Огнедъх: Призраците са измислица

Dragonbreath #5

by Ursula Vernon, Урсула Върнън, Весела Прошкова (Translator)

Дани Огнедъх не е хлапето, което получава най-много лакомства на Хелоуин.

Той издишва повече дим, отколкото огън.

Ако обаче се окажете впримчени в обитавана от духове къща заедно с луд клоун и с гладен призрак?

Дани Огнедъх безстрашно ще посрещне опасността.

В нощта на Хелоуин Дани Огнедъх, приятелят му Уендъл и зубърката Кристиана, която не вярва в призраците, са подмамени да влязат в къща, обладана от духове. И откриват, че някой ги е заключил. Пълен мрак, тишина, нарушавана само от зловещо скърцане и призрачен глас…

Genres: Fantasy, Childrens, Graphic Novels, Dragons, Middle Grade, Humor, Halloween

208 pages, Paperback

First published July 21, 2011

About the author

Ursula Vernon, aka T. Kingfisher, is an author and illustrator. She has written over fifteen books for children, at least a dozen novels for adults, an epic webcomic called “Digger” and various short stories and other odds and ends.

Ursula grew up in Oregon and Arizona, studied anthropology at Macalester College in Minnesota, and stayed there for ten years, until she finally learned to drive in deep snow and was obligated to leave the state.

Having moved across the country several times, she eventually settled in Pittsboro, North Carolina, where she works full-time as an artist and creator of oddities. She lives with her husband and his chickens.

Her work has been nominated for the Eisner, World Fantasy, and longlisted for the British Science Fiction Awards. It has garnered a number of Webcomics Choice Awards, the Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story, the Mythopoeic Award for Children’s Literature, the Nebula for Best Short Story, the Sequoyah Award, and many others.

Reviews

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fabulously scary AND funny adventure, and my 9-year-old and I both thought it was great, but just a note for other parents - while the rest of the books in this series (or at least all the ones I've read) are fine for younger, early-chapterbook readers, this one definitely is not. I've read the other ones out loud to my 5-year-old, but this one was definitely too old for him to share.

YMMV, obviously! And it's not a criticism of the book at all - just a warning to make sure your kids are ready for some genuinely spooky and creepy bits before they read this one. (My 9-year-old was NOT ready for it when it was first read to him by another relative a few years ago, but he absolutely loved it this time round.)

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Part-graphic novel, part chapter book, this is an entertaining and somewhat educational story about an adolescent anthropomorphic dragon, his iguana pal, and a girl lizard. It's the fifth book in the Dragonbreath series by Ursula Vernon.

Wow! This was one creepy book. Scary clowns will give me nightmares and this book was filled with one eerie clown. Far too many images of him for our comfort, so I covered him up when he appeared each time. I read this book aloud with our girls and while we've really enjoyed reading this series together, this was the scariest one so far. Perfect for Halloween, but still...

Warning to parents: This book is appropriate for middle grade readers, but I'm not sure it's good for anyone under the age of 10. In the very beginning of the story, the story mentions that one of the characters is a skeptic and doesn't believe in Santa Claus. Then the characters get stuck in a haunted house, with oozing walls, scary clowns, ghosts and creepy noises at every turn.

We borrowed this book from our local library. The story is a quick read and the graphic novel-like scenes are woven throughout the story in a seamless way. This would be a great book for an older child who likes graphic novels, but not chapter books, since you get a little bit of both here.

Our girls really liked this book and we really enjoyed reading it together. I especially like that advanced vocabulary words are sprinkled throughout the tale, providing a little challenge without being too frustrating for younger readers. We are looking forward to reading Dragonbreath: Revenge of the Horned Bunnies next. I just hope it's less creepy than this one. I'm also hoping our girls sleep well tonight!

interesting quote:

"Ghosts were one thing, but his dad on a rampage was scary." (p. 195)

[Nicole (bookwyrm) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really cute Halloween story about Danny Dragonbreath and his friends. I appreciated both the light educational aspect (there wasn't a ton, but there was some mention of cultural ghost/Halloween traditions) and the fact that another girl character is introduced, this time without the "eeew, cooties" aspect.This would be a perfect Halloween read for kids who want to read a spooky story, but are as easily scared as I was at that age.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fun adventure with Danny the Dragon ! This time it's Halloween and there is local a haunted house... or is it? I am absolutely loving this series! I'm almost sad to be around the halfway point when soon there will be less books to read than already read. But that's the sign of a good series!

[Loren Dillon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Christiana. I hope we get to see her again. She brought a fresh personality to the story with her overly critical remarks and skepticism that is encouraging to see in a children’s book.

[Malonte · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was an interesting book

[Eric H · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read Dragon-breath there is no such thing as ghosts this is a long book it took me 2 hours to read and it is 1108 pages but back to the author she did a really did a good job of description of the characters and of all of the land so over all this is a really good book and try the next book revenge of the horned bunnys happy reading!

[DREWadams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Oliver · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s currently Ghost Month, so it seemed like a good time to pick up the next installment of the Dragonbreath series, No Such Things As Ghosts. I don’t know if it’s just because it’s been ten months since I read #4, but this one felt different.

Danny and Wendell are ready to go trick-or-treating, and Danny’s dad informs them they’ll be joined by Christiana Vanderpool, a crested lizard in their class who knows even bigger words than Wendell and doesn’t believe in anything without scientific evidence. The three of them are getting a decent haul of candy, but then the night takes a turn for the worse when the class bully, Big Eddy, dares them to go into a haunted house.

I still liked it, but the story felt more focused on being creepy and less on the humor and educational aspects. There’s a little bit about the history of Halloween and ghosts in other cultures, and a simple definition of Occam’s Razor; but that was pretty much it. The banter also seemed less amusing this time around, but I couldn’t place why exactly.

[LordSlaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

No Such Thing As Ghosts was my introduction to Danny Dragonbreath and his friends. The book is a fabulous story about Halloween and a haunted house. The way the story is told, a nicely flowing blend of text, artwork, and comic-book elements is brilliant. Danny and his friends Wendell and Christiana are very engaging and interesting characters. I particularly enjoyed the skeptical, knowledgeable Christiana. I recently encountered author (and artist) Ursula Vernon when I read ( and loved) The Wizard's Guide To Defensive Baking, written her her nom de plume T. Kingfisher. And now I've discovered and loved this other aspect of her creativity. Wonderful. Ursula Vernon has become a new favorite author and I will definitely be seeking out the other volumes in Danny Dragonbreath's adventures. Indeed, I will be seeking out anything Vernon has written, under any name. This book is a delight.

[Zack Brady · Rating 4 out of 5]

Danny goes into this haunted house and gets trapped with this magical clown and a ghost. The ghost wants candy from Wendell and the other kids. The way they stop the ghost and the clown is they give him candy. The ghost lets them go free and the clown isn't there anymore.
I like this book because it has lots of comic parts where they talk with word bubbles. One time in #2 Danny spells LOVE by saying L-O-V-E. And Wendell says back to him "Shut up, Danny!" I thought that was funny.

[Danielle Hammelef · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm now planning on reading every one of Ursula Vernon's Dragonbreath books--they are that much fun for me as an adult--I laughed and smiled while reading. The illustrations are so cute and really show the reader the emotions of the characters. These books also take on the heavier subject of bullying and does it well for younger readers. Another reason I recommend this book.

[Димитър Цолов · Rating 4 out of 5]

Авторката продължава да се заиграва с хорър архетипите (дойде редът и на обитавания от призраци дом) по много сладурски начин, а в антропоморфизираната ѝ вселена, населена с говорещи саламандри, игуани, варани и пр. влечугова и земноводна сволоч, никога не е скучно.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

We just love this series. It's so very cool that one of my favorite authors writes books my kids can also enjoy. This one has just the right amount of scare without going too far. We were at the edge of our seats a few times, but laughed out loud even more.

[Mitchell Friedman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Again this one was just a little bit better. Perhaps this series just needs a girl guest-star. I also appreciated not getting on a bus. And not meeting another random relative. And maybe breathing fire is also worthwhile. This one was readable and kind of cute. 3.5 of 5

[Shellina Nefelibata · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super cute. 70% chapter book, 30% graphic novel, 100% fun. It is on the educational side like Magic Tree House, but with more adventure and fantasy elements.

[Kest Schwartzman · Rating 4 out of 5]

These are not good. I'm gonna read THEM ALL

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

You couldn't pay me to enter a haunted house. Heck. To the. No.

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

i like the book it was about ghosts and trick or treating.

[Gabs · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I didn’t enjoy this one nearly as much as the other ones I’ve read, it dealt with some serious topics! Wendell and Danny are going trick or treating with a new friend, Christina. Whose cynicism doesn’t really lend herself to Danny well. She doesn’t believe in anything she can’t see in touch, even thought she’s all about social justice, and green energy. As a character, I thoroughly enjoy her!
While on the trek through the neighborhood to gather candy, they are bullied and trapped in a haunted house by the neighborhood Bully, Ed and make a startling discovery.

[Jaden John · Rating 5 out of 5]

IT WAS CREEPY. AND SCARY. ALSO, EDDY IS A CHICKEN. IT WAS A GOOD BOOK

[Lorien · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great, hilarious graphic novel with just a touch of spooky. I strongly recommend!

[The · Rating 5 out of 5]

Totally creepy but a great Dragonbreath book!

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the series.

[Heather McLaughlin]

Ah, Halloween. Who knows what that will be this year. I hate living in interesting times.

[smschumacher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Be warned that this is a bona fide ghost story; not the ridiculous fantastical characters and escapades in the other books. As such I feel it’s a bit too scary for younger children.

[Ellie · Rating 3 out of 5]

this book was genuinely kind of spooky and it sort of creeped me out
kudos to author!

[kayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

when I was younger this book used to give me nightmares but I also couldn't put it down so I think that makes it immaculate

[Booked 📚 · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 / 5 ⭐️

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great Halloween read. Kind of scary for little kids, luckily mine like spooky stuff. 👻