The Dragon and the Thief [Hardcover]

Gillian Bradshaw (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up

In ancient Egypt an unlucky young man meets a wealthy dragon and together they find dangerous but exciting adventure.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Born with his eyes wide open--a sure sign of the gods' displeasure--Prahotepstet has been plagued with bad luck and has failed to find success in any trade. When the 17-year-old stumbles across Hathor, the last dragon in Egypt, he finds his metier and fulfills his destiny. When Hathor requests his assistance in her escape to Nubia in search of fellow dragons, the usually unlucky boy suddenly finds the gods and a little fortune on his side. Bradshaw maintains a breakneck pace throughout the eventful, dangerous journey, on which the pair are pursued by an evil magician. Battles between wit and magic, brain and brawn abound, yet for all the clever plot twists a certain depth is missing. Hathor lacks the majesty and mystery that the wealth of dragon lore suggests while Egypt, with all its colorful possibilities, remains an undefined, distant country. Ages 10-up.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-6-- Prahotep, the son of a poor fisherman, has been cursed with bad luck. Sent to Thebes by his dying father to find a new trade since "clearly the gods never meant for him to be a fisherman," the boy fails a series of apprenticeships and ends up in a gang of prisoners and laborers cutting stone. More trials follow, but through kindness and loyalty to others, Prahotep finally sees his luck change for the better. His story begins as a historical novel set in ancient Egypt, including authentic background about the setting and the culture. His many career failures strain credibility, but are followed by some exciting adventures. Willing suspension of disbelief is most easily reached when Prahotep finally meets a sophisticated and well-spoken dragon, and the story moves into complete fantasy. However, this shift could prove confusing to those unable to discern where reality ends and myth-making begins. The hero is a sympathetic character whose adventures become more compelling as they progress. With a totally fictional setting, this could be a good fantasy adventure. In this case, historical background adds interest but muddles the issues. --Susan L. Rogers, Chestnut Hill Academy, PA
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Hardcover: 154 pages
• Publisher: Greenwillow; 1st edition (September 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688105750
• ISBN-13: 978-0688105754
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,485,600 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Perfect Read-Aloud for Teachers, March 28, 2000

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Dragon and the Thief (Hardcover)

I used this title, The Dragon and the Thief, in my sixth grade language arts classroom this year. It was the perfect book to compliment the study of ancient Egypt which was going on in social studies classes. I read a chapter at a time and my students were begging me to continue when it came time to stop each day. The book is a wonderful adventure, with engaging characters and lots of hidden learning on Egyptian gods and social structures. I had one student who felt that Bradshaw's Prahotep & Hathor beat out Harry Potter! Too bad it's out of print - my students wrote the publisher because they wanted their own copies...

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Hathor, March 19, 2000

By 

"skywaterlv" - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Dragon and the Thief (Hardcover)

I always rather liked this book when I was in the sixth grade. Hathor is a very interesting character. Anyways, the sequal is called "The Land of Gold" and if you wern't satisfied by the ending in this book, then you definetly will be in the next. Haharkay is the best new character in that one and I refuse to tell you who he is, but you can guess :)

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great storytelling!, November 19, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Dragon and the Thief (Hardcover)

I think this was a good book. I like mythological animals and stories and this is one of them. Gillian Bradshaw has a good imagination and is a good writer because I could see the things she described in my head. I want to read more of her books.