Dragon Tears by Ruth E. Glover Ages 8-12 140 pages Lulu Enterprises August 2006 Paperback     Meet Mia, the great-granddaughter of a most formidable witch known as Veronica Everall. Mia refers to her as GGV, or Great Grandmother Veronica. Mia is at a bit of a disadvantage: she has no magic skills, and this is something almost unheard. All 27 of her cousins have skills and often torment her with them. Right now, she is sporting bright purple hair due to one of them. When her boy cousins decide to try and blackmail Mia into helping them get a magic pen from Great Grandmother's room, Mia is determined to refuse. Why, then, is she creeping into the old woman's room as the cousins look on in awe? While searching for the pen Mia accidentally releases a baby dragon from a crystal bottle. The little dragon, called Mischief, is sweet but tricky and soon lives up to his name when he talks Mia into granting his wish to return home. The real adventure begins when Mia first meets the dragons of the desert and must solve three riddles in an attempt to return home. After another wrong journey, Mischief and Mia end up in the home of the Ice Dragons, where she must complete a deed - and still no trip home. When Mischief does manage to return to his home, he almost causes Mia to lose her life. The travels and travails of the two, Mia and the baby dragon Mischief, give Mia a lesson in the value of home, truth and family.       web reviews   Susan Johnson/2006 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)