The Last Dragon on Mars (Dragonships #1)

In this rip-roaring series launch from Reintgen (the Celia Cleary series), dragons are the living embodiment of celestial bodies; Earth is only habitable because its dragon, Gaia, sacrificed herself. A century before the tale’s start, people headed for Mars, assuming its dragon, Ares, would be similarly selfless. Ares refused, however, sparking a war that ended when the dragons of Mars’s moons killed Ares. With his dying breath, Ares turned Mars’s plants, animals, and weather against humans. Now Martian society is nearing collapse, and orphaned 13-year-old Lunar Jones must risk his life salvaging scrap to support himself. While hiding from murderous rivals, Lunar finds a secret bunker that’s home to juvenile dragon Dread and a squadron of kids training to be his flight crew. Dread has the potential to help save Mars—and wants resourceful Lunar to be the crew’s new captain. Reintgen’s latest balances fraught interpersonal drama with expertly choreographed action and gleefully imaginative worldbuilding. The keenly rendered, racially diverse cast boasts jocularity, heart, and derring-do, enthralling readers while illustrating the revolutionary power of forgiveness and teamwork. Ages 10–up. Agent: Kristin Nelson, Nelson Literary. (Oct.)