Another thing that did annoy me was that there is a certain festivity the townfolk have every year and it is central to the plot as well. The festivity itself isn't my issue, it's actually really nice world-building and immersive. The legend goes that Brineblood (a pirate) wanted to capture/kill the Water Dragon but in short fails and disappears. So, every year in August they build effigies of the pirate and models of the Water Dragon that culminate in latter reaching the safety of the water from the clutches of the pirate as they are burnt. Sounds pretty pro-Water Dragon, no? Apparently the author didn't think so, certainly not the characters, because at the end they come and defecate on this tradition by creating a 'new' tradition for the following month by saying they had been remembering a bad guy and that it should be the Water Dragon they need to be thankful for. I'M SORRY, WHAT?! Are you not the same character that has lived in this town the pass 11-12 years and should know this tradition inside out? Which part of the tradition is glorifying the pirate or demonising the dragon? Nowhere. This is a dangerous message to be portraying to children; instead of remembering the good and the bad, and having the mental capacity to differentiate and identify the two, let's just leave out the bad all together. NO. A town forgetting Brineblood would mean another character is more likely to turn out like him. It's like writing a story but then deciding not to include the villain, or writing about WW2 but leaving out Hitler entirely and just have the Allies bringing peace.

Alex Neptune, Dragon Thief : Book 1 - Bags of Books Alex Neptune, Dragon Thief : Book 1 - Bags of Books

This book has all the elements to make the perfect MG adventure - it's funny, it's got strange and familiar creatures and a brilliant cast of characters.' - Maisie Chan, author of Danny Chung Does Not Do Maths Could not wait to read this as it is a excellent sequel in the Alex Neptune series. Alex Neptune and his friends most find the dragon's egg before a n... Alex's best friend is Zoey, a keen inventor and budding engineer. Her father runs a scrap business, but yearns to be a full-time artist. His creations are made from the scrap he collects, and Zoey fears for his artist dreams. Armistice Day: A Collection of Remembrance - Spark Interest and Educate Children about Historical Moments Alex Neptune follows a kid named Alex and his friends as they attempt to pull off a heist to save a magnificent, yet heavily weakened, mythical water dragon from the clutches of a vindictive poacher. However, with the ocean seemingly wanting to murder Alex with every chance it gets - literally! - things might be tougher to overcome than they seem. A tale of important heists planned by kids and the importance of protecting the ocean and the environment around you.

Format

I absolutely loved this story and couldn't put it down! I am sure children in any Year 5 and Year 6 classroom would feel the same. The twists and turns throughout the plot keep you guessing what is going to happen next and nothing about the story is predictable. I cannot wait to read the next book in the series!

Alex Neptune, Dragon Thief by David Owen | Goodreads

Obviously special mention has to be made of the animal characters. The otters were just adorable, the thieving seagull was very amusing, and Kraken the blue octopus was just wonderful! And then we were spoilt with the animal characters - otters, octopus, seagulls and not forgetting the main attraction of the water dragon itself. With as much mystery and intrigue as the ocean itself, readers will be swept away by this adventure.” - Clare Povey, author of The Unexpected Tale of Bastien Bonlivre Another fantastic installment in the Alex Neptune series! I loved seeing the return of all the characters from the first book, and the addition of some great new characters who we'll hopefully see more of in the future books. The number of animal companions also grew and they're all so cute. It was great to see the friendships grow, as well as Alex's powers and him learning how to use them and his full potential. I think the important messages about the environment and doing what's right within such a fun story is excellent for Children's books. I can't wait to read the next one!R.F. Kuang, Sue Lynn Tan, Rebecca Ross, Kate Heartfield, N.E. Davenport, Saara El-Arifi, Juno Dawson and Sunyi Dean

Alex Nepture, Dragon Thief by David Owen - BookWormHole Review - Alex Nepture, Dragon Thief by David Owen - BookWormHole

The connection between Alex and the water dragon was precious and because we know there’s going to be a sequel I hope to see that develop and it would be awesome if they got a name.LoveReading4Kids exists because books change lives, and buying books through LoveReading4Kids means you get to change the lives of future generations, with 25% of the cover price donated to schools in need. Join our community to get personalised book suggestions, extracts straight to your inbox, 10% off RRPs, and to change children’s lives. Me: First things first, I enjoyed the humour. It had no right to be as funny as it was in places, which was honestly quite refreshing. I think maybe on a couple of occasions the moment wasn't right, or it fell flat but for the most part it was solid. The character cast was also surprisingly not annoying or hatable (which is becoming more of a plus nowadays). They were never obnoxious or overbearing or overstayed their welcome. Props to the author who found the right balance. The revelations are smooth, and the pacing is well done. There are different stages and some twists to the hurdles people encounter, but overall it was highly satisfying to see how everyone fits into the bigger picture. Some of the banter veers into childishness, but given that the characters are that particular age, it is more than appropriate. Power - The power to control the oceans and all that is connected to it. Bummer that some toxins managed to defeat it and distance from the ocean weakens it. Can't even take on a boat. Pathetic (4l10). Alex Neptune lives in a seaside town with his friends Zoey and Anil. All of his life he has believed the ocean is dangerous and is out to kill him. However, he is soon made to overcome this fear when he is dragged to an abandoned aquarium by a sea creature to help a stranded water dragon. Can Alex and his friends save the water dragon? Could the long-told myth be true? And has Alex discovered the magic of the ocean? He will need all the help he can get as the plot twists and turns against evil.