Dragon Seer’s Gift
HarperCollins Canada
Twelve-year-old Gwyn Rae reluctantly begins to research a 19th century ancestor to boost his sagging grades. When bullying forces his sister Maddie off her school soccer team, she joins him in his after-school exploration of the notebooks of their ancestor. Daniel Rae was a clergyman and naturalist who died in a shipwreck. One of his notebooks read like fiction, describing someone or something who can talk and fly, and an old iron key passed down through the family leads the siblings to an extraordinary discovery, the last Pictish dragon who has waited over a century for the next dragon seer.
Awards
Violet Downey Book Award, IODE National Chapter of Canada
Newfoundland Heritage and History Books Award, Children’s Books
Shortlisted for provincial readers’ choice awards in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario.
Why I Wrote This Book
It was fun to write a book set in the neighbourhood where I’d lived for over thirty years. So many stories are about kids in unhappy families. Even though Maddie and Gwyn face the trials of bulling, I wanted them to have loving parents in a stable marriage. Gwyn’s adventure explores extinction and what it means for our world through the medium of fantasy. The dragon is there to guide Gwyn but always with a twinkle in his eye.
Reviews for Dragon Seer
“This thoughtful book will appeal to middle school students who are interested in history, puzzles and science. Its themes of keeping the balance in the world between nature and man, and showing respect for other people... will draw the intended readership. The theme of throwing oneself into a topic and developing a passion for knowledge and ideas will set up a sparkle in the eyes of those children who excel at school but keep it hidden because they are afraid of being bullied.”
— CM Magazine *Recommended*