MEASLE AND THE DRAGODON.

MEASLE AND THE DRAGODON by IAN OGILVY.

Things are looking up for Measle. He's been reunited with his parents and they're making up for lost time and having lots of fun. It seems too good to last.


And it is. The mysterious Dragodon and his gang of wicked Wrathmonks have cast apell on Measle's dad and snatched his mum. Measle and his dog, Tinker, have only one clue, and it leads them to a deserted theme park - The Isle of Smiles.


Being hunted down by horrors in a dark, wet funfair is anything but fun! Measle is on a mission with more ups and downs than any rollercoaster - can he save the day once again?
...... From the outer back cover.

FIRST SENTENCE: The dingy, dreary street was still there, with it's two rows of dingy, dreary houses.

MEMORABLE MOMENT: "You can't have a dragon getting married! And even if you could - well, my mum wouldn't do it! She'd never marry a dragon. And she wouldn't hold hands with one, either!"

The second in a series of books and though I haven't read parts one or two I do not feel this has in any way spoilt my enjoyment of this story though of course I'm sure to be missing some of the history of Measle and his previous adventure.

Not unlke Harry Potter, Measle is the son of two magical types, his mother's magic much 'stronger' than his father. Both bounty hunters, they are employed by the Wizard's Guild to 'ferret out Wrathmonks' - wrathmonks being 'the most feared branch of sorcery'.

Anyway, this story finds Measle back at Merlin Manor where nothing is quite as it seems - certainly not the yellow beans or the seemingly innocent garden gnome.

With a cast of 'intresting' characters (I think that that is the best way of describing them), Measle And The Dragodon is very funny in places but in others the author tries too hard to be funny and it all becomes overly silly though whether or not an 8 to 13 year old (the age range it is intended for) would agree is debatable.

Quite scary in place (I will never look at a fairground toy or carousel horse in the same way again) one of the really delightful things about this book was the talking car which shared some witty, if not obvious, dialogue with Measle.

But do you know what I reall, really liked about this book? The graphics - simple ink drawings, I thought they were delightful.

A novel I will be recommending to Niece #2. Hopefully she will also get the others in the series and I can then read them as well.

Measle And The Dragodon was exchanged at a Wetherspoons pub Book Exchange.* Book 4 for  my SEPTEMBER SPECTACULAR READING CHALLENGE - click HERE for links to the first three books read and HERE to see what other bloggers are reading as their challenge.

* Yes! As well as good, fairly priced food I can now also exchange books for free with other like-minded people.