No one really expected a dragon apocalypse. Wars, famine, deadly diseases, and zombies have all been covered, but dragons aren't really considered. You'd be called mad.
So when fire-breathing dragons rise up out of nowhere, no one is prepared. Of course, people like Noah's dad, a survivalist (or doomsday prepper), have something prepared and help their families get by. When they come out of their bunker, they're able to team up with a larger group which makes things easier.
But what happens when some people think that they want to try and work with dragons? Is it a cult, or can something really come of this?
As Noah and his dad decide to not go down for the winter season, Noah finally meets a dragon who doesn't kill him on sight. Our story unfolds as they begin to become friends in a world that seems determined to prove that violence is the only answer.
Long story short, New Dragon City is perfect for readers obsessed with How to Train Your Dragon! It's a charming book, excellent for the middle-grade category, that introduces some complex topics. It will lead to interesting conversations between parents and their children.
I feel like New Dragon City is a modern-day version of How to Train Your Dragon. I don't want to say too much, because that would spoil everything, but really a modern version of it! However, Mari Mancusi keeps things going in a way where the book goes down really quickly (even though it is over 300 pages), so you don't stick around and dwell on those similarities. But these similarities, when you really think about them, make you feel like someone like this author, who has written over 30 books for children, could have come up with something that didn't parallel HTTYD so much.