Here there be dragons! Once a warning at the end of the (flat) earth maps, dragons now come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, friendly and otherwise, winged and earth bound. Some are from Oriental myths, others are more recent creations. Here are some of the best of the best.

Anne McCaffrey is known for her wonderful Dragonrider series set on the planet of Pern. Wonderful, winged, fire-breathing dragons, who, when hatched, bond with a human. Among other things, they protect the planet from the dreaded 'thread' which periodically falls from the sky. There is also a strong musical theme to these stories, which I love. There are dozens of books in the series, start with these: Dragonflight, Dragonquest, and The White Dragon for older readers, and Dragonsong, Dragonsinger, and Dragondrums for younger readers.

For more information about the dragons of Pern, try The Dragonlover's Guide to Pern, by Jody Lynne Nye with Anne McCaffrey. Todd Cameron Hamilton did the illustrations, and James Clouse did the maps (and some of illustrations as well). Learn about the people of Pern, the Forts, Crafthalls, and Weyrs, the seasons of Threadfall and more.

Dragons of Autumn Twilight is the first of the Dragonlance Chronicles books. The 'dragon' books form a trilogy, but there are dozens of books overall. And although I've never tried them, I think there are online games, too! Authors Margaret Weisman and Tracy Hickman created a wonderful fantasy world filled with adventure, sword and sorcery type action, and believable characters. It's been years now, since I read this trilogy, but they sit on my 'favorite' book shelf and will be read again at some point. :-)

Another book I need to reread is Dragon Prince, by Melanie Rawn. Also the start of a trilogy, this is a big, detailed book (sort of like Frank Herbert's Dune). It is a classic fantasy story (young Rohan is determined to restore peace to his kingdom), but very well done. Sioned, the female, is a Sunrunner ... she can weave sunlight into messages and then send them. (She's good enough to do this with moonlight, too, which is much harder).

For a nice break after the complex reading of the above books, go to The Dragons Are Singing Tonight, poems by Jack Prelutsky and pictures by Peter Sis. Read the poems out loud! I like so many of them I am unable to pick a favorite. Spend some time looking at the illustrations, they are worth it.

Learn about the history of dragons, feel a bit of dragon skin, study dragon anatomy, watch a dragon hatch. This quietly interactive book (as opposed to the ones that beep, chirp, talk back and so forth) is just plain fun! Dr. Ernest Drake's Dragonology: the Complete Book of Dragons is edited by Dugald A. Steer.

I usually put my book recommendations in the order in which I read them, but in this case, even though I read this book decades ago (and many, many times since), I'm leaving it for last because it is one of my absolute all time most favorites. I used it as a gift many times, and, since it's a short read, even encouraged those who do not normally read fantasy to do so this one time (most of them liked it). Tea With the Black Dragon, by R.A MacAvoy is a delightful blend of fantasy and mystery and even a bit of romance.

I believe in dragons, do you?

Reading Hermit With Dog