The Dragon of Middlethorpe

Dragons and unicorns, pure evil and pure good--do they exist? That's what Kate wants to know. The men of her medieval village have gone into the forest to fight what everybody fears most--a legendary dragon who spews lightning bolts and steals maidens. When Kate sets out after the group with a magic unicorn horn to ward off evil, she falls in with village outcast ``Mad Rose'' and, after hearing her story, begins to wonder if the men are fighting a dragon or just the shadow of their own fear. Forthright and brisk, this story of a teenager's encounter with a powerful struggle between the forces of emotion and reason is handled deftly, though somewhat at the expense of characterization and dialogue, which fall flat. Ellis does a good job of keeping alive the possibility that dragons and unicorns really exist, while suggesting that they may be only figments of the imagination. Ages 9-12. (Oct.)