Belmont and the Dragon: Danger in Redwitch Village by Robin Gold, illustrated by Mike Zarb Grades 7-9 48 pages Trafalgar Square July 2010 Paperback     Young Belmont and his best friend, the dragon Burnie, live in the medieval town of Old York. Every year, the town holds a celebration to celebrate their heritage, and King Cyrus and Princess make a proclamation and present a gift to the town. After a black cat crosses their path, Belmont and Burnie encounter three Beastly Bedraggled Batniks, and trouble begins. Professor I.Q. Cranium asks for Belmont and Burnie’s help to locate the Kablooey, the result of a top-secret experiment that will blow solid matter into “itsy-bitsy, teensy-weensy pieces.” Using a disguise, they make their way through Redwitch Village, determined to locate and recover the Kablooey for the professor. Along the way, they will discover just how much danger the village is in and come face to face with the Red Witch. Told in alliterative style with a dabbling of beatnik terminology to keep it light, author Gold has successfully created a tale that will hold the interest of the young reader. Early readers will be able to read it on their own very quickly.     web reviews   Joyce Rice/2010 for curled up with a good kid's book   For grown-up fiction, nonfiction and speculative fiction book reviews, visit our sister site Curled Up With a Good Book (www.curledup.com)