charms of a summer outdoors: picnics, the rolling sea, rowboating, hikes. One nice feature of the book is that though there is rich vocabulary throughout, the older sister often explains the meaning to her younger sister to clarify (thus also explaining to my children).

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book as a kid, and it always stayed with me, so naturally, I had to revisit it as an adult with my seven-year-old.

It’s a fast, enchanting read. Each of the dragon’s three heads tells a story tailored to one of the three siblings, helping them discover something new about themselves through the adventures of the children in those tales.

The book is whimsical and full of wonder. My son could hardly stand to wait for the siblings’ next visit to Fanfyr—we often found ourselves reading well past bedtime just to see what happened next.

It’s a sweet, timeless story filled with gentle life lessons, bravery, and imagination. A perfect read for children—and for parents eager to share a touch of their own childhood magic.

[Kallie Carnevale · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet book with many thematic elements, The Dragon of Lonely Island is a nice read for kids are various reading abilities. The language itself is pretty simple, which makes it accessible to lower readers, but the story can also lend itself to more sophisticated discussions around theme and character development.

The story structure is not as much of a “quest” as most fantasy books for kids are, but instead reads more as a parable or folktale. Because if this I found that kids have a harder time getting into it, but if you can encourage them to get to the part where the dragon starts telling stories they will be more engaged.

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hannah, Zachary, and Sarah Emily are spending the summer at their great-aunt Mehitabel's house on faraway Lonely Island. There, in a cave hidden high above the ocean, they discover a fabulous creature: a glittering three-headed golden dragon with a kind heart, an unpredictable temper, and a memory that spans 20,000 years. Transported by the magic of the dragon's stories. It was very Interesting book!!

[Greywolfheir · Rating 1 out of 5]

First, yes I am *quite* aware this is a kids book. But honestly, does anyone these days still believe that kids books can't be held to high standards?

The Dragon of Lonely Island is a book that could have been so much more. Right off the bat, the writing style leaves something to be desired but the simplicity of it is nostalgic in a way. And there certainly was an attempt at diversity and trying to empower young girls. Still, there is no real action and I found myself bored. I can't imagine what that means about kids trying to read this.

I do want to note that I acknowledge the attempt do framing is a clever one. But there needs to be a real story to frame your stories into. The children do absolutely nothing when they aren't talking to the dragon and what they do happen to do is only so that the story the dragon tells makes sense. Even the little puzzle box never lead to anything and that was the only thing that happened outside the cave.

Essentially, this book should have just been a very small collection of short stories about one dragon and been left at that.

[Saloni (earnestlyeccentric) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Three siblings, Hannah, Zachary and Sarah Emily, go to their great-great-aunt’s house during the summer. When they go exploring, they find a mysterious cave with a three-headed dragon who tells them fascinating stories of times long past.

Read the full review here.

[zip]

One of my favourite books growing up. Here I am reading it again 12 years later, heavily regretting that I gave away my original copy.

Nostalgia aside, I loved this book sososo very much! My favourite story when I was young was the 1st one, it was totally referencing Mulan, you know, with the cricket and dragon.

[Ehryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed every bit of this story, especially how each head of the three-headed dragon related to each kid. Fafnyr Goldenwings was such a cool character and I loved them. I also enjoyed how after each story told, the Davis children grew and learned from the subtle lessons.

Hannah became more responsible.
Zachary became more generous.
Sarah Emily became more brave.

[Anne Meester]

Beautifully paced, and timelessly relevant, I've loved this EVERY time I've read it, which has been a few times now. I, too, would like to own a private island on which dwells a three-headed dragon who is eternally wise and yet still acknowledges it has things to learn.

[Stephanie Sheaffer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Slow-moving. Lacking in action, suspense, and intrigue. I read it aloud, but it always seemed more like a chore to pick up than a joy. My children were mildly interested in parts, but were certainly not sucked into the plot. We were all glad when we reached the final pages.

[Jacob Stock · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was a great concept and I like the idea, maybe I am too hard on an early childrens book, but it seemed choppy and too easily came to the point. Just worked out to quickly...again 1st years chapter book so that may be ok for an early reader. My 9 yr old side kick liked it.

[Elease · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part of my 3rd grader's homeschool lit curriculum. A pleasant, engaging read, but more just three mini-stories woven together with a broader story. I wouldn't call it action-packed, but my son has enjoyed reading it.

[Note · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely, short read this was that left me with a feeling that I lost something I couldn't remember anymore but content at the same time.

[Tania Ruiz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this book! I was so sad at the end though. I did not want the kids to leave the island and I wanted them to stay there. I want to read things that are similar to this book soon!

[Kim Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my all-time favorite books to read aloud to students.

[K Grant · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story about stories.. Enjoyable and simple.

[Gina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Four stories in one. One for each character. Well structured and a pleasant read.

[Katrina Christiansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read with the kids. Enjoyed by everyone.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent in virtues. Look forward to reading the sequel.

[Chandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fun book for kids who enjoy fantastical stories. My kids liked it more than I did.