“Thrilling… action-packed. Russell uses elegant prose and well-timed humor”
Publishers Weekly
“I couldn’t get my son to turn out the light!”
Elisabeth Easther, playwright, actor, critic
“Action-packed, and truly charming.”
Radio New Zealand
A best-selling, rip-roaring, page-turning tale of dragons and their brave child guardians, with mind-blowing, interactive augmented reality content accessible via free app AR Reads.
The Dragon Defenders novel series follow the adventures of Flynn, Paddy, Briar and Beth as they strive to protect their paradise island home – and the dragons that live there – from the clutches of an evil boss.
Book One:
Flynn and Paddy’s family live on a paradise island in the middle of the ocean with their dog, Coco, their horse, Clappers, and Lightning, their pet falcon.
But their island also holds an incredible secret: dragons live there!
When evil boss The Pitbull finds out, he decides that he wants one for himself. Flynn and Paddy’s world is about to be turned upside down. Will their bravery and skill be enough to stop The Pitbull’s evil plan?
So begins The Dragon Defenders series. In the following four books, the brothers are joined by the brave, fierce and wonderful Briar, who helps the boys thwart The Pitbull’s evil plans. Read them all!
The Dragon Defenders is a phenomenon in author James Russell’s native New Zealand (with sales of over 60,000 books in that country alone), with themes of family, resourcefulness, teamwork, conservation and standing up for what you believe.
NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: In some reviews of this book, mention has been made about some of the language being unsuitable for children. This has now been rectified, and the book edited accordingly.
In terms of how scary the books are, in order to create strong ‘bad guy’ characters, I tried to make them threatening enough to provide tension. The characters threaten to ‘break the bones’ of the children, or ‘squash them like cockroaches’, or ‘pulverise them’. I grew up with Slugworth from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Bill Sykes from Oliver and even Voldemort from Harry Potter, so I love a scary bad guy!
THESE BOOKS ARE ALSO LIKE NOTHING ELSE YOU’VE SEEN BEFORE!
Simply download the free ‘AR Reads’ app onto a phone or tablet, point that device at certain pages of the book and watch them turn into reality (this will work on any e-reader such as a Kindle). Features include eye-popping 3D animations which rise up out of the pages, 2D animations, code crackers, and video and audio messages. Note: the app is not necessary to enjoy the books; they’re designed to be read either with or without the use of the app – it’s your choice.
One more thing to note: This book has a dyslexic friendly font, developed with advice from the Dyslexia Association of New Zealand.
“An utterly charming story about two young boys who live off the grid, in a way most kids couldn’t imagine. They are, of course, independent, brave and resourceful, and completely admirable. The interactive app helps build a spellbinding world.”
Joan Mackenzie, head book buyer, Whitcoulls
“A rollercoaster, laugh-out-loud adventure!”
Rachel Eadie, book critic
“The best books imaginable to encourage kids to read.”
Melissa Haslam, parent.
“Catnip for reluctant readers.”
Sheila Shelford, parent
“Incredibly exhilarating!”
Doris Mousdale, Arcadia Books
“So gripping…”
Finn Buckley, age 11
“The bomb!”
Seamus O’Sullivan, age 11
“Awesome!”
Ari O’Malley, age 10
“Exciting from the very start!”
Theo Head, aged 11
“As good as Harry Potter…”
Pippa Montgomerie, aged 9
