Dad Rock Dragon Quest

Gr 3-7–Twelve-year-old Zadie wants to be a rock star. She finds solace in playing guitar in her garage; that is, when her mom’s worrywart boyfriend—Lloyd Clutterbuck—isn’t telling her to turn down her music or worrying she’s going to hurt herself. Zadie wishes she could spend more time with her dad, Damian Drake, who just gets her. Her daredevil father understands Zadie’s big personality, and is the opposite of nerdy and cautious Lloyd. When Zadie and her sister Persephone get the chance to spend a week with their dad (under the condition that Lloyd supervises), Zadie grudgingly accepts. They quickly learn that their dad is a Gamewarden—a protector of magical creatures—whose animal companion, a dragon named Maverick, is kidnapped by poachers right in front of them. The quest to save Maverick and other magical animals starts a nonstop road-trip adventure where Zadie learns more about everyone in her family and finds her own animal companion. With chapter titles that make up a classic rock playlist, this middle grade novel starts up and doesn’t stop. Amidst the action, Zadie embarks on a journey of discovery about her family, herself, and her guitar, that leaves ample room for further epic magical adventures.