What would you be willing to do, to get what you want?

The House With A Dragon In It

Author: Nick Lake @nicklakeauthor

Illustrator: Emily Gravett

Published by: Simon and Schuster @simonkids_UK @simonschusterUK

Published on: June 2023

Price: £12.99

First line: When Summer was little, her real mum used to tell her, that if she ever saw a glass bottle lying on the ground, she should not pick it up on case there was a witch inside.

Genre: Magic, Mystery

Age: 9+

ISBN: 978 1 4711 9486 3

What’s it all about? Summer is an orphan, and she is fed up with being twisted around from family to family. One day, a huge hole opens up in her new family’s living room floor and it calls to her. Come down. Come down and see. If she does, she might get everything she ever thought she might have wanted. But is it worth the risk? Dragon fights, witch fights and girl fights. Is that the price of love?

Why should I read it? This book is a true study of friendship. Who your real friends are is often so hard to tell. As Summer makes her way through the story, she comes across her foster family; a girl called Aishwarya who walks her home; some elderly residents of the village; a librarian; a dragon; a witch; a witch’s cat and the ‘cool’ girls at school. But who is really her friend? Who loves her? Often people’s motivations and reasons are hidden, and not necessarily unkind. Her confusion, becomes your confusion. Her longing, becomes your longing. Her desperate hope for change, burns with you. I love stories where the magic is subtle and not rammed down your throat, and this is one. Mainly, it’s a contemporary story, but with a dashing of magic and folklore.

I love the dialogue in this book. It seems so natural and well thought out. The little asides after or before the speech also help tell you a lot about the characters:

‘”Um…” said Mr Pattison, which was actually something he said a lot.’

And also, sometimes the lack of dialogue:

‘The dragon simply looked at her, and Summer thought she understood…’

The librarian seems to be a very popular character for children’s stories that I’m reading at the moment. And also in the past – I personally love Terry Prachett’s orangutan librarian! Which is ironic, because surely they’re a dieing breed.

And, without a doubt, Emily Gravett, is one of the best illustrators out there. Her pictures bring the words alive. Even though they are in black and white, the colour of life and love burns brightly from them. I absolutely love the close-up picture of the witch’s eyes!

Thanks to @toppsta for the review copy.