The Dragon Circle: Dragon Burning

""There is a dragon, the most fearsome of beasts, a creature who with a single breath can lay waste to the world."" In this conclusion to the Dragon Circle trilogy (Dragon Sleeping; Dragon Waking), neighbors from the tidy suburban street of Chestnut Circle continue their adventures in the magical reality to which they've been mysteriously transported, and which the dragon is about to destroy. The neighbors meet and befriend or fight many unusual characters--including wizards, a mythic Raven and armies of wolves and red-furred apes--often battling over magical jewels called dragon's eyes. The Chestnut Circle crew undergo transformations both psychological and physical: one boy becomes a nature spirit called the Oomgosh; a cranky old man becomes ""the lawn god."" Told in deceptively simple prose, the narrative moves quickly, adding new twists to traditional fantasy elements. And though this is the conclusion to the trilogy, new readers need not fear; Gardner provides enough background, and writes clearly enough, to make them feel right at home. (Oct.)