Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher by Bruce Coville

Mrs Hutton was a mess. Mr Hutton was furious. Mrs Thatcher was crying. And Dr Thatcher, his face still dotted with mashed potatoes, was laughing so hard he could barely stand up.

Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher by Bruce Corville (Part 2)

The wings hung limp and crumpled at the dragon's side. At first Jeremy was afraid something was wrong with the animal. But then it started to twitch its shoulders. Soon the wings began to lift and fill. Except for the fact that they were bright red, they looked a great deal like a bat's wings. When they were finally fully extended Jeremy felt so strong it was almost as if he had managed to pump up the wings himself. The little dragon looked around, sniffed, then began crawling across the desk. Jeremy pulled back nervously. Holding his breath, ready to run if necessary, he watched in wonder. Something began to tickle at the back of his mind. He stared at the dragon, and it locked eyes with him. For a moment, Jeremy felt as if he were drowning in green. Then the baby curled up, dropped its head over its tail, and closed its eyes. The green disappeared. Jeremy felt exhausted. But he was also beginning to feel a little safer. Curled up, the dragon was no bigger than a medium-sized grapefruit, and about as threatening. Jeremy found himself longing to touch the gleaming red scales. After the beast's eyes had been closed for several minutes, he put out a tentative finger to stroke its head. The dragon opened its eyes and reared back, hissing ferociously. A slender red tongue flickered over the tiny fangs, reminding Jeremy of the lightning that had split the sky earlier that night. He sat in frozen terror. The dragon hissed again, then arched its back, stretching its leathery red wings into the air.

Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher by Bruce Corville (Part 1)

How To Hatch A Dragon's Egg

The egg you have just purchased has already gone through a long aging process. It now needs but two things to be ready to hatch-the light of a full moon, and the words of a true friend.

To quicken the egg, take it outside at midnight on the night of the next full moon. Lift it to the moonlight and whisper:

Full moon's light to wake the egg,

Full moon's light to hatch it;

Midsummer Night will crack the world,

But St. John's Day will patch it.

Expose the egg to the moonlight for at least three hours, then await the results. You have been entrusted with a very special creature, Jeremy Thatcher. Treat it with care, for its safety depends upon your willingness to follow these directions exactly.

It goes without saying that secrecy is essential.

Good Hatching!

-S.H.Elives

Beast Quest: Narga the Sea Monster by Adam Blade

The Beast swooped down towards them, jaws agape. Odora leaped out of the way, catching a glimpse of rotten fangs and a flickering, forked tongue. The vicious jaws grabbed her brother by the head and lifted him clear of the ship. Dako kicked out and pounded his fists against the Beast's scaly neck, but he couldn't free himself.

Beast Quest: Skor the Winged Stallion by Adam Blade

Tom froze. A horse's body, as black as coal, towered above him. Silver sparks flashed from its eyes. The Beast reared on muscular hind legs, churning the air with gleaming hooves. His mane was as white as snow and his tail floated in the air like strands of emerald seaweed. Skor gave a deafening roar and unfurled giant, glossy wings. He launched himself into the air. Tom staggered backwards into Elenna. The underside of the Beast's feathers shimmered purple like an exotic seashell and the tips looked as if they had been dipped in gold.Tom spotted a shimmer of emerald green in one of the golden hooves. A jewel the size of his fist was embedded there, just like the red gem in Torgor's axe.

Beast Quest: Torgor the Minotaur by Adam Blade

The pair of horns was followed by a bull's head, with eyes that reflected the scarlet of the sky. Below the neck was a man's body covered with thick black hair. He wore a leather belt around his waist and in one hand he carried a giant axe with a golden blade. A red jewel glittered where the axe-head met the handle. Torgor was much taller than Tagus. He let out a roar of fury.

Beast Quest: Trillion the Three-Headed Lion by Adam Blade

It was a huge three-headed lion, the sunlight shining on its thick golden fur and the shaggy manes that hung from its three heads. Six eyes burned with a wicked emerald light as it gazed down at the cattle, and its lips were drawn back to reveal fearsome, slavering teeth.

Beast Quest: Arachnid the King of Spiders by Adam Blade

Arachnid was the size of a barn. Eight hairy legs protruded from his body, waving lazily in the air. Thick saliva dripped from his long, sharp fangs and he watched Tom carefully with six evil eyes. The beast opened his jaw and moaned. The putrid smell of dead flesh filled the air.

Beast Quest: Vipero the Snake Man by Adam Blade

Tom stared down into the valley. So this was the Beast! Vipero had the body of a snake, which lay on the sand in red and green coils. But where the snake's head would have been was the muscular torso of a man. Its scaly neck was split into two, and each part carried the flat, wedge-shaped head of a snake. The two heads swayed, hissing angrily, their beady red eyes scanning the desert. Tom suppressed a shudder. Then he spotted the golden leg armor in the middle of Vipero's coils. The swirling decoration on the metal glittered in the sunlight. Though Tom was still a long way from the snake man, he could feel the waves of heat that were thrown out by the Beast's body. It was as if a wall of fire separated them from Vipero.