Dragons at Crumbling Castle: And Other Tales

Gr 4-7-This collection of short stories is eerily reminiscent of Roald Dahl's tales of humor and irony, while the illustrations are remarkably similar to Quentin Blake's. In Pratchett's tales, dragons invade a castle, having lost their caves to a stopped-up river; itty bitty people live, explore, and fight within the carpets; an odd caveman keeps inventing things that then cause disaster (a fire burning down the village); and a champion egg dancer catches a pair of thieves. The oddness of the stories makes them funny and unique. Many feature British terminology, which might confuse younger readers but adds to the flavor of the book. General themes include good overcoming evil, cheaters never prospering, and courage defeating danger. VERDICT Middle grade readers who enjoy Pratchett's other works or Dahl's tales are bound to enjoy this one.

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

In the 1960s, the young, not-yet-knighted Pratchett worked for the Bucks Free Press, a small British newspaper, where he began publishing children's stories, 14 of which are collected in this volume. In the title story, King Arthur's most junior knight, Ralph, "a small boy in a suit of mail much too big for him," is sent to deal with a dragon infestation, but discovers that the creatures are entirely sensible chaps. "Tales of the Carpet People," a precursor to Pratchett's first novel, concerns a tiny tribe's heroically goofy migration across a rug. And in "The Great Egg-Dancing Championship," a skilled egg dancer ("A lot of eggs are rolled onto the floor and two dancers... have to dance blindfolded without breaking one") must choose between the championship and the girl of his dreams. Though these stories lack the perfectly timed wordplay of Pratchett's later work, they are a charming and funny sample of his early fictional imaginings. Accompanied by Beech's wiry Quentin Blake-like illustrations, as well as numerous typographical flourishes, this volume will please both its intended audience and older Pratchett completists. Ages 9-12. 

Copyright 2014 Publisher’s Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

"Highly enjoyable fare." — Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"My son and I discovered Terry Pratchett's books together, when he was about eleven years old. He'd be reading on his own and would start to laugh, and then eagerly read the passage aloud to me—and I'd do the same to him! Pratchett's books became a shared source of delight for us back then, and they still are today." — Linda Sue Park, Newbery Medalist and New York Times bestselling author