THERE'S A DRAGON IN MY DINNER

How much trouble can one tiny dragon be? Apparently loads.

Eric’s turning 9 soon, and all he has to do to get his dream gift of a scooter is to avoid incurring three strikes before his birthday party. Staying out of trouble should have been fairly easy, but in their Chinese takeout, delivered by Eric’s classmate Min Song from her family’s restaurant, is a surprise order of bean sprouts. Even more surprising is the talking, eggroll-sized dragon in the bean sprouts. Pan the Mini-Dragon had been on his way to Mexico to live with his aunt and uncle, but he’s ended up in the United States instead. After Pan’s disastrous flying demonstration earns Eric a first strike, Eric tries to keep the little guy secret—but annoying, rich neighbor Toby soon discovers Pan and thinks he’s a high-tech toy. With Min’s help, Eric learns a bit about Mini-Dragons from the Encyclopaedia Dragonica, but will it be enough to keep Pan secret? Their adventures are just beginning. This British series opener (There’s a Dragon in My Backpack! publishes simultaneously in the U.S., and there are several more out in the U.K.) has been smoothly Americanized with only a couple translational blips. Chapter-book readers looking for a bit of silly adventure will likely enjoy this fluffy tale of friendship. Eric and his family present white, as does Toby; Min is Chinese, and Eric’s best friend, Jayden, presents black.

Fiery farts and burps included—who needs more? (Fantasy. 6-9)