Dragon Keeper [Hardcover]

Carole Wilkinson (Author)

Book Description

Grade Level: 3 and up

In ancient China during the Han Dynasty, a young slave girl toils away for a lazy and cruel master. Unloved and orphaned, the girl does not even know her name until in a remarkable moment of courage, she helps save an ageing dragon and her life is changed forever. Now, she must travel across China protecting a mysterious stone that is vital to the dragon. As they journey over mountains and face an evil dragon hunter, the young girl and the old dragon form an unlikely and powerful bond.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Dragons fascinate children of all ages, and Carole Wilkinson’s inspired mix of myth and historical fact will leave young readers wistfully listening for wing beats. In the year 141 B.C., Ping is an illiterate Chinese orphan who lives on the edge of one of the Emperor’s least-used royal palaces. Her master is a boorish drunk who neglects his duties as Imperial Dragon Keeper. Under his watch, the Emperor’s dragons have dwindled from a magnificent dozen to a miserable two. When the next to last dies, the remaining dragon, Long Danzi, coaxes Ping into helping him flee to the faraway ocean. Early on in the journey, Ping knows the dragon and the mysterious purple stone he carries are very special. But how is it that a grubby slave girl has come to be the keeper of the last imperial dragon? Only when the friends reach their destination will Ping be able to see herself as Danzi sees her, and learn to use the unique talents she alone possesses.

Dragon Keeper is a humorous, wise quest tale with strong, identifiable characterizations. Ping grows from a frightened slave girl with no name into a strong, self-sufficient young woman who knows her purpose, and witty, warm Danzi will have every reader wishing for a scaly companion of his or her very own. Young dragon keepers in training will want to follow up this novel with the equally excellent The Hunting of the Last Dragon by Sherryl Jordan and The Kite Rider by Geraldine McCaughrean. (Ages 9-14) --Jennifer Hubert

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-9–An action-packed adventure set in China in 141 B.C. In a remote western palace, Ping, a slave girl of unknown origin, serves the emperor's Dragon Keeper, an incompetent drunkard who neglects the two last-known dragons in his charge. When one of them dies and an evil hunter threatens to kill the other for his magical body parts, the old dragon, Danzi, escapes with the girl. He entrusts Ping with his precious and beautiful purple stone, which he is determined to take to the ocean. As they make their long journey east, Ping develops plausibly from a terrified, abused child into a confident young woman who truly deserves the official title of Dragon Keeper. Beset with self-doubt, often making mistakes, she slowly becomes aware of her innate powers, which includes second sight. The plot twists and turns, cinematic action comes in bursts, and villains are vile, while Danzi, Ping, and her pet rat are heroic, appealing companions who can fight or scheme their way out of every tight spot. Danzi sometimes speaks like a Daoist philosopher, but his telepathic communication with Ping too often resembles the truncated phrases of a Chinese speaker still learning English. That said, the dramatic plot and competently crafted writing make this a good choice for voracious readers of fantasy, especially those who have enjoyed Anne McCaffrey's dragon fantasies. The ending, though satisfying, makes way for a sequel.–Margaret A. Chang, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, North Adams
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Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion; 1 edition (April 2, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786855819
• ISBN-13: 978-0786855810
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,513,551 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Breathtakingly Brilliant Adventure!, May 25, 2005

By 

T. J. Jones "TJ" (San Diego, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dragon Keeper (Hardcover)

`Dragon Keeper' is the U.S. debut novel by highly successful Australian author, Carole Wilkinson, that has already won many prestigious Australian awards. It tells the wonderful story of a Chinese slave girl named Ping and her perilous journey to save the last imperial dragon, Long Danzi. In the beginning, Ping is a slave for the cruel, current Dragon Keeper, who neglects his duties and in so doing so causes the death of the second to last imperial dragon. In a startling amount of courage, Ping rescues Danzi and they set off for the Ocean which Danzi mysteriously insists on traveling to for the sake of a beautiful purple stone which he holds most important to the sake of all dragons. Wilkinson is a master of words, painting amazing scenes and the emotions of Ping as effortlessly as the artists of the beautiful traditional Chinese pictures that don every chapter opening. Ping was a three-dimensional, interesting main character. She realistically makes and learns from her mistakes, and therefore by doing so is relatable to all readers. The dragon Long Danzi was my favorite character. His riddles of wisdom hold lessons that Ping must take importantly if she is to outwit the many villains that chase them throughout the course of the novel and they also provide comical relief. Anyways, Ping's transition from a scared slave girl to the confident Dragon Keeper was a highly believable journey that left me on the edge of my seat. This novel is full of humor, lessons to be learned and shared, adventure, and sheer enjoyment that I'm sure it will also bring to eager readers everywhere. Highly recommended.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A unique and wonderous adventure, June 8, 2005

By 

A Customer (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dragon Keeper (Hardcover)

The year is 141 B.C. and a young girl with no name works as a slave at the desolate Huangling Place located on the edge of the Han Empire in China. The young girl serves a cruel master named Lan who is the Imperial Dragon Keeper. Master Lan's job is to feed and take care of the Emperor's imperial dragons, but he is lazy and makes the girl do his job instead. The slave is afraid of the two strange creatures that live in the dark pit, but puts aside her fears and tends to the dragons each day.

Then one day, one of the dragons dies. The girl feels guilty because the day before she had eaten a bowl of fresh food with her pet rat Hua that was meant for the dragons. She is then horrified when Master Lan decides to get rid of the dead dragon by pickling it. The girl knows that the pickling of an imperial dragon would mean death if the absent Emperor ever found out.

A couple of weeks pass, and while searching the Palace, the girl is greeted with the unexpected visit of the Emperor and his court. She accidentally ends up secretly watching an imperial banquet and overhears the Emperor making a deal with a greedy dragon hunter named Diao. She witnesses the Emperor and his wife unknowingly taste some of the dragon pickle. The girl reveals herself and tells the stunned court the horrible truth. She rescues the remaining imperial dragon and, along with Hua, is taken on a journey as the elderly dragon flies them away from the Palace.

The girl discovers that the dragon is named Long Danzi and that her own name is Ping. Ping joins the wise Danzi on a quest that will introduce her to a magical and dangerous world far greater than she has ever known. The only question is whether of not they will survive and complete their quest before it's too late.

DRAGON KEEPER is a unique and wondrous adventure that intermediate readers will want to continue and that will leave them believing in themselves.
[...]

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Dragons and Heroines and Still Didn't Love It, June 18, 2011

By 

Ax20 "Ax20" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dragon Keeper (Paperback)

Dragon Keeper is the tale of a young orphan girl who serves a cruel master who is meant to care for the emperor's dragons. Though at first she gives little thought to the dragons, the death of one and the mourning of the remaining dragon make her reconsider. She realizes that she is the dragons' only chance at safety and freedom. Together they embark on a journey that is full of challenges and discovery.

Wilkinson paints a clear picture of Ancient China which helps make the story feel real and believable. The set up is strong and engaging. The orphan girl is sympathetic.

Despite this, I couldn't get myself invested in the story. Most of it felt slow and plodding and I just wanted SOMETHING to happen. I love dragons and I love strong heroines and still it did nothing for me. The dialogue feels unnatural and forced. There was a nice little surprising piece of information at the end but it isn't enough to make me want to read the next book to find out what happens to the dragon and the orphan.