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John Ronald’s Dragons: The Story of J. R. R. Tolkien

A picture book biography of fantasy author J. R. R. Tolkien focuses on the power of his imagination from childhood through adulthood and his successful writing career. After losing his mother when he was 12, John Ronald’s imagination helped him through difficult times living with an unwelcoming aunt, and later while serving in World War I. It was during his tenure as a teacher at Oxford that he wrote his first line about a hobbit, which he eventually expanded into stories to entertain his children. The dragons that John Ronald loved as a child populate the pages of his life story, and an illustrator’s note describes the care Wheeler took to bring fantasy elements into a historical biography. ©2017 Cooperative Children's Book Center

Illustrated by Eliza Wheeler

CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 5-9
Age Range: PreK-Early Elementary (Ages 4-7) Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10)
Formats: Biography, Autobiography and Memoir Picture book
Subjects: Biography Books and Reading Fantasy Imagination/Imaginary Play World War I Writers and Writing

Publisher: Roaring Brook
Publish Year: 2017
Pages: 39
ISBN: 9781626720923

CCBC Location: Non-Fiction, 920 Tolkien