The Care and Feeding of Dragons
By Brenda Seabrooke
"...this engaging story begins as Alastair starts fourth grade, his mother begins a new job, and his pet dragon is left at home alone all day for the first time....it's all in the interest of good fun." - Booklist
"Alastair's dragon Spike needs so much attention that the boy keeps forgetting to do his homework, and he's headed for big trouble with his new fourth-grade teacher, the dreaded Ms. Cassowary. ....Alastair's scrapes, both with and without Spike will keep the readers smiling." - SLJ
Cobblehill Books
Grades 3 and up $15.99
ISBN:0-525-65252-3
THE ORIGINS OF THIS BOOK
When my family moved into a new house in Virginia, we put the family dog in the cellar where he wouldn't be underfoot while we were unpacking boxes. My son fed and walked him but we were all so busy that we forgot about him. He had always been like a member of the family but we didn't think that it would bother him to be away from us. We were wrong. One day when my son fed him, I asked how he was. "He's just lying on his bed," Kevin reported. On further questioning I learned that he didn't even raise his head and wasn't eating his food. I went down to check and the dog wouldn't even look at me. I realized that he thought we didn't love him anymore. I had to convince him that we did. It was not easy! I put his head in my lap and talked to him, told him stories, sang to him, and assured him that we loved him. After an hour he finally looked at me again. A few stories and songs later, he decided to eat and be the family dog again. I thought that this was how Spike, the pet dragon dragon would behave when Alastair had to leave him for the first time when school started in September.
THEMES:
Try to think ahead before you act.
People are not always what they seem.
SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES
SOCIAL STUDIES
Sometimes Alastair doesn't think about the consequences of his actions even though he tries to. When does he fail? When does he succeed? What are the effects of his failure and success?
Make a list of the lucky charms Alastair and his friends take to school on the first day. Do they work? How or why not? Make a list of other lucky charms.
What do people mean when they refer to others as dragons? Who are the people Alastair calls dragons? Do you agree with him?
What is the difference between myths, legends, and folk tales? Which category do dragons fall into? Collect them from your area. Invent some for your classroom - have fun with this!
LANGUAGE ARTS
Spike was modeled on a sweet but tough cat named Spike. Make a list of other possible models for dragons both in real life and in stories.
How is Spike different from other dragons in books or on TV? How is he like them?
Make a study of a pet for one week. (If you don't have a pet, use an imaginary one.) Keep a journal as Alastair did for Spike.
What might happen if the dragonnappers succeeded in stealing Spike? Write newspaper articles about the event.
QUOTES TO QUESTION
The pancakes tasted like cement. p. 5.
Mr. Hobson's lawn looked like he cut it with nail scissors. p. 31
"Vegetarian dog, eh? Never heard of such a thing." p. 33.
This time Alastair looked at the problem with a scientific eye. p. 55
"What - what was his first move?" p. 78.
"Sometimes Leonard does get carried away," Mom said. p. 84
"We have company. And trouble." p.103.
"Are you tired of looking after Spike?" Uncle George demanded. p.114
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