Dragons in a Bag by Zetta Elliott
Published: October 2018
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Facing imminent eviction, Jaxon is left in the care of a woman who his mother calls Ma but who is until this day a stranger to him. The two become quickly familiar however when a mysterious package she receives from Madagascar begins to move on its own. Whatever’s inside is alive! You see, Ma’s line of work is unique. She’s charged with the care of some very special critters and she could use some help. What starts out as a day filled with uncertainty, turns out to be one that will change Jaxon’s life forever because what he first thought to be lizards, turned out to be dragons!
There’s magic in Brooklyn! Well, there used to be. Brooklyn has changed. Ma says she, “Used to know the name of everyone in my building – and they knew mine. Now I don’t know half the folks on my floor. They move in and act like strangers, not neighbors.” Brooklyn used to be home to all manner of creatures. They were safe there but Brooklyn lost its magic. Not everyone is of the mind that it needs to be restored though. Some think that magic has no place in our world, which is why Ma and Jaxon are on a mission to ensure safe transport of these dragons back to their realm. The problem is, one of the dragons has gone missing and it’s up to Jaxon to find it. He travels between dimensions, through time and space, meets magical beings, and unlocks some family secrets in the process. Will Jaxon be able to find the missing dragon? Or will it be loose in Brooklyn, disrupting the balance between the two realms?
I am so here for this! Brooklyn may not be my borough but I grew up in Long Island and in either location, never in my childhood did I experience magic in the literary canon in a manner that included Black and Brown children as the main characters – as though fantasy was not a genre that we could have a prominent role in. Our stories aren’t all about the struggle y’all. Seriously. Magic is at the center of this story but much like what I’ve come to appreciate from Zetta’s writing in other books of hers that I’ve read, she also weaves in historical gems about supercontinents like Gondwana, for example, and current events like the impact of gentrification on the community. Zetta is an expert storyteller and is an author you need to add to your collection.
Dragons in a Bag is a middle grade book that is recommended for ages 8-12. It arrived in my recent book order for my K-5 library and I can’t wait to book talk it to my students. I first read it in the 2018-2019 school year and then re-read it this September (2019). I am thankful for the “you might also like” feature that our public library systems have. Dragons in a Bag popped up as a recommendation for me because the audiobook of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone was not available at the time. I read the summary and knew that it was a book that I needed to read. I have since also read Cin’s Mark (which I can’t wait to re-read) and The Dragon Thief, which is the much-anticipated sequel to Dragons in a Bag. I am also currently working on and writing my way through her book Find Your Voice: A Guide to Self-Expression. It’s a resource that I think would be helpful for students’ creative writing expression. Have you read any of her books?
Shout-Outs
Zetta Elliott | https://www.zettaelliott.com/
Random House Children’s Books
http://rhcbooks.com/
Find Dragons in a Bag at your local indie bookstore: 
Amazon: Dragons in a Bag
CeCeLibrarian’s Book Blog 
Sounds like an interesting read.
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