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The Secret Weakness of Dragons
and other tales a fairy whispered in my ear
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Author: Brad Grochowski
Publisher: Eepie Press
Size: 6.25x6.25 inches, 109 pages
Format: Perfect Bound Trade Paperback
Categories:
-Childrens Books
-Science Fiction and Fantasy
-Literature and Fiction
ABID: 0975560603
ISBN10: 0975560603
ISBN13: 9780975560600
7 copies available.
AuthorsBookshop price: $10.00
Retail price: $12.50 -
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The Secret Weakness of Dragons description:
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This collection of "sort-of" fairytales by new author Brad Grochowski combines classic story-telling with imaginative wit to create four stories that may very well become classics in their own right:
- A young boy knows The Secret Weakness of Dragons. Before he can use this secret to banish the terrible dragon from his kingdom, however,
he becomes best friends with the beast. He still has to get rid of it though, if he ever wants to move out of his mother's house!
- Sarah Parance could have anything she ever wanted - all she had to do was imagine it, and it would come true. Until, that is, she decided she
wanted True Love!
- A brand new child robot records his last ten days before being introduced to the world outside of his room. He can only imagine how vast the world must be...
- Moblos, the greatest story teller of all the tribes, tells how Eto the Trickster tricked the two-leggeds into creating the world. A creation myth from the perspective of a primitive tribe . . . of rats.
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| Radar Review Magazine: | | "A great little read... It reminds me of classic European folk tales with some techno-ennui thrown in." |
| The World of Myth: | In his book, "The Secret Weakness of Dragons, and other tales a fairy whispered in my ear," author Brad Grochowski shares with us a series of 'sort of' fairy tales, ranging from a traditional tale with a dragon and a princess, to a story in a contemporary setting of a girl who can obtain anything she wishes for. And even though these stories may be classified as 'fairy tales,' Mr. Grochowski stated in his interview this month, "I do not consider these to be kid's stories." Most of these tales contain a slightly dark edge to them--something hidden just beneath the surface of the story that lends them to be enjoyed by adults, as well as children.
Even the title story, while indeed dealing with a 'traditional' dragon, steers away from a traditional fairy tale in its use of psychology (and baking) to thwart the beast, yet still hands the reader a 'happily ever after' conclusion. The other stories also deal with the 'fairy tale' from a different perspective. Two of them suggest new beginnings; a unique concept regarding the birth of knowledge and intellect, but from quite opposite viewpoints. And in "A True Love Manifest," a young girl has the ability to manifest anything she desires, but her amazing gift is not an end to all means, as she discovers while attempting to conjure up her own, 'True Love.'
Mr. Grochowski considers himself a 'storyteller,' rather than a writer, and fairy tales are a form of literature that should be 'told,' rather than merely written down. To that end, the author has succeeded by sharing with the reader these delightful and thought provoking tales of fantasy and imagination. "A Secret Weakness of Dragons" is a must have gift for anyone with children who are always seeking new adventures, but this is also a volume which adults can enjoy, and more importantly, can enjoy along with their children. |
| Wands and Worlds: | The four stories in The Secret Weakness of Dragons may be billed as fairy tales, but they have more in common with O. Henry than with the brothers Grimm. Although couched in the language of fairy tales, the stories are surprisingly sophisticated and each one contains an unexpected twist or surprise ending.
It's hard to describe the stories without giving away too much about them. They're best appreciated like presents to be unwrapped, savoring the surprise inside. Each story is unique, and even the writing style varies to fit the story. One reads like a traditional fairy tale, one is written in the form of a diary, and the last story, "Moblos Tells the Tale of How Our World Came To Be," is reminiscent of Kipling's Just So Stories.
The Secret Weakness of Dragons will probably be best enjoyed by middle-grade children, who can appreciate the irony and humor in the stories, yet these children may shy away from reading the book thinking that they are too sophisticated for "fairy tales." An astute teacher or librarian might introduce these stories by reading them aloud to a class.
Younger children will probably also enjoy these stories as read-alouds, although they might not get all the nuances, and the third story, "The Diary of Uno Duo," may need to be explained to them. Also, there is one part of "A True Love Manifest" that may be upsetting to younger children, at least until the end.
The book is small, but has a classy feel to it. It's attractively designed, illustrated with pen and ink drawings, and printed on a nice linen paper.
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Visitor's Notes:
Post a note! Read this book? Tell us what you thought. Want to read it? Tell us why. Know the author? Tell us a funny story. Comment on how pretty the cover is. Whatever you have to say about this book, we want to hear it!
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Justine:
Each story is clever in it's own way by content, style in which it is written, and over-all message. They are all written in ways that ANYONE can identify with, while at the same time they are each sophicated enough to entice you into a second, third, or umpteenth-read-through!
Truly delightful, each story is bound to entrance you and leave you warm and feeling enlightened.
In short, I LOVE Mr. Grochowski's The Secret Weakness of Dragons and Other Tales a Fairie Whispered in my Ear, and I'm certain you will too.
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Brad Grochowski’s The Secret Weakness of Dragons is a charming collection of four short stories that read like fairy tales of the highest caliber. The title story is the most traditional in its use of a mythical beast and fairy tale elements, while the other stories are more like legends or magical stories without the usual fairy tale elements. The stories are readable for all ages, and adults will probably find deeper meaning in them than children who may just find them entertaining. “The Secret Weakness of Dragons” is about a boy clever enough to defeat a dragon when all the king’s knights fail to accomplish the deed, and in doing so, the boy finds a friend and his fortune. My favorite story is “The True Love Manifest” which reveals the power of the human mind to create what it asks for, and a warning to be careful what you wish for because it may not be exactly what you had in mind. I don’t know if Mr. Grochowski is familiar with the concept of the Law of Attraction, but it is at work in this whimsical, satisfying tale which does of course have a happy end. I will not describe the other two stories from fear I will give away the twists to their tales, although the photographs also reveal a bit too much--my only criticism of the book. I would be anxious to see what other tales the fairies have whispered into Mr. Grochowski's ear for his pen to write down. He has stated that writing “The Secret Weakness of Dragons” led to his interest in self-publishing and his current successful efforts to market self-published authors. His author bio in his book states he hates writing about himself in the third person, but I find writing about him in the third person to be a pleasure, and I wish him success in both his writing and bookselling endeavors.
- Tyler R. Tichelaar, author of Iron Pioneers and The Queen City, available also at AuthorsBookshop
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Jimbo (Baltimore, MD, USA):
The multi-talented and gifted author Brad Grochowski scores a touchdown with this light-hearted and thoughtful collection. Mr. Grochowski's literary style is similar to Dashiell Hammett, if Mr. Hammett wrote fiction for kids. Well done, affordable,and nicely drawn. Looking forward to his next effort. My kids loved the book.
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Gavin - Baltimore, MD:
So I bought a book the other night... "The Secret Weakness of Dragons..." By Brad Grochowski ...Tonight I pulled out the book and read it cover to cover.
Two bits echoed in my head...
The first, you'll have to read the book as I just can't write about it. It is after all, THE Secret Weakness of The Dragon - and mine at the moment and probably yours, and every strong seeming person you know.
The second is from another tale in the book: "Love is an odd thing, isn't it? We all long for it, search it out, think we have found it when we haven't, or think we haven't when we have. And, as many of us are bound to find it, yet may not yet know it, we must trust that when we do find it, we will recognize it."
I've read that over and over a few dozen times. It somehow comforts me, and makes me realize no matter the end result of my actions of the past few months, I simply had to do, what I had to do.
The Secret Weakness of Dragons... buy it
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Marsha - Alpena, MI:
I loved it! I read some of the stories while traveling ... at Christmas time - Wow! You are great. "The Diary of Uno Duo" kept me thinking- and how clever!
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