The Secret of the Dragon Gems
by Rajani Larocca (Author)
Co-written by Newbery Honor-winning author Rajani LaRocca and Chris Baron, this page-turning novel is told through letters, e-mails, instant messages, and video chats between camp friends Tripti and Sam over their shared love of a book series and some mysterious rocks they brought home from summer camp.
Eleven-year-olds Tripti Kapoor, a feisty "word nerd" from Massachusetts, and Sam Cohen, a shy, imaginative, budding geologist from California, are both miserable at Camp Dilloway, a summer camp in upstate New York. On the last night of camp, they follow a shooting star to a quiet creek. There they find two silvery rocks glowing in the night. They each take one home, and their long-distance friendship begins.
It's soon clear that these are no ordinary rocks. They seem to move on their own, get strangely hot, and even take over Tripti and Sam's thoughts! Inspired by their mutual love of their favorite book series, The Dragon Gems, they dub the rocks Opal and Jasper, after the Dragon Gems in the books. But others are interested in the stones too--including the owner of Camp Dilloway, who hides a secret of his own. Tripti and Sam must crack the Dragon Gems' code and keep them out of Dilloway's clutches, all while navigating the rocky road of middle school friendships and learning to stand up for what is right.
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Publishers Weekly
On the last night of summer camp, 11-year-olds Tripti Kapoor and Sam Cohen discover a pair of rocks near the creek, which they name Opal and Jasper in homage to their favorite book series, The Dragon Gems. They keep them as souvenirs to remember each other by before returning to their respective homes in Massachusetts and California. During their regular correspondence via letters, emails, text messages, and video chat they realize that the rocks are acting oddly: moving when no one is looking, becoming "too hot to hold," and somehow writing coded messages. Interspersed throughout the story are excerpts from the Dragon Gem books, online video transcripts, and journal entries written by the camp's director, Sanford P. Dilloway III, who's been keeping tabs on the friends for an unknown reason. In this adroitly crafted epistolary tale, LaRocca (Red, White, and Whole) and Baron (The Gray) explore themes of friendship and connection by way of a drawn-out geological mystery. The pair's back-and-forth exchanges outline their investigation while also allowing them to share slice-of-life details about Sam's Jewish background and Tripti's Indian heritage, particularly through depictions of holiday traditions and food, making this a well-balanced and pleasant adventure. Ages 8-12. Agent: (for LaRocca) Brent Taylor, Triada US; (for Baron) Rena Rossner, Deborah Harris Literary. (Aug.)
Copyright 2023 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.Review quotes
JUV002270 - Juvenile Fiction | Animals | Dragons, Unicorns & Mythical
JUV053010 - Juvenile Fiction | Science Fiction | Alien Contact
