Status
Available
Call number
Series
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Publication
Bloomsbury Childrens Books (2007), Paperback, 336 pages
Description
Orphaned after a fever epidemic, Creel befriends a dragon and unknowingly inherits an object that can either save or destroy her kingdom.
Media reviews
School Library Journal
Some secondary characters are rather flat and stereotypical, and a lot of details are tied up too neatly and quickly at the conclusion, but the plot is sound and well written.
Booklist
The plot elements are sometimes awkwardly stitched together, but the exciting, fairy-tale action and vivid scenes, from glittering dragon cave to posh dress shop, are captivating.
Kirkus Reviews
Not entirely original, but clever, well-plotted and good fun.
User reviews
LibraryThing member quiltinglibrarian
I am really enjoying this book by Utah author Jessica Day George. It is her first fantasy for young readers. It is being considered for the Utah Book Award and I am one of the people reviewing it for the award. I am loving it.
LibraryThing member satyridae
What an absolute delight this book was. Charming and fresh for all that it's yet another tale of a poor girl and a dragon- oh, and there's a prince involved. Some of the conceits are just hilarious, especially around the dragons' hoards. The characters are lovable and the situations strain one's
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credulity in a comfortable fashion. The heroine is one of my favorite plucky young girls, and her clever ideas go a long way towards excusing her ignorance about her own slippers. Highly recommended. Show Less
LibraryThing member gail208
Creel is sent off by her aunt to be captured by a dragon they are not sure exists, in the hopes that the local Lord's son will rescue her, and save the family from poverty. It turns out the dragon does exist, but fortunately is not interested in eating Creel, or in fighting a knight. Creel talks
On her way to the city, Creel meets and befriends another dragon. Once in the city she has an unfortunate encounter with the spoiled foreign princess who is to marry the king's elder son, but ends up befriending the younger prince, and starting work at a prominent dressmakers shop. After Creel's slippers are stolen, it is revealed just how special they are, and she and her new friends must find a way to get them back and to stop a war.
Creel is a spunky, resourceful heroine, who ends up befriending the dragons, and saving the kingdom, rather than sitting around waiting to be rescued and carried off by a knight to live happily ever after. This is an engaging read for ages 9-14.
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him into letting her leave, and even into giving her something from his hoard if she will send the knight away too. She's hoping for a jewel-encrusted goblet that she can sell to pay her way to the capital city to find work as a seamstress. She ends up with a very special pair of slippers.On her way to the city, Creel meets and befriends another dragon. Once in the city she has an unfortunate encounter with the spoiled foreign princess who is to marry the king's elder son, but ends up befriending the younger prince, and starting work at a prominent dressmakers shop. After Creel's slippers are stolen, it is revealed just how special they are, and she and her new friends must find a way to get them back and to stop a war.
Creel is a spunky, resourceful heroine, who ends up befriending the dragons, and saving the kingdom, rather than sitting around waiting to be rescued and carried off by a knight to live happily ever after. This is an engaging read for ages 9-14.
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LibraryThing member BrynDahlquis
Second time reading:
This book just makes me happy. So, so, so happy. I mean, it's got dragons, sewing, an excellent main character, and a charming little prince. And let's not forget the amazing ending.
This is the kind of book that leaves me with a grin that I just can't get rid of for hours and
The main character is -awesome-.
The prince is -awesome-.
This book is -awesome-.
This book just makes me happy. So, so, so happy. I mean, it's got dragons, sewing, an excellent main character, and a charming little prince. And let's not forget the amazing ending.
This is the kind of book that leaves me with a grin that I just can't get rid of for hours and
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hours and days even. Even the second time through, I couldn't find very many flaws with Dragon Slippers (right now, I can't even think of one). There are some truly heartbreaking scenes in this book, so Jessica Day George's writing can't be questioned. The plot goes from light fractured fairytale to fullscale dragon war in about fifty pages, and yet its so smooth and makes perfect sense.The main character is -awesome-.
The prince is -awesome-.
This book is -awesome-.
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LibraryThing member retvolunteer
This humorous twist on the fairy tale of princess and dragons is well told and hard to put down because of the humor, the clever dragons, and the more clever heroine. The length of the book reminded me of pre-Harry Potter books and was just right for an easy read. I'm looking forward to reading
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more by this author. Show Less
LibraryThing member Helcura
What a delightful book! A sensible heroine who isn't overly timid or overly aggressive, lovely dragons who find humans a bit annoying, an interesting plot. A pleasure to read for both young adults and adults.
LibraryThing member Snickers500
It was a really suspenseful book with something new around every corner. I found myself wanting to read it non-stop.
LibraryThing member Rlwadham
Great first novel with lots of classic fantasy twists
LibraryThing member jjmcgaffey
Wow. That is a _great_ story. The characters are fascinating - they develop, or the reader's understanding of them develops, in quick sequence - I'm thinking particularly of the people in Derda's shop. The gimmick with the shoes is weird and wonderful, and the final twist - and the post-final twist
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to that - is excellent. I only got the first one of the series out of the library, because I've been having to return books unread - so I need to go to the library tomorrow! More please quick. Show Less
LibraryThing member MissClark
I loved this book! It has humor, great characters, good plot, realistic dialogue, originality and a good style to the writing. As a debut novel, it is utterly stunning! Our story begins with a peasant maiden (Creel) getting offered to the local dragon by her dirt-poor relations in the hopes that a
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knight or prince will rescue her from said beast and take them all to live in his fancy home. Needless to say, things do not work out as planned. Creel ends up walking away from the encounter with a pair of blue slippers and sets off for the city-seat of the kingdom Feravel. Along the way she falls in with brigands and more dragons. (Love Shardas!) But eventually she makes it to the city and finds work as a seamstress at Durda's dress shop. Creel's talent lies in sewing, especially embroidery. Creel has to contend with a spoiled princess, meets both the royal princes, one of whom, Luka, seems to take some interest in her well being, not to mention the mystery of those slippers. The seemingly innocuous piece of footwear holds a dark secret and an even more deadly power. Like I said, amazing first book. Truly talented author. Love her characters and writing style. Show Less
LibraryThing member desislc
What a fabulous book! The story was interesting and a LOT of fun. I can't wait to read the sequel!
Creel receives a pair of mysterious slippers from her local dragon and makes her way to the capital city to become a dressmaker. Her slippers land her unexpected friends, but also bring trouble in the
Creel receives a pair of mysterious slippers from her local dragon and makes her way to the capital city to become a dressmaker. Her slippers land her unexpected friends, but also bring trouble in the
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form of an incredibly annoying foreign princess. The slippers end up being stolen and causing an international incident involving the dragons. Show Less
LibraryThing member jcole7
This novel is about a young girl during the mid-evil times that befriend a group dragons. The dragons and the girl, Creel, have a close bond. The girl finds friendship and trust with the dragons. One of the dragons gives up his most prized possession to Creel as a gift.
I alway enjoyed the 'Dragon
In the classroom, I could teach a unit about mystical creatures. Also, there could be a class discussion about the students' most possession and asked if they would be willing to give it to a dear friend like the dragon gave the slippers to Creel.
I alway enjoyed the 'Dragon
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Heart' movies and this book had alot in common with that story. I have always found mystical creatures fascinating, especially dragons!!!In the classroom, I could teach a unit about mystical creatures. Also, there could be a class discussion about the students' most possession and asked if they would be willing to give it to a dear friend like the dragon gave the slippers to Creel.
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LibraryThing member 8f_starrynight
This book is fictional, of course. The author, Jessica Day George, has a unique way of writing books. In this book, it shows how even a poor girl from an unknown town, can become a heroine. This book was well written, and definitely made me want to read more, and find out what's going to happen.
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What I thought was quite interesting, was the fact that she changed my belief of legends and myths of dragons. We always believe that dragons collect gold and kidnap maidens and stuff. But in this book, it was quite different, because the dragons collected shoes, glass windows, dogs...etc. It was a humorous book to read, and everything was well written with JUST enough detail. Show Less
LibraryThing member mhhacker
Creel is originally given to a dragon in order for her poor family to benefit financially from her rescue by a prince. Instead, she makes a bargain with the dragon - the noise and fuss of the rescue won't have to happen if the dragon allows her to choose one item from it's hoard...of shoes! She
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makes her way to the King's Seat to seek employment at a dress shop, as she knows how to embroider beautifully. But her new shoes attract the attention of the evil princess, now betrothed to the royal prince, who wants them for her foreign kingdom's selfish purposes! Show Less
LibraryThing member knielsen83
Fantastic book. I just randomly picked it up from the library (despite the fact that it was a J fiction book) and I read it in less than a day. It was adventure-ful and full of interesting characters.. and of course, involved dragons. Sucked me in from the first page.Read it for the second time and
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loved it again. Can't wait to read the sequel (sitting on my nightstand at home). Show Less
LibraryThing member kelleykl
Fast paced. Good take on the Cinderella story. Nice for middle school readers. Blends fantasy and realism so the fantasy isn't too overwhelming.
LibraryThing member mmillet
I found myself enjoying this book even when I thought that I wasn't going to. It is about a girl who leaves her village and through a series of events winds up making friends with several dragons on her way to the city to make a life for herself. I found it a little predictable, but all in all, it
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was a fun, light read. Show Less
LibraryThing member tinkdust21
Very good for juvenile fantasy. I haven't read any others in this series as of yet, but am intrigued to do so. The characters in this story are so vivid and distinct that I found myself thinking about them and their individual plot lines between readings.
Because there is a bit of a slow start, it
Because there is a bit of a slow start, it
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is not one I would necessarily recommend for reluctant readers, but the pace does pick up after about 35 pages. Show Less
LibraryThing member rj_anderson
This book encapsulated everything I love best about MG fantasy, and evoked some of my favorite authors (particularly Patricia C. Wrede) without seeming derivative. Creel is a satisfyingly resourceful and forthright heroine without being irritatingly perfect, and I loved the idea of the dragons all
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collecting different items (and creatures) for their hoards. I'll definitely be looking out for the sequel! Show Less
LibraryThing member JLsBibliomania
Charming, though tame, fantasy for the middle-grade set. My 3rd grade fantasy maven liked it well enough to finish it, but perhaps because the protagonist is a girl, he isn't begging for the next in the series.
LibraryThing member Crewman_Number_6
I really wasn't expecting to like this book so much. I wanted a new book to read, but only had a couple of minutes to choose, so I grabbed this one almost randomly because I liked the look of it. Yes, I know I'm not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but I do so anyway. The story drew me in
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immediately. I liked Creel. I liked the plot. I don't think I put this down until I finished it. Show Less
LibraryThing member Krumbs
One of those stories in which a lot of trouble could have been avoided if the characters had simply communicated better with each other, but I guess that was sort of the point. If everything had been said plainly at the beginning, what sort of adventure would it be?
LibraryThing member terriko
I enjoyed Jessica Day George's twelve dancing princess books so much that I felt a need to try her other novels, and I wasn't disappointed. This one starts with Creel's aunt trying to sacrifice her to a dragon as a ploy to attract a knight for a husband, but Creel decides instead to try to make a
Fun! Adventure! Girls and dragons as friends! It's exactly what I wanted.
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deal with the dragon and avoid anyone getting hurt. However, the deal she ends up making has some incredibly unexpected consequences... Fun! Adventure! Girls and dragons as friends! It's exactly what I wanted.
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LibraryThing member BookLoversLife
I really liked Dragon Slippers. Its a sweet quick read.
LibraryThing member AshleyMiller
There are not many fantasy novels that have a female as a strong lead character. One such series I read awhile ago was The Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C. Wrede. After being recommended to read Dragon Slippers on Goodreads I decided to look further into the series. Once I read a summary
In Dragon Slippers, Creel is the protagonist. She is a strong, courageous, vibrant, kind, and likable character. She handles herself very well in all the various situations she is put into. These include having a mean seamstress as a boss, dealing with a rude princess as a client, falling for a prince, befriending dragons, and saving the dragons and her people. Additionally, she is also a very talented embroider. I really liked her as the main character and thought she developed very well throughout the novel. I loved that she followed her dream of working in the king's city and that she helps to fix what she wronged. I believe that she would make a great role model for any child.
There are other characters as well including Marta, who becomes Creel's best friend, as well as Luka. Luka is the brother to the crown prince and is also a very likable character. He is really nice and doesn't care where you are from or what your status may be. He treats everyone with respect, and I think he would make a better king than his brother. There are also tons of dragons in the story!
Jessica Day George puts a different spin on her dragons, which I found fascinating. They don't hoard the typical treasure you read about in other stories such as gold and jewels. Some of them hoard shoes and others go as far as hoarding live dogs. It's hilarious! I also liked how they all have their own personality and become characters you really enjoy reading about. There are times when things happen to some of the dragons that almost brought me to tears.
I really enjoyed the unique plot to the story. It's all about a pair of blue slippers that Creel was given by a dragon, and finding out what they really are. It was engaging and well paced. I even found that I liked all the discussions about embroidery and sewing even though I don't care for them myself. Much of the story focuses on the shoes and Creel's passion for embroidery, but don't let that deter you from reading a great story! There are also themes of friendship, betrayal, and coming of age.
There is a little bit of romance in the book, but nothing that would be inappropriate for younger readers or take away from the main story. There is also very little violence within the battles. I would recommend this to anyone who loves fantasy, especially younger girls. It is a really girly series, but there may be some boys out there who would enjoy it anyway. It would be appropriate for anyone eight and over, and may be a perfect bedtime book for parents and children to share. I would have to say that the younger you are the more you will probably enjoy the book, but I think it is still a fun read for young adults and adults as well.
Overall, it was a great story and I can't wait to start the next one!
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of the first book I decided to give it a try. I loved Wrede's series so much that reading another series about dragons and a young girl as protagonist was very intriguing. I can say that the first book, Dragon Slippers, lived up to my expectations. It is not as good as Wrede's series, but definitely an incredible story!In Dragon Slippers, Creel is the protagonist. She is a strong, courageous, vibrant, kind, and likable character. She handles herself very well in all the various situations she is put into. These include having a mean seamstress as a boss, dealing with a rude princess as a client, falling for a prince, befriending dragons, and saving the dragons and her people. Additionally, she is also a very talented embroider. I really liked her as the main character and thought she developed very well throughout the novel. I loved that she followed her dream of working in the king's city and that she helps to fix what she wronged. I believe that she would make a great role model for any child.
There are other characters as well including Marta, who becomes Creel's best friend, as well as Luka. Luka is the brother to the crown prince and is also a very likable character. He is really nice and doesn't care where you are from or what your status may be. He treats everyone with respect, and I think he would make a better king than his brother. There are also tons of dragons in the story!
Jessica Day George puts a different spin on her dragons, which I found fascinating. They don't hoard the typical treasure you read about in other stories such as gold and jewels. Some of them hoard shoes and others go as far as hoarding live dogs. It's hilarious! I also liked how they all have their own personality and become characters you really enjoy reading about. There are times when things happen to some of the dragons that almost brought me to tears.
I really enjoyed the unique plot to the story. It's all about a pair of blue slippers that Creel was given by a dragon, and finding out what they really are. It was engaging and well paced. I even found that I liked all the discussions about embroidery and sewing even though I don't care for them myself. Much of the story focuses on the shoes and Creel's passion for embroidery, but don't let that deter you from reading a great story! There are also themes of friendship, betrayal, and coming of age.
There is a little bit of romance in the book, but nothing that would be inappropriate for younger readers or take away from the main story. There is also very little violence within the battles. I would recommend this to anyone who loves fantasy, especially younger girls. It is a really girly series, but there may be some boys out there who would enjoy it anyway. It would be appropriate for anyone eight and over, and may be a perfect bedtime book for parents and children to share. I would have to say that the younger you are the more you will probably enjoy the book, but I think it is still a fun read for young adults and adults as well.
Overall, it was a great story and I can't wait to start the next one!
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Subjects
Awards
Sequoyah Book Award (Nominee — Intermediate — 2010)
Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award (Nominee — 2010)
Utah Beehive Book Award (Nominee — Children's Fiction — 2009)
Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award (Nominee — 2009)
Sunshine State Young Reader's Award (Nominee — Grades 6-8 — 2010)
Language
Original publication date
2007-03-20
Physical description
336 p.
ISBN
0747587183 / 9780747587187
Local notes
Fifteen-year-old Creel is floored when her aunt suggests they sacrifice her to a dragon to attract the attention of a marriageable knight. But when the dragon appears, Creel bargains for her life - and ends up with an unusual pair of blue slippers. It's not until the slippers are stolen by a princess that Creel learns a terrible truth: the slippers are made from the hide of a dragon queen, and enable the wearer to control all the dragons in the land. Now under the command of the princess, who is eager to start a war, the dragons begin to attack the city. Creel must join forces with the king's son and others to break the slippers' hold before the princess and the dragons destroy the city - or before the king's archers kill the dragons - whichever comes first.
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