Eragon by Christopher Paolini

 


    I was "today years old" when I discovered Christopher Paolini was only 15 years old when he wrote the first draft of Eragon... I am actually really shocked and impressed with this, as I loved this book in elementary school. 

    In the novel, "Eragon" is the name of a poor farm boy, who lives in a place called "Alagaesia". This fictional place exists in medieval times. Eragon is just a regular medieval kid until he finds a dragon egg. When the egg hatches, he realizes that the dragon (Saphira) and him are bonded, and he is destined to be a Dragon Rider. The problem is that there is a dictator, Galbatorix, who wants control of all dragons and their Riders to use for his own military might. Furthermore, he has a dream about an elf that needs saving, and realizes he is the only one who can do it. 

    This novel would be great for upper elementary and middle school readers who are into fantasy. I enjoyed this novel around 4th or 5th grade, especially because of this game I used to play addictively called Runescape. If you have students who are into fantasy movies, books, or video games, they may really take a liking to this novel. 

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