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A Dragon's Guide #3
A Dragon's Guide to Making Perfect Wishes
For fans of How to Train Your Dragon comes the final adventure in the Dragon’s Guide series by two-time Newbery Honor winner Laurence Yep and Joanna Ryder, featuring enchanting artwork by Caldecott Honor winner and Harry Potter illustrator Mary GrandPré.
Plucky pair Winnie and Miss Drake are traveling back in time to the 1915 San Francisco World’s Fair. Waiting in the past are Winnie’s great-grandfather Caleb, Laura Ingalls Wilder, and a centuries-old Who stole the Heart of Kubera necklace? Despite the excitement, Winnie’s only wish is to lose Rowan, an unusual boy who has the annoying habit of showing up at inconvenient times. But the wise Miss Drake knows her pet Winnie should be careful what she wishes for—especially when her wish-granting souvenirs follow them home.
“Yep and Ryder keep the magic coming with their whimsical fantasy, enhanced by GrandPré’s sweet drawings. The story positively vibrates with fun.” — Kirkus Reviews
“Warm humor, magical mishaps, and the main characters’ budding mutual respect and affection combine to give this opener for a planned series a special shine that will draw readers and leave them impatient for sequels.” — Booklist , Starred
Plucky pair Winnie and Miss Drake are traveling back in time to the 1915 San Francisco World’s Fair. Waiting in the past are Winnie’s great-grandfather Caleb, Laura Ingalls Wilder, and a centuries-old Who stole the Heart of Kubera necklace? Despite the excitement, Winnie’s only wish is to lose Rowan, an unusual boy who has the annoying habit of showing up at inconvenient times. But the wise Miss Drake knows her pet Winnie should be careful what she wishes for—especially when her wish-granting souvenirs follow them home.
“Yep and Ryder keep the magic coming with their whimsical fantasy, enhanced by GrandPré’s sweet drawings. The story positively vibrates with fun.” — Kirkus Reviews
“Warm humor, magical mishaps, and the main characters’ budding mutual respect and affection combine to give this opener for a planned series a special shine that will draw readers and leave them impatient for sequels.” — Booklist , Starred
240 pages, Hardcover
First published March 17, 2017
26 people are currently reading
216 people want to read
About the author
Laurence Yep
120 books295 followersBorn June 14, 1948 in San Francisco, California, Yep was the son of Thomas Gim Yep and Franche Lee Yep. Franche Lee, her family's youngest child, was born in Ohio and raised in West Virginia where her family owned a Chinese laundry. Yep's father, Thomas, was born in China and came to America at the age of ten where he lived, not in Chinatown, but with an Irish friend in a white neighborhood. After troubling times during the Depression, he was able to open a grocery store in an African-American neighborhood. Growing up in San Francisco, Yep felt alienated. He was in his own words his neighborhood's "all-purpose Asian" and did not feel he had a culture of his own. Joanne Ryder, a children's book author, and Yep met and became friends during college while she was his editor. They later married and now live in San Francisco.
Although not living in Chinatown, Yep commuted to a parochial bilingual school there. Other students at the school, according to Yep, labeled him a "dumbbell Chinese" because he spoke only English. During high school he faced the white American culture for the first time. However, it was while attending high school that he started writing for a science fiction magazine, being paid one cent a word for his efforts. After two years at Marquette University, Yep transferred to the University of California at Santa Cruz where he graduated in 1970 with a B.A. He continued on to earn a Ph.D. in English from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1975. Today as well as writing, he has taught writing and Asian American Studies at the University of California, Berkeley and Santa Barbara.
Although not living in Chinatown, Yep commuted to a parochial bilingual school there. Other students at the school, according to Yep, labeled him a "dumbbell Chinese" because he spoke only English. During high school he faced the white American culture for the first time. However, it was while attending high school that he started writing for a science fiction magazine, being paid one cent a word for his efforts. After two years at Marquette University, Yep transferred to the University of California at Santa Cruz where he graduated in 1970 with a B.A. He continued on to earn a Ph.D. in English from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1975. Today as well as writing, he has taught writing and Asian American Studies at the University of California, Berkeley and Santa Barbara.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
August 16, 2017
What I Liked:
-Time travel! It's not the usual kind, which is fun. And it avoids a lot of the usual tropes, which is better. The characters don't totally avoid trouble, of course, but they do get into significantly less than I expected.
-Mystery! In fact, the whole point of the time travel is to solve a decades-old mystery of a stolen gem. And without giving spoilers, I will say that I didn't guess the solution (at least not completely) until shortly before it was revealed.
-Rowan. When he showed up, I groaned, because he was obviously a Futurw Love Interest and we really don't need that. But while that might still be true (and many of Winnie's friends think it is), neither of the characters in question are particularly interested in making it so. But Rowan is an interesting character, and I like him now.
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What I Didn't Like
Honestly, there's not much to put here. Winnie does seem to get away with an awful lot at times, though. And mildly cliche elements do show up every so often, but not nearly as much as in other stories I could name.
-Time travel! It's not the usual kind, which is fun. And it avoids a lot of the usual tropes, which is better. The characters don't totally avoid trouble, of course, but they do get into significantly less than I expected.
-Mystery! In fact, the whole point of the time travel is to solve a decades-old mystery of a stolen gem. And without giving spoilers, I will say that I didn't guess the solution (at least not completely) until shortly before it was revealed.
-Rowan. When he showed up, I groaned, because he was obviously a Futurw Love Interest and we really don't need that. But while that might still be true (and many of Winnie's friends think it is), neither of the characters in question are particularly interested in making it so. But Rowan is an interesting character, and I like him now.
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What I Didn't Like
Honestly, there's not much to put here. Winnie does seem to get away with an awful lot at times, though. And mildly cliche elements do show up every so often, but not nearly as much as in other stories I could name.
March 28, 2018
A time traveling adventure with Miss Drake and her pet Winnie! In hopes of getting Winnie to be more interested in her Great Grandfather Caleb, Miss Drake takes her back to 1915, when San Francisco is putting on a huge fair. Other magicals are going on this expedition, with the express purpose of solving the century-old mystery of a missing necklace. Naturally it doesn't go *quite* as planned, and they end up plunging into a different sort of adventure upon their return.
This was a fun read, and I think kids will enjoy it. I do find Winnie slightly annoying sometimes - like in talking to Laura Ingalls Wilder about her books even when she knows she may end up changing the time stream (which that definitely would). It should also be recognized that even if you aren't visible and changing things the normal way...tickling a lot of people and having them keep laughing is also going to make ripples of change in the time stream -_- That's one of the things I dislike about time travel stories.
This was a fun read, and I think kids will enjoy it. I do find Winnie slightly annoying sometimes - like in talking to Laura Ingalls Wilder about her books even when she knows she may end up changing the time stream (which that definitely would). It should also be recognized that even if you aren't visible and changing things the normal way...tickling a lot of people and having them keep laughing is also going to make ripples of change in the time stream -_- That's one of the things I dislike about time travel stories.
April 19, 2024
To give Winnie a better appreciation for one of her ancestors, Caleb, who was a favourite of Miss Drake, the two travel back to the 1915 San Francisco World's Fair. Miss Drake also mentions that the Heart of Kubera necklace was stolen then.
Winnie does see Caleb's kindness, but trouble ensues later, temporarily separating Winnie from Miss Drake. After reuniting, Winnie is stuck with an annoying problem: every time she wishes for something, often by accident, a bunch of garbage appears. And Rowan keeps following Winnie around. He is the pet of one of Miss Drake's peers. (Though Winnie's friends think he might be Winnie's boyfriend, neither he nor Winnie are particularly interested in each other in that way, thank goodness.) And Miss Drake figures out who stole the Heart of Kubera (not that I ever doubted she'd figure the theft out).
This is another fun story, with plenty of humour and mystery. I love Miss Drake's huffiness and amusing reactions to Winnie's constant testing of limits. And I loved how the story ended in a literal hug.
And the magical mongoose is a hoot!
Winnie does see Caleb's kindness, but trouble ensues later, temporarily separating Winnie from Miss Drake. After reuniting, Winnie is stuck with an annoying problem: every time she wishes for something, often by accident, a bunch of garbage appears. And Rowan keeps following Winnie around. He is the pet of one of Miss Drake's peers. (Though Winnie's friends think he might be Winnie's boyfriend, neither he nor Winnie are particularly interested in each other in that way, thank goodness.) And Miss Drake figures out who stole the Heart of Kubera (not that I ever doubted she'd figure the theft out).
This is another fun story, with plenty of humour and mystery. I love Miss Drake's huffiness and amusing reactions to Winnie's constant testing of limits. And I loved how the story ended in a literal hug.
And the magical mongoose is a hoot!
July 29, 2017
Winnie and Miss Drake go on an adventure in the past - San Francisco 1915. Winnie encounters Laura Ingalls Wilder and may have inspired her to write Little House on the Prairie.
Great grandfather Caleb left Winnie a time capsule and there is a familiar whistle in the box, one Winnie saw Caleb acquire in 1915. The whistle comes with a mongoose and an answer to what happened to the Heart of Kubera, a necklace.
It's a fun story and good addition to this Dragon's Guide series.
Great grandfather Caleb left Winnie a time capsule and there is a familiar whistle in the box, one Winnie saw Caleb acquire in 1915. The whistle comes with a mongoose and an answer to what happened to the Heart of Kubera, a necklace.
It's a fun story and good addition to this Dragon's Guide series.
January 29, 2018
I LOVED this entire series!!! The only reason I gave this one 4 stars is because the first few chapters were dedicated to descriptions and it really bogs you down in reading. Later in the book it is explained why the writers focused so much on these details, but really it was a slow detour from the storyline and the whole series. Still, the story picked up and got back on track after a few chapters and ended beautifully. This is a series I want to own!
June 21, 2024
Book 3 of A Dragon’s Guide series. This was a great conclusion to the series. A great twist and a chance to make new friends and conclude old issues. The theme of greed vs gratitude shines through, alone with the underpinnings of the story of Pinocchio. I love that it is left open with plenty of stories to explore and perhaps someday it will be revisited. Until then enjoy this as the last of the series.
Joseph McKnight
http://www.josephmcknight.com
Joseph McKnight
http://www.josephmcknight.com
August 29, 2024
My kids have absolutely loved this series - not least because of the excellent narration in the audiobook versions. (Miss Drake's voice is perfection.) This one deals with time travel and has some interesting plot twists. My one gripe is that the descriptions and praise of San Francisco get a little over the top - I mean, I get that Miss Drake is attached, but sometimes it is overbearing how much she goes on about the city or her past "pets".
March 7, 2018
These are delightful fantasies with a bit of adventure and the fun of blending humans and magicals together. I liked this one very much, specifically because of the element of traveling through time to visit a 1915 expo in San Francisco. Such fun details! A meeting with a special figure you will recognize!
A satisfying, quick magical adventure.
A satisfying, quick magical adventure.
October 1, 2017
#3 in the Trilogy - Absolutely loving these Dragon books - from the perspective of a feisty, soft-hearted dragon!!! Refreshing, well written, captivating and so full of imagination! Wish it would be made into a movie like the Harry Potter books.
September 14, 2017
This was on okay book. It was a little too unrealistic for my taste. The book didn't make a lot of sense to me.
January 3, 2018
I enjoyed it very much.
June 14, 2018
I just love these stories!!! I always look forward to seeing what Winnie and Miss Drake will do next.
July 3, 2018
The last of a series....I wonder why?
July 18, 2019
This was a sweet book with a more solid plot and it was mostly told from the point of view of Miss Drake, who is a much better narrator than Winnie.
March 17, 2020
A girl and her time traveling dragon head back to 1915 to solve a mystery. Upper elmentary
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August 24, 2020This 3rd book in the series was very disappointing. Couldn't bring myself to care about the characters or plot at all.
November 28, 2023
Time travel and the power of friendship!
September 25, 2024
What a cute series. I wish I had Miss Drake living in my house. There are so many cute characters. I highly recommend this book series.
April 21, 2025
Be careful what you wish for.
March 19, 2017
This third book in the Dragon's Guide series finds a pet dragon, Miss Drake, and her pet human, Winnie, going back in time to solve a mystery. The characters are interesting, but the cast is big enough to be confusing at times. Nice references to learn more about the 1915 San Francisco Fair at the end.
December 2, 2022
Such a cute and fun book told by the words of a dragon and her human pet.
April 10, 2017
This third book in the “How to Train Your Dragon” series finds Miss Drake and Winnie traveling back in time to 1915 and the San Francisco World’s Fair. The main reason for the time travel is so that Winnie may meet her great-grandfather, Caleb. However, there is a mystery to solve, too. Winnie and the annoying natural Rowan try to find the thief of the Heart of Kubera necklace. Wish-granting souvenirs and a meeting with Winnie’s favorite author, Laura Ingalls Wilder, add to the Winnie’s delight in this humorous and magical tale. The chapters are written in the voices of either Winnie or Miss Drake. The relationship between Miss Drake and Winnie is heartwarming and fantasy fans will enjoy this tale.
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January 22, 2019I have read this--last in series : (
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews