Eragon by Christopher Paolini

Imagine my surprise when I learned, shortly after reading Eragon, that the author was only fifteen years old when he started writing it. This book is pure fantasy. I’ll admit it’s a book that I normally wouldn’t have picked up because I don’t like fantasy. But, I have a student pen pal in my daughter’s class who loved this book, so I read it to give us something to discuss in our letters.

Eragon is a fairly fast-paced novel about a boy, Eragon, who finds a dragon egg which he believes to be a pretty rock. The egg hatches, and life, as Eragon knows it, is never the same. Eragon resists the change, as most of us would. His resistance elevates this book to more than fantasy. It becomes a life lesson as well. The novel was a little too gory in spots for the elementary school crowd, but it’s a good book for middle school students. Keep in mind that I’m a little stricter in what my children read and watch than most parents. No PG-13 until they’re eleven, unless I watch and approve it first. No R until they’re in high school. Some reviewers have trashed this book and said the editor who bought it should be fired. I disagree. I’m for just about anything that will get children to read—magazines, comic books, and genre fiction—as long as it is age appropriate.


A little bit of trivia. My son pointed out that “Eragon” is “Dragon” with the “D” changed to an “E”. Interesting.

What do I think of the movie? Sorry, haven’t seen it. When I like a book, I stay away from the movie because it never lives up to the book. And I liked this book. Three out of four bookworms.