Half Human. New York: Scholastic Inc., 2001. 212 pages. (Fantasy/Short Stories)Have you ever heard of centaurs? What about mermaids? There have been myths about half humans for centuries. This book takes myths from authors Bruce Coville, Nancy Springer, D.J. Malcom and others. They are writing about things that are caught between two worlds. One of my favorites is Princess Dragonblood by Jude Mandell. It is about a girl born from a desperate queen tricked into drinking dragon blood. Eleanor looks human at first, but she has slight ridges on her back, long talon like nails, and a warlike personality. At thirteen, she is forced to meet her dragon father, coming to him his enemy, but leaving as his loving daughter. Eleanor, like all the other beings in this book must struggle to find her own true identity.
This is a pretty good book. Some of the stories I really liked like Princess Dragonblood, Becoming, and The Hardest, Kindest Gift. But others I didn’t like at all. In all, I think they were imaginative and creative.
Smiles A lot
