The City of Dragons

1. Author: Laurence Yep
2. Title: The City of Dragons
3. Illustrator: Jean and Mou-Sien Tseng
4. Genre: Fiction/Fantasy
5. Subgenre: Prejudices
6. Theme: You shouldn't judge someone by how they look.
7. Primary Characters: Boy, giants, dragons
8. Secondary Characters: Parents, villagers, elders
9. Award/Date: None/1995
10. Publisher: Scholastic
11. Summary: A young boy is shunned by his village and even his family because of the way his face looks. The story follows him as he decides to run away from home so his family doesn't have to miss out on festivals because of his face. He meets giants that accept him as brave and take him to the land of dragons. He manages to find friends, save all kinds of people, and even teach his village that you shouldn't judge a person by the way he looks.
12. How Used: Technically, you could use this story to teach children that they shouldn't shun people because they do not look what many would call pretty or handsome. I didn't really care for this book very much, however, because it seemed to go a little overboard. I didn't like how they presented the story of a boy who was considered ugly. The ending, despite being "a happy ending" still seemed somewhat negative. The vibe of this book was just strange.