Dragon lover under 8 years old

This could be the hardest one to find, but here are some dragon ideas for those younger dragon lovers.

*Tea for Dragons–this fun book has kids wondering what they’d serve a dragon if it came for tea.

*Dragon Warmies–This blue dragon is unique as far as stuffed animals go. It can be warmed up or work as an ice pack. It also has a soothing lavender scent added.

*Dragon Blanket–Who doesn’t love to cuddle up in a warm blanket? It’s even better when it encourages you to be more than meets the eye!

*Dragon t-shirt–Even the youngest dragon lovers dream of being a dragon rider. This t-shirt inspires the dream.

Dragon lover ages 8-12

As your child grows, so does their ability to enjoy books and toys. This age group has a few more fun things that someone even older may enjoy as well.

*I have several books that a child this age will love. Dragon’s Future introduces the next generation to dragon riders, while The Myth Coast Adventures trilogy shows everyday kids interacting with mythical creatures including dragons, unicorn, Bigfoot, brownies, and fairies.

*Dragon plushies are a hit with this age group. Tee Turtle has multiple ones to choose from. I picked the black one and the reversible one that goes from dragon to unicorn.

* All ages love cuddling up in a blanket. This one adds a hood and showcases a beautiful dragon.

*By 8 years old, children can start to enjoy crafts. These paper dragons are a wonderful way to encourage their creativitiy.

*Another way to encourage your child’s creativity is with action figures. This dragon will inspire stories. If you don’t like the lava dragon, there are other options available as well.

Dragon lovers over 12 years old

This age group includes not only your kids but you as well. The books are young adult, and the other ideas are more fragile.

*Four Stars over Ardatz: Sovereigns is an epic fantasy with dragons. The first six books follow Hest, a young stable hand who’d rather be with horses than humans, but when a marvelous stallion walks into his stable, he’s taken as squire to the captain of the royal guard of the neighboring kingdom. When he rescues a baby dragon, his life takes a drastic change. Books 7 and 8 follow the original dragon king of Muintir. An addicting series.

*While you read, you’ll want something to warm you up. Some tea or coffee will work. Then you’ll need something to put it in. This fun mug shares with the world your love of dragons and books.

*Even older kids and adults will like this dragon action figure. There are six different kinds to choose from.

*Curling up with a good book means a comfy blanket as well. This dragon one will be sure to please.

*As you grow older, you can handle these gorgeous acrylic dragons, and appreciate the gems that are inside of them. I have four or five. A student bought a ton and then thought of me and allowed me to have my pick! They’re pretty, and if you don’t want a full dragon, you can ask for a key chain, and she may be able to accommodate you.

Sweet romance lovers

Do you have someone who loves sweet romance? Maybe your mom? What do you get her? Here are a few ideas.

*These two books are sweet romance with a twist. They each retell a Bible story but in a unique different setting. Instead of the King James language, we have a medieval servant who longs for someone to recognize her. The other is set in a slight steampunk setting. Think Howl’s Moving Castle or Castle in the Sky.

*Like those over 12, a romance lover will enjoy a mug of something hot. This one will encourage her to realize that she’s enough.

*Chocolate’s another great hit! Chocolove is one of my favorites. I can pick it up in my local market. You may be able to. If not, check out their site to find a store near you. One of the fun things about Chocolove is they have poems inside the wrapper. My latest, Ruby chocolate, had a Shakespeare sonnet.

Dragon Airways by Brian Rathbone:

Click on photo to find book on amazon

I first heard about Dragon Airways from Brian Rathbone’s Facebook page and immediately thought it was an addition to the Godsland series. Although, I was excited for it, I knew I had to finish the series before I could enjoy the book. However, when Dragon Airways went on sale a while back, Brian replied to one of my comments letting me know it is a stand alone. I eagerly picked it up.

From the first page, it held my attention. Emmet and Riette pulled at my heartstrings. The brother and sister care deeply for each other and are thrust into the middle of a Zjhon war. Their options of escape soon are narrowed down to a decrepit dragon and her groom and rider. Soon the reader is pulled into the intrigue of who is really the bad guy and how will Emmet and Riette stay ahead of the Zjhon. With fast-paced action, and wonderful character development, Dragon Airways is the perfect coming of age story for anyone ages twelve and up, or to be read outloud to any age. It will bring tears to the tender-hearted.

Dragon Airways is the perfect story for anyone ages 12 and up.

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Keeper by S Smith:

Click on the image to go to Keeper on amazon.

Keeper is book 4 of the Seed Saver series that I have discussed before. The story picks up with Lily and Arturo as they’ve found refuge in the rural, Carolina mountains. When the authorities discover the bike they used to arrive at the village, it puts a kink in their plans for leaving. Meanwhile, Clare and Dante are finishing their courses of the Garden Guardians in Canada. Upon graduation their host parents tell them they won’t return to their own home. Rose is sent to a foster home where Trinia has her eye on the girl. FRND classes takes up Rose’s time and fill her mind with propaganda from GRIM. When they all meet again, the survival of the Seed Savers is put in jeopardy.

This is a great read for anyone who loves the series, loves gardening and real food, and loves adventure. The fast-paced book is appropriate for ages twelve and older.

The Chronicle of the Three: Bloodline by Tabitha Caplinger

Click on the image to go to TCO3: Bloodline on amazon.

I had to look through my book list and my blog posts to see which books I had read and hadn’t already shared with you. To my surprise I discovered I haven’t mentioned this book, at least not in my blog.

About four years ago, my now nineteen-year-old son and I traveled 50 minutes one way to school every day. We listened to a ton of books. One of those was The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare. I enjoyed the idea of the plot line but several times we fast-forwarded love scenes. It opened up discussions between us on ethics and purity, but at the same time, I wondered what it would be like if there was a book with similar plot that would have been clean.

In the last several months, I discovered there is such a book. The Chronicle of the Three: Bloodline has all the intrigue, action, dueling, and romance that The Mortal Instruments had minus the swearing and sex! I was so excited that I read through the book and eagerly looked forward to book two. This week the advanced reader copy of book two, The Chronicle of the Three: Armor Bearer arrived in my inbox. If I had one more day of being sick and in bed, this would have come out. As it is, I’ll pull it out at lunch tomorrow.

Fellowship of Fantasy Perma-Free Titles:

One last collection for your gift-giving selection are a list of perma-free, clean fantasy books. Fellowship of Fantasy hosted a Facebook party this weekend highlighting books that will cost you nothing! That’s right. These are the best kind for your budget. They are all flinch-free fantasy. Check out the link to see the list.

Do you have favorite books for gift-giving? If so, please let me know.

The first student to fall and have to bring a surprise brought in homemade cookies for the class. The next brought in a box of CapriSuns. The students appreciated these surprises, and it made for a fun day. After that, the students have become even more creative. They have brought in surprises that were free.

A seventh grader took me back in time to when my grandpa was still alive. My grandpa fought in WWII on a navy ship in the Pacific. One day, a lone fighter jet followed the airplanes back to the ship and let loose one bomb and skedaddled back to his base. That one bomb hit the munitions dump and blew things to pieces. My grandpa received shrapnel in his hand and had a scar to prove it for the rest of his life. A little seventh grader brought that story to life by bringing in a shell casing from a WWII ship gun.

This last week, after a boss battle that caused several students on one team to fall in battle, a student shared one by one how she appreciated each student. She told of fun times in volleyball, good times to come in basketball, and shared experiences through the years. With each telling, she looked the person directly in the eyes and relived the memories.

Both of these last two acts cost nothing but time and thought. The one took the time to double check that he could bring something to school. His treat brought history alive for his class and his teacher. The other cost a bit of humility to get up in front of the class and talk from the heart. It also took a bit of thinking to decide what would be meaningful for each and every student and the teacher. These are both gifts that can be shared this holiday season.

As we think of Black Friday and the gift giving season, think of those gifts that cost nothing. Sometimes this are worth more than those that cost a fortune. What can you give today that is free? Will you take the time to share memories of times past to make history come alive for a younger generation? Will you tell someone what you appreciate about him or her? These are simple and yet profound gifts. Gifts that anyone can give.