Ember Spark and the Thunder of Dragons

Ember Spark is another magical adventure story written by Abi Elphinstone.

This enjoyable read tells the tale of Ember, a girl living in the village of Yawn in Scotland, who longs for adventure. Her wishes come true when she is recruited as an apprentice for Rusty Fizzbang, vet to all magical beasts. Abi Elphinstone is known for being an excellent storyteller and her use of detailed descriptions in her stories, which really help the characters and story to come to life. Ember Spark is another excellent example of this, in particular the first chapter, which hooks readers in straight away. Readers will enjoy her choice of vocabular, the theme of magic running throughout and the use of humour, especially some of the character names and the actions of some of the magical beasts, whose names suit their personalities perfectly!Ember, as the main character, is likeable and relatable. As the story progresses, she learns the importance of friendship and sharing adventures with others. Other characters, including Rusty and the villain – Jasper Hornswoggle – add an extra element of magic and danger to the story that will keep readers entertained throughout.

The illustrations by Kristina Kister, which also include a detailed map of the east coast of Scotland at the beginning of the book, help to tell the story as well as offer a visual prompt to less confident readers– it is always nice to come across illustrations in chapter books.Overall this was a very entertaining story and one that could certainly be read independently or enjoyed as a whole class text.