Many stories tell of damsels in distress, who are rescued from the clutches of fire-breathing dragons by knights in shining armor, and swept off to live happily ever after. Unfortunately, this is not one of those stories.nbsp; True, when Creel s aunt suggests sacrificing her to the local dragon, it is with the hope that the knight will marry Creel and that everyone (aunt and family included) will benefit handsomely. Yet it s Creel who talks her way out of the dragon s clutches. And it s Creel who walks for days on end to seek her fortune in the king s city with only a bit of embroidery thread and a strange pair of slippers in her possession. But even Creel could not have guessed the outcome of this tale. For in a country on the verge of war, Creel unknowingly possesses not just any pair of shoes, but a tool that could be used to save her kingdom…or destroy it. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Gr 5-8-Orphaned Creel is taken in by poor relatives, including her silly aunt who hatches a plan to get the girl captured by a dragon so that a knight will rescue her and marry her, thus lifting the rest of the family out of poverty. However, the dragon wants no part of this arrangement, and in order to avoid the trouble of fighting a knight, agrees to let Creel select one item from his hoard (he collects shoes) and encourages her in her ambitions to become a seamstress in the royal city. Unbeknownst to Creel, the simple blue slippers she selects have a history that dates back centuries and the power to control dragons. When the slippers fall into the wrong hands, Creel may be the only one able to turn the tide of the war that threatens her country. Fans of Gail Carson Levine will likely enjoy the adventure and humor as well as the strong female heroine, and readers of Patricia C. Wrede's "Enchanted Forest Chronicles" (Harcourt) will find another good book about a friendly relationship between girl and dragon. 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.-Amanda Raklovits, Champaign Public Library, IL Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

Creel's aunt plans to end the family's poverty by foisting her orphaned niece on the local dragon, hoping that the knight who comes to Creel's aid will want to marry the rescued maiden (and share his riches with her relatives). This daffy reasoning gets George's debut novel off to a lurching start. Once Creel meets and befriends the local dragon, though, the story takes off. Creel heads to the city, where she hopes to start a dress shop, and along the way, she befriends new dragons and receives a mysterious pair of slippers that link her to a dangerous political plot. A chance meeting with a prince becomes a warm friendship, and Creel calls on her dragon cohorts to help him restore peace in the land. 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, and readers will easily connect with brave Creel, who weathers betrayals and learns to value true friends and her own talents.--Engberg, Gillian Copyright 2007 Booklist From: Syndetics Solutions, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.