Best Dragon Books for Kids, Tweens and Teens

Whether you believe dragons are real or not, there are plenty of dragon books based on these mythical creatures for children, tweens, teens and even adults to enjoy! January 16 is Appreciate A Dragon Day and you can do just that by incorporating a little bit of dragon fun into your kids day. The easiest way to do this is through books.

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My kids both love dragons. While they know they aren’t real, it’s still fun to pretend. We love to grab books from the library about dragons and we own a few as well. I’ve split this post into two sections: children’s storybooks and chapter books. Each book has an age range listed to help you better find the books your kids might be interested in. I’ve put an asterisk (*) next to the ones I have personally read. The summary has been listed below and was taken from the Amazon listing (in most cases).

*NOTE* Obviously this is not an exhaustive list so if you have other books about dragons you/your kids love and would recommend, please let me know in the comments so I can add them!

Storybooks

*The Tale of Custard the Dragon by Ogden Nash (ages 5-8)

Summary: Custard cowers in fear until a nasty pirate shows up and inspires his dragonly instincts.

*Custard the Dragon and the Wicked Knight by Ogden Nash (ages 5-8)

Summary: A second rhyming adventure of Custard the cowardly dragon finds the household of the self-professed brave pets in an uproar when Belinda is kidnapped by an evil knight, and Custard must fend for himself when his companions abandon him.

*Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin (ages 4-9)

Summary: An irresistible story about what can go wrong at a taco party for dragons…

*Dragons Love Tacos 2: The Sequel by Adam Rubin (ages 4-9)

Summary: News alert! It has just been discovered that there are NO MORE TACOS left anywhere in the world. This is a huge problem because, as you know, dragons love tacos. If only there was a way for the dragons to travel back in time, to before tacos went extinct. Then they could grab lots of tacos and bring them back! It’s the perfect plan, as long as there’s no spicy salsa. You remember what happened last time…

The Reluctant Dragon by Kenneth Grahame (ages 7-10)

Summary: In this beloved classic, a kind, young boy befriends a poetry-loving dragon living in the Downs above his home. When the town-folk send for St. George to slay the dragon, the boy must come up with a clever plan to save his friend and convince the townsfolk to accept him.

*The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch (ages 4-7)

Summary: When the fiercest dragon in the whole world smashes Princess Elizabeth’s castle, burns all her clothes, and captures her fiancé, Prince Ronald, Elizabeth takes matters into her own hands. With her wits alone and nothing but a paper bag to wear, the princess challenges the dragon to show his strength in the hopes of saving the prince. But is it worth all that trouble?

*Never Touch A Dragon by Rosie Greening (ages 2 and up)

Summary: A tactile touch-and-feel book all about dragons! You must never touch a dragon . . . except in this book!

*Waking Dragons by Jane Nolen (ages 4-8)

Summary: From tumbling out of their humongous blankets to devouring a breakfast of catapulted waffles, these characters and their loveable antics fill the pages with luminous color and dragon-size fun.

*Dragons Rule, Princesses Drool by Courtney Pippin-Mathur (ages 4-8)

Summary: Dragon has just met the two most dangerous creatures to have ever entered his kingdom—princesses!—in this charming picture book about an unexpected friendship.

Not Your Typical Dragon by Dan Bar-el and Tim Bowers (ages 3-5)

Summary: Everybody knows your typical dragon breathes fire. But when Crispin tries to breathe fire on his seventh birthday, fire doesn’t come out—only whipped cream! Each time Crispin tries to breathe fire, he ends up with Band-Aids, marshmallows, teddy bears? Crispin wonders if he’ll ever find his inner fire. But when a family emergency breaks out, it takes a little dragon with not-so-typical abilities to save the day.

This Book is Not About Dragons by Shelley Moore Thomas (ages 3-7)

Summary: Meet a mouse narrator who stubbornly insists that this book contains absolutely no dragons—not even a claw nor a flame nor any large, pointy scales. Readers will know better—and enjoy being in on the joke—as a flock of dragons chase the mouse to the very end of the book within the book.

Dragon Was Terrible by Kelli DiPucchio (ages 4-7)

Summary: We all know dragons are terrible, but this one is especially terrible. He scribbles in books. He steals candy from baby unicorns. He even burps in church. Seriously, who does that? Dragon, that’s who. The king, the knights, and the villagers are desperate to take down this beast once and for all. But sometimes it’s up to the unlikeliest of heroes to tame a dragon this terrible.

Dragon Tales series (5 books) by Dave Pilkey (ages 5-7)

• A Friend for Dragon | Summary: He is tricked into thinking he has found one after an apple falls on his head. He becomes grief stricken when he believes the apple is lost to him. Will he have his friend back again?
• Dragon Gets By | Summary: Dragon will charm beginning readers with the adventures of a mixed-up day!
• Dragon’s Fat Cat | Summary: When Dragon finds a stray cat, he brings it home and learns to take care of it through many silly mishaps. But, then Dragon is in for a big surprise when Cat has a litter of kittens!
• Dragon’s Halloween | Summary: Dragon loves spooky Halloweens! But when he buys six small pumpkins that his friends tell him will never be scary, Dragon must come up with creative ways to make this Halloween just perfect.
• Dragon’s Merry Christmas | Summary: Dragon tries to make Christmas special each year. He picks the perfect tree and buys the perfect presents. But Dragon just can’t bring himself to cut down a tree, and as he walks home from his shopping trip, he gives away his gifts to needier creatures.

*Dragon Is Coming by Valeri Gorbachev (ages 4-7)

Summary: Mouse is certain that a big gray dragon flying overhead will spell doom for her and her animal friends. So she makes it her mission to lead everyone to the safety of the barn. But it seems as though nothing will stop this hideous creature. Then the barn doors squeak open slowly… revealing what everyone has been dreading…

*There’s No Such Thing as a Dragon by Jack Kent (ages 3-7)

Summary: When Billy Bixbee finds a tiny dragon in his bedroom, his mom tells him, “There’s no such thing as a dragon!” This only makes the dragon get bigger. He grows, and grows, and grows, until he’s bigger than Billy’s house—and that’s just the beginning!

There Was An Old Dragon Who Swallowed A Knight by Penny Parker Klostermann (ages 3-7)

Summary: We all know that “there was an old lady” who swallowed lots of things. Now meet the old dragon who swallows pretty much an entire kingdom! Will he ever learn a little moderation?!

How to Catch a Dragon by Adam Wallace (ages 4-10)

Summary: The How to Catch kids are off again, this time trying to catch a dragon as they chase him through Chinese New Year celebrations! Set in China during the Spring Festival, otherwise known as Chinese New Year, the wily dragon will have to avoid trap after trap as the kids run through paper lanterns, red envelopes, fireworks, and more!

*How to Track A Dragon: Ready to Read book by Erica David (ages 6-11)

Summary: A mysterious dragon is trying to chase Hiccup and his friends away from their outpost. And on Berk, Stoick is in a terrible mood and driving everyone crazy. Can Hiccup track down the dragon and lift his dad’s spirits at the same time?

Chapter Books

Dragons and Marshmallows (Zoey and Sassafras) by Asia Citro (ages 6-10)

Summary: Zoey discovers a glowing photo and learns an amazing secret. Injured magical animals come to their backyard barn for help! When a sick baby dragon appears, it’s up to Zoey and Sassafras to figure out what’s wrong. Will they be able to help little Marshmallow before it’s too late?

*The Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C. Wrede (ages 10-12)

• Dealing with Dragons (Book 1) | Summary: Meet Princess Cimorene–a princess who refuses to be proper. She is everything a princess is not supposed to be: headstrong, tomboyish, smart… And bored. So bored that she runs away to live with a dragon. And not just any dragon, but Kazul–one of the most powerful and dangerous dragons around. Of course, Cimorene has a way of hooking up with dangerous characters, and soon she’s coping with a witch, a jinn, a death-dealing talking bird, a stone prince, and some very oily wizards. If this princess ran away to find some excitement, it looks like she’s found plenty!
• Searching for Dragons (Book 2) | Summary: This time the wicked wizards are draining power from the Enchanted Forest. And 20-year-old Mendenbar, King of the Enchanted Forest, just wants a day off. He meets Princess Cimorine and the two set off to find Kazul, who’s gone missing, and to put a stop to the wizard’s plan.
• Calling on Dragons (Book 3) | Summary: Those wicked wizards are back–and they’ve become very smart. (Sort of.) They intend to take over the Enchanted Forest once and for all… unless Cimorene finds a way to stop them. And some people think being queen is easy.
• Talking to Dragons (Book 4) | Summary: One day, Daystar’s mom, Cimorene, hands him a magic sword and kicks him out of the house. Daystar doesn’t know what he is supposed to do with the magic sword, but knowing Cimorene, he’s sure it must involve a dragon or two!

*The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley (ages 14 and up)

Summary: Although she is the daughter of Damar’s king, Aerin has never been accepted as full royalty. Both in and out of the royal court, people whisper the story of her mother, the witchwoman, who was said to have enspelled the king into marrying her to get an heir to rule Damar-then died of despair when she found she had borne a daughter instead of a son. But none of them, not even Aerin herself, can predict her future-for she is to be the true hero who will wield the power of the Blue Sword…

Dragon Slippers series by Jessica Day George (ages 10-14)

• Dragon Slippers (Book 1) | Summary: Creel can’t believe her aunt wants to sacrifice her to the local dragon. It’s a ploy to lure a heroic knight so that he will fight the dragon, marry Creel out of chivalrous obligation, and lift the entire family out of poverty. Creel isn’t worried. After all, nobody has seen a dragon in centuries. But when the beast actually appears, Creel not only bargains with him for her life, she also ends up with a rare bit of treasure from his hoard: a pair of simple blue slippers, or so she thinks. But Creel learns that these shoes could be used to save her kingdom from the brink of war–or destroy it.
• Dragon Flight (Book 2) | Summary: With the Dragon Wars over, Creel finds herself bored with life as a seamstress. Then word comes that a bordering country has been breeding dragons in preparation for an invasion. Never one to miss out on the action, Creel throws herself headlong into an adventure that will reunite her with Shardas, the king of the dragons, pit her against a vicious new dragon, and perhaps rekindle a friendship with Prince Luka.
• Dragon Spear (Book 3) | Summary: With peace established between the humans and the dragons, young couple Creel and Luka are planning their wedding. But then the dragon queen, Velika, is kidnapped by a band of rogue dragons in need of a ruler. When Creel and Luka rush to help, they discover that Luka’s father has plans to take back the Far Islands from the dragons. Creel’s happily ever after just might be postponed… again.

Dragonwatch series by Brandon Mull (ages 8-13)

• Dragonwatch (Book 1) | Summary: In the hidden dragon sanctuary of Wyrmroost, Celebrant the Just, King of the Dragons, plots his revenge. He has long seen the sanctuaries as prisons, and he wants nothing more than to overthrow his captors and return the world to the Age of Dragons, when he and his kind ruled and reigned without borders. The time has come to break free and reclaim his power. As Kendra and Seth confront this new danger, they must draw upon all their skills, talents, and knowledge as only they have the ability to function together as a powerful dragon tamer. Together they must battle against forces with superior supernatural powers and breathtaking magical abilities.
• Dragonwatch: Wrath of the Dragon King (Book 2) | Summary: After a humiliating defeat at the hands of Kendra and Seth, Celebrant, King of Dragons, prepares to unleash his fury and take control of his native preserve. Two of the seven dragon sanctuaries have already fallen. Will Wyrmroost be next? Armed with secret information from a new ally, Celebrant seeks a talisman that will guarantee victory in the war against the humans. With a cursed castle and traitorous creatures standing in the way, Kendra and Seth must attempt to foil Celebrant’s plan and beat him to his prize.
• Dragonwatch: Master of the Phantom Isle (Book 3) | Summary: Cursed by the Key of Forgetting, Seth has lost all memory of his past—his relationships, his experiences, and who he really is. For now he will align with his new mentor, Ronodin, the dark unicorn, who takes him to the Phantom Isle, the secret gateway to the Under Realm. Though Seth is not formally a prisoner, Ronodin wants to use him and his shadow charmer powers for his own dark ends. Kendra is frantic to find her missing brother, but the quest will take her and her companions, including Warren, Tanu, and Vanessa, far from Wyrmroost to Crescent Lagoon—a recently fallen dragon sanctuary made up of many islands and underwater domains. Its caretaker has regained a foothold on one of the islands. If Kendra and her friends can save that sanctuary, they might uncover the answers they need to rescue Seth.

Dragonhaven by Robin McKinley (ages 12 and up)

Summary: On Jake’s first overnight solo in the park, he meets a dragon—the thing that he would have said he wanted above everything else in the world. But this dragon is dying—dying next to the human she has killed. Jake knows this news could destroy Smokehill. The dead man is clearly a poacher who attacked first, but that will be lost in the outcry against dragons. But then Jake notices something even more urgent: the dragon has just given birth, and one of the babies is still alive…

Henry and the Chalk Dragon by Jennifer Trafton (ages 8-11)

Summary: In the town of Squashbuckle, just about anything can happen, and when Henry Penwhistle draws a mighty Chalk Dragon on his door, the dragon does what Henry least expects–it runs away. Now Henry’s art is out in the world for everyone to see, and it’s causing trouble for him and his schoolmates Oscar and Jade. If they don’t stop it, the entire town could be doomed! To vanquish the threat of a rampaging Chalk Dragon, Sir Henry Penwhistle, Knight of La Muncha Elementary School, is going to have to do more than just catch his art–he’s going to have to let his imagination run wild. And that takes bravery.

The Adventurer’s Guide to Dragons (and Why They Keep Biting Me) by Wade Albert White (ages 9-12)

Summary: Anne, Penelope, and Hiro are thriving at Saint Lupin’s Quest Academy for Consistently Dangerous and Absolutely Terrifying Adventures. They’re even nominated for Best Illegal Quest That Nearly Destroyed the Entire World at the annual Quest Academy Awards. But they barely get to enjoy the ceremony before a strange boy triggers another quest. The mission? Kill the dragon queen. There are two big problems: (1) Anne doesn’t want to kill any dragons-and she certainly doesn’t want to ignite a war between people and dragonkind, and (2) ignoring a quest could have equally devastating results. Anne and her friends will have to dodge robot attacks, navigate mysterious new tiers, and survive the deadly dragon trials…or face certain disaster.

Dragon Masters series (16 books) by Tracey West (ages 6-8)

Summary: The Dragon Stone has chosen Drake, Ana, Rori, and Bo. They live in King Roland’s castle in the Kingdom of Bracken. There, they learn how to connect with the dragon they have been paired with. With the help of Griffith, a wizard, they must uncover their dragons’ special powers.

*Griffith’s Guide for Dragon Masters by Tracey West

Summary: Own the official dragon guide. This 144-page, full-color special edition features maps, information about Dragon Masters and their dragons, notes from wizards, the history of Dragon Masters, and more! This book has everything a future Dragon Master could need to know!

The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart by Stephanie Burgis (ages 8-12)

Summary: Aventurine is a brave young dragon ready to explore the world outside of her family’s mountain cave…if only they’d let her leave it. Her family thinks she’s too young to fly on her own, but she’s determined to prove them wrong by capturing the most dangerous prey of all: a human. But when that human tricks her into drinking enchanted hot chocolate, she’s transformed into a puny human without any sharp teeth, fire breath, or claws. Still, she’s the fiercest creature in these mountains–and now she’s found her true passion: chocolate. All she has to do is get to the human city to find 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?

Dragon’s Green by Scarlett Thomas (ages 9-12)

Summary: Effie Truelove believes in magic, as does her grandfather Griffin (although he refuses to do any magic, let alone teach Effie how to use it). After a mysterious incident leaves Griffin close to death, Effie is given an unusual silver ring and told she must look after her grandfather’s library of rare and powerful books. But then the books fall into the hands of shady scholar Leonard Levar, and Effie is propelled into the most dangerous adventure of her life.

*The Inheritance Cycle series by Christopher Paolini (ages 12-15)

• Eragon (Book 1) | Summary: Fifteen-year-old Eragon believes that he is merely a poor farm boy—until his destiny as a Dragon Rider is revealed. Gifted with only an ancient sword, a loyal dragon, and sage advice from an old storyteller, Eragon is soon swept into a dangerous tapestry of magic, glory, and power. Now his choices could save—or destroy—the Empire.
• Eldest (Book 2) | Summary: Eragon and his dragon, Saphira, have just saved the rebel state from destruction by the mighty forces of King Galbatorix, cruel ruler of the Empire. Now Eragon must travel to Ellesmera, land of the elves, for further training in the skills of the Dragon Rider: magic and swordsmanship. Soon he is on the journey of a lifetime, his eyes open to awe-inspring new places and people, his days filled with fresh adventure. But chaos and betrayal plague him at every turn, and nothing is what it seems. Before long, Eragon doesn’t know whom he can trust.
• Brisingr (Book 3) | Summary: Following the colossal battle against the Empire’s warriors on the Burning Plains, Eragon and his dragon, Saphira, have narrowly escaped with their lives. Still there is more at hand for the Rider and his dragon, as Eragon finds himself bound by a tangle of promises he may not be able to keep.
• Inheritance (Book 4) | Summary: Not so very long ago, Eragon—Shadeslayer, Dragon Rider—was nothing more than a poor farm boy, and his dragon, Saphira, only a blue stone in the forest. Now the fate of an entire civilization rests on their shoulders. Long months of training and battle have brought victories and hope, but they have also brought heartbreaking loss. And still, the real battle lies ahead: they must confront Galbatorix. When they do, they will have to be strong enough to defeat him. And if they cannot, no one can. There will be no second chances.

Anya and the Dragon by Sofiya Pasternack (ages 8-12)

Summary: Headstrong eleven-year-old Anya is a daughter of the only Jewish family in her village. When her family’s livelihood is threatened by a bigoted magistrate, Anya is lured in by a friendly family of fools, who promise her money in exchange for helping them capture the last dragon in Kievan Rus. This seems easy enough, until she finds out that the scary old dragon isn’t as old—or as scary—as everyone thought. Now Anya is faced with a choice: save the dragon, or save her family.

Phew! If that isn’t a great list of dragon books, then I don’t know what is! I hope you found something that your kids, and maybe even you, would like to read. And if you have any suggestions for other dragon books to check out, please leave them in the comments below.

If you’re looks for some more children’s book recommendations, check out these posts:

How Do Dinosaurs A fun book series about how dinosaurs do different things, such as take care of their pets, mind their manners and more. We love these books!

Favorite Children’s Books A collection of some of my personal favorite children’s books. Some are classics and others are newer releases.

St. Patrick’s Day Books I love having books we can pull out at certain times of year and there are so many fun ones available for St. Patrick’s Day!