The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart by Stephanie Burgis is a middle grade novel currently scheduled for release on May 30 2017. Aventurine is the fiercest, bravest dragon there is. And she's ready to prove it to her family by leaving the safety of their mountain cave and capturing the most dangerous prey of all: a human. But when the human she finds tricks her into drinking enchanted hot chocolate, Aventurine is transformed into a puny human girl with tiny blunt teeth, no fire, and not one single claw. But she's still the fiercest creature in the mountains, and now she's found her true passion: chocolate! All she has to do is get herself an apprenticeship (whatever that is) in a chocolate house (which sounds delicious), and she'll be conquering new territory in no time, won't she?
The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart is fantasy and a coming of age story that is charming and heartwarming. Adventurine is much like any other tween and teen, tired of being told what to do my family and those around them. She is a dragon, raised with a very clear notion of what people are like, and how dragons should be. She is tired of being underestimated and kept from doing what she wants to do. When her attempt at proving herself goes wrong, she is forced to face the human world as one of us, and find her own way. She faces many different kids of people, while the particulars are different from what we see now because of the setting- the attempts at manipulation, friendship, and other activities ring true. Adventurine needs to figure out how to get by, who she is, and what she wants regardless of shape. I liked the messages that were woven through the book about being yourself, following your passion, judging everyone by their own merits, and friendship. I also liked the way the characters ended the story- but I do not want to ruin that for you, but I cannot imagine a better conclusion for the book.
The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart is a well written fantasy. I think that the characters are relatable and will resonate with many middle grade and teen readers.
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