Monsters of Fife: Sea Dragons - by Jane Yolen (Hardcover)

About the Book

In 1900 Fife Cat Douglas is one of a team of children training to be monster hunters in hopes of ridding Scotland of the land monsters that plague it--the most dangerous of which are the dragons.

Book Synopsis

Meet Cat Douglas--monster hunter. A historical fantasy adventure set in Scotland and the first in a series by award-winning author Jane Yolen.

With engaging graphic novel inserts, 8-11-year-olds will travel to historical 1880s Scotland, a land in desperate need of monster hunters in this new adventure.

Cat Douglas is a monster hunter, and in the 1880s, the Scottish countryside is filled with monsters. In Ansthruther, one of the oldest villages of Fife, you can see small sea dragons swimming by looking like small Viking ships, but never anything bigger. . . until now.

When Maggie McGonagal races up to the schoolhouse screaming she's seen a dragon, everyone is sure it is a trick of her imagination. But what if it's real? What if a sea dragon has gotten beyond the wall that protects the village? The local chapter of a Scottish monster-hunting society called the Royal and Ancient, must prepare for battle, including Cat, who is new to the society, and will be the bait for the sea dragon!

Join Cat and her friends as they adventure through a fantastical and historical Scotland in this first installment of the Sea Monsters series. Graphic novel panels are interspersed throughout the novel, making it an engaging read and the three books in the series have collectible posters meant to be pieced together to create one big poster.

Review Quotes

In this lively historical fantasy set in 1890 Fife, Scotland, 14-year-old Cat Douglas is training as a member of monster hunting society the Royal & Ancient to defend her home from the creatures that terrorize the land. As the first girl to serve in her town's R&A chapter, Cat feels as if she has a lot to prove, and as the smallest, she acts as bait, luring the monsters in for the kill. Things are going well until the R&A is dispatched to handle reports of a treacherous sea dragon, the likes of which hasn't been seen for many years. The monster hunters are shocked to learn, however, that where there's one sea dragon, there are likely more, sending Cat and her crew on a high-stakes mission to save the village. Cat's lilting first-person narration adds a potent sense of identity to this atmospheric action-adventure series starter by Yolen (The Scarlet Circus). Poppy saturated comics pages by Lowenthal appear throughout, evocatively rendering Cat's world and the fearsome creatures that inhabit it.
--Publishers Weekly

Lovers of historical fantasy will not want to miss Jane Yolen's newest book. Set in 1880s Scotland, Cat Douglas is a monster hunter. When a student comes racing into the school to say a monster is in the forest, Cat and her comrades spring into action. The countryside has been filled with monsters, which is why her school exists. The question is, is there really a sea monster there that has escaped? Cat is going to be the bait, and she's ready! This first installment of the series is a great, short read for students who enjoy complex text and writing. The author uses Scottish accents within the story, so readers can imagine characters speaking. The book also includes graphic inserts. The pictures are excellent and portray the story well, but need to be more consistent through the novel. The plot moves along at a quick pace. This book is best for upper elementary students.
--Children's Literature db

About the Author

Jane Yolen is the award-winning author of nearly four hundred children's books, including Plymouth Rocks; Last Laughs; A Kite for Moon; and Bad Girls. She has been called the Hans Christian Andersen of the Americas. Jane lives in Western Massachusetts and Scotland.