A Book Dragon Author:Donn Kushner Grade 6-8 Dragons are scarce these days, but they can still be found if you know where to look. Young Nonesuch, seeing his proud family wiped out by brutish humans during the Wars of the Roses, shrinks down to the size of a large insect to escape notice and sets out to learn more about people, and to find treasureas his grandmother always said, ... more »``a dragon without a treasure is nothing but an ugly flying reptile.'' Something draws him to a gloriously-illustrated Book of Hours, and he accompanies it on its bumpy journey through the centuries. It comes to rest at last in the back room of a quiet bookstore on this side of the Atlantic, and Nonesuch guards it there still; a small, ferocious presence, seldom seen but comforting nonetheless. Plenty of lively characters help animate this rather leisurely story, from Lopped Cedric the one-legged bandit to the nameless rat who teaches Nonesuch to read and Abercrombie, the suave, ruthless real estate developer who learns that dragon justice is sudden and simple. Historiated initials and occasional small, sprightly drawings in the text and margins give the book a slightly antique look. As with Kushner's other books, this treasure house of dragon lore will appeal most to patient readers. John Peters, New York Public Library Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.« less