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Eye of the Dragon
Bullied at school about his stutter, and feeling ignored at home by his mum, stepdad and stepsister, Thomas takes off to the beach with the family dog, Lucy. The dog begins barking outside a cave. Bold enough to investigate, Thomas finds an injured dragon. He is frightened at first but something about the dragon’s eye reassures him and invites him to come closer. A friendship is sparked. Determined to help the dragon he’s called Puff, Thomas confides in his friend Huhana, who to his surprise doesn’t dismiss his dragon as make-believe and tells him about Māori taniwha, some of which were believed to act as protective guardians. The dragon flies Thomas to visit his estranged father, and he learns about the accident that caused his stutter. As Thomas gains confidence throughout the story, with the help of Huhana and Puff, he stands up to the bullies and helps uncover an illegal logging operation that threatens the town. As his confidence builds, he loses his stutter and his need for the dragon dwindles.
- GenresFantasy
Paperback
Published March 1, 2025
About the author
Susan Brocker
58 books14 followersSusan Brocker is the award-winning author of books for older children and teens. She lives in New Zealand on a small farm with her horses and many pets. Her close affinity and love of animals shines through in much of her writing. She also has a history degree and a great love of social history that is often reflected in her books.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
April 8, 2025
Thomas is out on the beach with his dog Lucy when she begins to act strangely. She runs off and he finds her barking at the opening of a small cave. Venturing inside, he discovers what looks like a real live dragon!
He can see it’s injured and isn’t sure what to do, but leaving it hurt isn’t an option. Telling someone he trusts about what he’s found is just as difficult, and with a few well placed questions to his vet stepdad, he knows what he must do.
With his secret safe and hopefully getting well with his help, he breathes a little easier. But that doesn’t solve the bigger problem in his life. Thomas is the target of a boy called Eddie. Ever since Thomas was in an accident, he has developed a stutter. This gives Eddie reason to tease him. Going to the same school and living in a small seaside town, it’s hard to avoid Eddie, but he does his best. But Eddie won’t leave him be. When Eddie blames Thomas for the loss of his cellphone, Eddie steps up his bullying campaign.
Keeping his new dragon friend a secret, avoiding Eddie and wondering when he’ll see his dad again, Thomas has a lot on his plate. But with friends, both human and magical, Thomas finds solutions to not only his problems, but his entire town’s safety too.
At only 120 pages and the striking cover of a taniwha on the cover, young readers will definitely snap this off the shelves. Susan Brocker has many fans, and this new book will capture animal lovers, dragon lovers and those who love an authentic kiwi read.
Bullying is the main theme within Eye of the Dragon, with both children and adults as perpetrators. Imaginations will fire as readers dream of finding their own dragon or taniwha in a hidden cave, then bonding with them to aid in every day problems.
Secrets, dragons, a cute wee dog and rising tension throughout will keep even reluctant readers reading Eye of the Dragon.
Age – 10+
He can see it’s injured and isn’t sure what to do, but leaving it hurt isn’t an option. Telling someone he trusts about what he’s found is just as difficult, and with a few well placed questions to his vet stepdad, he knows what he must do.
With his secret safe and hopefully getting well with his help, he breathes a little easier. But that doesn’t solve the bigger problem in his life. Thomas is the target of a boy called Eddie. Ever since Thomas was in an accident, he has developed a stutter. This gives Eddie reason to tease him. Going to the same school and living in a small seaside town, it’s hard to avoid Eddie, but he does his best. But Eddie won’t leave him be. When Eddie blames Thomas for the loss of his cellphone, Eddie steps up his bullying campaign.
Keeping his new dragon friend a secret, avoiding Eddie and wondering when he’ll see his dad again, Thomas has a lot on his plate. But with friends, both human and magical, Thomas finds solutions to not only his problems, but his entire town’s safety too.
At only 120 pages and the striking cover of a taniwha on the cover, young readers will definitely snap this off the shelves. Susan Brocker has many fans, and this new book will capture animal lovers, dragon lovers and those who love an authentic kiwi read.
Bullying is the main theme within Eye of the Dragon, with both children and adults as perpetrators. Imaginations will fire as readers dream of finding their own dragon or taniwha in a hidden cave, then bonding with them to aid in every day problems.
Secrets, dragons, a cute wee dog and rising tension throughout will keep even reluctant readers reading Eye of the Dragon.
Age – 10+
January 15, 2026
I adored this book. It covered beautifully the power of friendship and imagination, whilst also grappling with bullying and split family dynamics. Those two issues are dealt with so well, that they nestled seamlessly within the narrative, and whilst you felt for the protagonist and what he was going through, it never felt too dark. The inclusion of the dragon/taniwha is wonderful, with just the right level of fantasy in a modern day setting, that a child could well imagine finding their own dragon/taniwha in a cave. The book also covers using a trusted teacher for help, which you almost never see in fiction. It's good to have 'good' characters in a book. Loved the inclusion of specific Aotearoa New Zealand themes sprinkled through the book - not as tokenism, but as a fully supportive part of the plot.
April 24, 2025
There is a LOT going on in the 120 pages which make up this short novel which I feel is for a slightly younger target audience than some of Susan's previous fiction titles. It is fast moving with main themes around bullying (adults and children), finding a voice, care for the environment and families. Both the action and the short chapters would make it an ideal read aloud and there are lots of different subjects which can be taken out of it for discussion, including the commonalities of dragons (or taniwha) in multiple cultures. I loved the friendship between Thomas and Huhana and parents (or maybe grandparents) who share the book with tamariki will enjoy the nostalgia of Puff (the magic dragon). Thoroughly enjoyed.
April 17, 2025
Set in New Zealand, with themes of bullying and potential ecological disaster. This would be a great class read aloud for Years 3/4, and I'll be looking to add it to our class set collection when I can.
April 21, 2025
Bay of Plenty author Susan Brocker entertains and inspires with yet another gritty action-packed adventure for our local tamariki.
In this latest story, Brocker’s main character, Thomas, lives in a small seaside town with his mum, stepdad Tim, and stepsister Stacy. Struggling with a stutter—the result of an accident and the reason Thomas hasn’t seen his dad in a while—it makes Thomas the target of the school bully, Eddie, and unfortunately Eddie and his mates aren’t playing around. Things get even worse when Thomas’s dog, Lucy, takes off with the bully’s phone. But Thomas has a secret, one he’s only shared with his friend Huhana: he’s befriended an injured taniwha, Puff, who he discovered in a coastal cave, and when a storm threatens the town, Thomas may be the only one who can save it.
Brocker has a knack for engaging young readers, with a body of acclaimed stories for Kiwi kids, among them 'Caged', 'Ice', and my personal favourite, 'Saving Sam'. Especially compelling is the way the author makes good use of animals as key characters, giving them their own unique personalities, and her penchant for tales where the underdog triumphs. 'Eye of the Dragon' is no different, offering vivid portrays of animals (both real and imagined), and her protagonist, the embattled Thomas, finds a way to resolve his own issues, and the town’s, with agency and aplomb. It’s an engaging, uplifting tale with important messages about the importance of environmental protections and standing up to bullies wherever you might encounter them. For parents and grandparents reading along, there is the added nostalgia of the book’s inspiration, taken from the famous Peter, Paul and Mary song, making this recommended reading for all Kiwi kids (including the grown ones).
A homegrown tale of magical realism, Brocker’s 'Eye of the Dragon' is both timely and timeless (ages 8-12).
Reviewed for Bookrapt by Lee Murray.
In this latest story, Brocker’s main character, Thomas, lives in a small seaside town with his mum, stepdad Tim, and stepsister Stacy. Struggling with a stutter—the result of an accident and the reason Thomas hasn’t seen his dad in a while—it makes Thomas the target of the school bully, Eddie, and unfortunately Eddie and his mates aren’t playing around. Things get even worse when Thomas’s dog, Lucy, takes off with the bully’s phone. But Thomas has a secret, one he’s only shared with his friend Huhana: he’s befriended an injured taniwha, Puff, who he discovered in a coastal cave, and when a storm threatens the town, Thomas may be the only one who can save it.
Brocker has a knack for engaging young readers, with a body of acclaimed stories for Kiwi kids, among them 'Caged', 'Ice', and my personal favourite, 'Saving Sam'. Especially compelling is the way the author makes good use of animals as key characters, giving them their own unique personalities, and her penchant for tales where the underdog triumphs. 'Eye of the Dragon' is no different, offering vivid portrays of animals (both real and imagined), and her protagonist, the embattled Thomas, finds a way to resolve his own issues, and the town’s, with agency and aplomb. It’s an engaging, uplifting tale with important messages about the importance of environmental protections and standing up to bullies wherever you might encounter them. For parents and grandparents reading along, there is the added nostalgia of the book’s inspiration, taken from the famous Peter, Paul and Mary song, making this recommended reading for all Kiwi kids (including the grown ones).
A homegrown tale of magical realism, Brocker’s 'Eye of the Dragon' is both timely and timeless (ages 8-12).
Reviewed for Bookrapt by Lee Murray.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews