Customer Reviews

Dragon Wishes

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A series of huge changes all at once can wreak havoc with any child. "Dragon Wishes" tells of Alex and Isa, two young sisters who have had their world turned upside down. Their parents die, and they are forced to move across the United States to San Francisco, leaving their beloved Oklahoma home behind. Their only comfort is their Aunt Ling's stories. A tale of adjusting and looking to the future, "Dragon Wishes" is a fine story of the coping of youth.

Though the novel was written for middle grade readers, it is a book that captures the hearts of more seasoned readers, too. The mix of American, German and Chinese cultures makes for a unique story and captures the reality of many families as they work to integrate multiple heritages into their lives.

Nyikos has a powerful gift for storytelling that comes to life in Dragon Wishes. She magically weaves together two stories to create one unified reading experience: the present-time story of a girl and her little sister coming to terms with their parents' tragic death, and an ancient story handed down through the generations about a girl who calls on the power of dragons to save her village. The transition between the two stories is seamless.

This is, by far, one of the most moving and well-written children's novels I have read since my own youth. It is one that I would read aloud to a class of students and use as in a thematic unit on Chinese art and culture (3rd - 5th grade, as a read aloud, 4th - 8th graders would enjoy it independently). It is one I will read with my daughter when she's older (she's not even two yet, but it will keep!). I will also recommend it to the school counselors I know for them to suggest to their students who have been relocated or have lost close relatives.

The dialogue is natural and relaxed, which is sometimes rare in first novels, but Nyikos writes it skillfully. The characters are believable and likable, developed over time as you experience them through their actions. Overall the tone is serious, but healthy and fitting doses of humor keep the story moving.

Alex and Isa are having trouble adjusting to their new home and family in San Francisco. It hasn't been long since their parents' death, or The Accident, and neither sister is coping well. Young Isa seems to be doing better than Alex, despite the fact that Isa has stopped talking; Isa is at least trying to accept her new life while all Alex wants is for life to be as it was before The Accident. She wants to go back home to Oklahoma. She doesn't having much hope of realizing that desire until her Auntie Ling tells her a bedtime story about dragons. The story increases her belief that there is magic and that maybe she can wish her way back hoe. Along the way, Alex will realize where she truly belongs and where her home is.

Dragon Wishes starts off well, and I'm glad to say it only gets better from there. I was drawn immediately into Alex's tale because I wanted to know how she would deal with this major change in her life and because she was such a compelling main character. Alex was very well-developed and I enjoyed reading along with her journey. The other characters were not as well-developed as I'd have liked them to be, but this is minor considering this story was primarily told from Alex's point-of-view. I thought it was very unique for Nyikos to incorporate the Chinese dragon tale and was surprised that it didn't really distract me from the main storyline, which I commend Nyikos for. I also really liked the mix of American, Chinese, and German cultures although I felt there could've been more German culture because that was Alex's heritage. There were a few bits and pieces in the story that I felt weren't necessary, such as Alex's guy crush and things that could've been improved, like the strength of Alex's friendship with Maddie. Nevertheless, Dragon Wishes was a well-written and moving story about family.

I was very impressed with Nyikos' debut middle grade novel and hope she plans to write more in the future. Dragon Wishes can be enjoyed by both younger and older readers, particularly fans of books with Chinese culture or novels with dragons. Readers who liked Bringing the Boy Home by N.A. Nelson will also enjoy this story.