Darwin's Dragons: a thrilling, rip-roaring adventure full of discovery and magic

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Young Simon Covington joins the crew of the Beagle as a fiddler and soon rises to the post of Darwin's personal assistant. The author tries to show how mistakes are often made by trying to do what is “best” to make things right in our own understanding but without all of the facts it can end up making things worse. You really feel for Sym; his sense of adventure, his struggles on the volcanic island, his friendship with what he believes to be a new and different type of lizard…his astonishment as he discovers the truth and his feelings of responsibility towards the discovery. Also, it made the servant even more baffled at the sight of seeing the dragon soaring through the sky.

The realistic approach to the dragons is a beautiful believable choice, especially with the Galapagos setting and the uniqueness of its native wildlife. My favourite part in the book is when the main protagonist (Covington) found the dragon’s lair and saw all its golden eggs. We find out that Syms was only a mere cabin boy in the Beagle before becoming Darwin’s trusted assistant.The ending, set twenty-five years later will leave the reader with a satisfying feeling of wonder and belief. This is powerfully contrasted by certain characters in the story who wish to own, keep, dissect, and cage. I loved the descriptions, the way the creatures were brought to life and how history was brought forwards to create this beautiful period of time where science was still coming forwards.

It’s so cleverly done, too, the story first shining a light on the importance of discovery and understanding, then lighting a blazing torch for compassion. Syms’ life is saved by a lizard that he names Farthing – named after a shiny copper coin that he received as a reward for his fiddle playing, and Farthing becomes his saviour, friend and talisman. Some beautiful imagery in the Galapagos Islands and I loved the sense of exploration and discovery in this section. Syms Covington finds himself stranded on an island in the middle of the Galapagos, separated from the crew of the Beagle with whom he had been travelling as a cabin boy before a storm hit.

Soon, it's not only Covington's survival that hangs in the balance but how far will he go to keep these creatures safe?

But when a storm separates him from the rest of the crew, he comes to know of a more extraordinary life form there, the dragons. It is written in the 1st person and you follow Cabin boy Syms Covington on the voyage of a lifetime to the Galapagos Islands with the world-famous scientist Charles Darwin. Along the way, he rescues the dragon’s eggs and shortly afterwards, he’s rescued himself by Darwin and the crew of the HMS Beagle. After escaping the dragon, Syms explores the island which is filled with wonderful plants and creatures including giant prickly pear cactus, red crabs, sea lions, and a lively green lizard he names Farthing. We have the brave but sympathetic Syms, with his companions, Scratch the violin and Farthing the lizard, and the kind but firm Charles Darwin, who is generous yet so intensely focussed on his work that he is quite immovable.Second, the cover is just stunningly beautiful and you can't wait to dive in and be swept away in time, science and adventure. Cue Darwin's Dragons, a stunning middle grade novel, where these mythical creatures are woven into the fabric of real historical fact.

A cabin-boy and ship’s fiddler on HMS Beagle, he uses hard work and natural ability to become Charles Darwin’s trusted assistant during the epic five-year voyage. Syms is a wonderful character full of grit and as a reader, you are able to gain a real insight into the motivations of the character and his inner battles. A történet egy jólelkű hajósinasról szól, aki egy tengeri viharban elveszik és sikerül pont egy aktív vulkánnal és egy sárkánnyal rendelkező szigetre vetődnie… pech szériáját igyekszik jobbra fordítani, ahogy megél és túlél, közben egy sor gyerekfülnek és felnőttfülnek egyaránt megfontolandó üzenetet és értéket is képviselnek a kalandjai.What if the boy discovered something new, something so incredible, something he was so passionate about that it drove a wedge between him and the clinical-minded scientist? Every page, every description paints the time, location and characters that you immerse yourself in the book, believing every moment.