Here Be Dragons: Books & Costumes For Mighty Girl Dragon Lovers

By Katherine Handcock, A Mighty Girl Communications Specialist

When you talk about fantastic creatures, some people picture fairies, or unicorns, or elves — and some picture dragons! Your Mighty Girl may imagine herself as the daring soul who cows the dragon by force of arm or clever wit, or she might picture herself with a devoted dragon friend, flying to new heights and learning arcane secrets. With versions of dragons in almost every culture, filling every role from devoted mentors to ferocious beasts, there’s probably a dragon to suit any Mighty Girl’s dream.

So if your Mighty Girl loves all things draconic, she’ll love the products we’re featuring in this blog! Here, she’ll find dragon stories of all kinds — from those based in folklore and fairy tale to those dreamed up by modern imagination — as well as great dress-up options for when her own imagination takes over.

So get ready for some adventure — here be dragons!

Dragon Tales: Stories About Mighty Girls and Dragons

In some stories, Mighty Girls defeat the dragons; in others, they befriend them! But whatever the result of the story, dragon-loving Mighty Girls will love these books featuring their favorite mythical creature.

The classic independent princess story The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch, illustrated by Michael Martchenko (age 3 - 8), is perfect for Mighty Girls who imagine themselves defeating a dragon menace! When a ferocious dragon destroys Princess Elizabeth’s castle and princess clothes — and carries off her fiance Prince Ronald — she’s left with only a battered crown, a paper bag dress... and a very determined nature. She’s not strong enough to battle the dragon, but she is smart enough to outwit him. Your Mighty Girl will cheer as Elizabeth finds the perfect way to deal with that troublesome beast.

Sometimes, it’s the princess who’s troublesome instead! In The Princess and The Dragon by Audrey Wood, the princess is the ferocious, terrifying one, while the dragon she bumps into is gentle, kind, and perfectly mannered. The natural solution? The two trade places! Unsurprisingly, each of them discovers that they’re happier living in the other’s shoes. This funny story of flipped roles is a great way to talk about preconceptions, as well as a way to celebrate the softer side of dragons in fiction.

Lovabye Dragon by Barbara Joose and illustrated by Randy Cecil (age 4 - 8) also features a gentle dragon. A lonely little girl cries in her castle room, dreaming of a dragon friend — and in a cave not far away, the friendly dragon imagines what it would be like to play with a little girl. When the girl’s silvery tears form a trail that leads two new friends together. They sing, cavort, and whisper to one another — and, eventually, snuggle in to sleep. After all, there’s no better nighttime companion than a lovabye dragon.This charming story of forever friends is accented with beautiful, soft, fairy tale inspired illustrations.

Sometimes, a Mighty Girl and a dragon are friends from the very beginning. In Jerdine Nolan’s Raising Dragons, which is illustrated by Elisa Primavera (age 4 - 8), a little girl finds an odd egg on her “Sunday-before-supper walk” — which hatches a green dragon she immediately names Hank. Raising a dragon isn’t simple, even if Hank proves to be very helpful around the farm, and when Hank starts to attract too much attention, she has to escort him home to the Island of Dragons to live out his days. However, a good dragon keeper is hard to find, and it’s not long before a whole wheelbarrow full of eggs shows up from the island. A delightful story with a folksy tone, this one is sure to be a favorite.

Other times, a girl and a dragon have to learn that they’re more similar than different. In Jane and the Dragon by Martin Baynton (age 4 - 8), Jane dreams of being a knight, but everyone laughs — how can a girl be a knight? Fortunately, the Jester is willing to help her out, even getting her a small set of armor. And when the prince is stolen by a dragon and Jane battles him for the prince’s freedom, the battle ends with a conversation about expectations — of both dragons and knights — and a new friendship. Jane and Dragon’s story, which continues in Jane and the Magician (age 4 - 8), was also adapted into an animated series; you can find the first five episodes on Jane and the Dragon: A Dragon’s Tale and the next five on Jane and the Dragon: Dragon Rules (both age 4 - 8).

A dragon opponent can also be convinced to be a terrific ally! In the graphic novel Princeless by Jeremy Whitley and illustrated by M. Goodwin (age 6 - 12), Princess Adrienne Ashe’s parents lock her in a tower, guarded by a dragon, on her sixteenth birthday — to be rescued by the handsome prince, of course. But Adrienne isn’t willing to sit on her hands and wait, so when she finds a sword in her tower, Adrienne recruits the dragon, Sparky, and the new friends set out to rescue Adrienne’s sisters, each of whom is locked in her own tower. A swashbuckling tale of adventure with tongue-in-cheek references to TV and comic tropes about princesses, this is sure to be a favorite with both kids and their parents.

The main character in Iron Hearted Violet by Kelly Barnhill also discovers that a dragon can be a devoted ally. When Violet, struck by grief and loneliness, accidentally frees a legendary evil being called Nybbas, she thinks she’s brought doom to everyone she loves. But she and her friend Demetrius realize that she might just be able to save it — with the help of an ancient, scarred dragon, the last in the world. After all, stories have their own power, and so do dragons... This fascinating fantasy story with a suitably intimidating villain provides a new perspective on dragon myths.

Dragons often have mystical properties that make bargaining with them critical. In Dragon’s Milk by Susan Fletcher (age 8 - 12), Kaeldra’s foster sister’s life is threatened by a deadly disease, and dragon’s milk is the only thing that might save her. Kaeldra’s family has the knack of speaking with dragons, but Kaeldra won’t know if she’s inherited the trait until she’s in the dragon’s cave. She dares the journey — with success — but Kaeldra’s task becomes more complicated when the mother dragon is slain and she has to bring three defenseless draclings home. Any girl who’s dreamed of having her own baby dragon will love this story.

Dragons may also not always be what they seem... In Handbook for Dragon Slayers by Merrie Haskell (age 8 - 12), Princess Tilda isn't entirely upset when political upheaval sends her fleeing her kingdom — the bookish and club-footed princess would prefer to study, and maybe even author a book someday. But in her travels with two would-be dragon slayers, Tilda will do things she never imagined — and discover that dragons are more than they appear. Her change of heart will also change her kingdom forever. This unique take on the dragon myth is the perfect addition to a truly exciting coming-of-age novel.

Sometimes, a dragon’s friendship can even be the key to the kingdom, like in Dragon Slippers by Jessica Day George (age 9 - 14). When her aunt uses the orphan girl Creel as bait for a dragon — and therefore a prince — as a way to drag the family out of poverty, Creel befriends the dragons instead! With encouragement from her new friends, and a gift of a mysterious pair of slippers, Creel moves to the city and opens a dress shop, only to find herself drawn into a conflict that could spell the end of both the kingdom and the dragons! With an epic world, exciting action, and vivid description, this book is sure to captivate children. Creel (and the dragons’) story also continues in the sequels, Dragon Flight and Dragon Spear.

Princess Cimorene in Dealing With Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede (age 10 - 14) also discovers that dragons are better allies than enemies. In this first of four books, Cimorene has no interest in being a proper princess, so instead of waiting to be kidnapped by a dragon, she runs away and makes a bargain with one — she’ll keep house as a captured princess would, provided she also gets to be herself and explore her non-princessy interests. Fortunately for Kazul, Cimorene’s dragon, Cimorene also manages to help unearth the wizards’ plot against the dragons in time to stop it... for now. Fans of this book can also pick up the Enchanted Forest Chronicles box set, which includes all four books in the series.

A dragon friend can be the perfect companion for a Mighty Girl on a difficult journey. In Grace Lin’s Where The Mountain Meets The Moon (age 8 - 12), Minli wishes she understood why her hardworking family struggles to keep body and soul together. Her father tells her stories of the Old Man in the Moon, who knows the answers to all of life’s questions, so Minli decides to find him and ask how she can change her family’s fortunes. Along the way, she meets a flightless dragon who joins her on her journey. But when she meets the Old Man in the Moon and has the chance to ask a question, perhaps it will be her concern for Dragon that really changes the family’s fate. This 2010 Newbery Honor book has the feeling of a folktale, complete with Lin’s exquisite full-color illustrations.

When a girl’s dragon friend flies the coop, what is she to do? Why, track him down, of course! In The Runaway Dragon by Kate Coombs (age 9 - 14), Princess Meg’s dragon Laddy leaves after she neglects him for just a little too long. Meg is determined to find him, but her parents only agree to let her go if she also takes along a few friends and ten guardsmen for good measure. When the adventures lead into the enchanted forest — and an encounter with a rather compelling bandit — Meg begins to wonder if she can save herself, let alone Laddy. But what dragon-loving princess would give up on her friend? This funny and clever twisted fairy tale will have your Mighty Girl wondering just how much she’d do if she had her own dragon friend.

Sometimes the connection between a dragon and a girl is critical to survival. For decades, Anne McCaffrey’s Pern stories have thrilled dragon-loving Mighty Girls. This science fiction series describes a world in which dragon-like creatures, known as fire lizards, were genetically modified by planetary settlers to be big and intelligent enough to fight a mysterious and deadly threat called Thread. In Dragonsdawn (age 13 and up), she can read about the settlement of Pern, the discovery of the fire lizards, and the creation of the Pernese dragons, while in Dragonsong and Dragonsinger (both 10 and up), set 2,500 years later, as Menolly helps rediscover the fire lizards — while beginning a career as a Harper, a job traditionally held only by men. The Pern books offer an intriguing take on the traditional dragon with a science fiction twist.

For a more recent twist on the dragon story, check out Rachel Hartman's Seraphina and Shadow Scale (both age 13 and up). In Hartman's world, the rational, mathematical dragons, who can take humanoid form, have long warred against their human counterparts. In Seraphina, there is an unsettled peace, but tensions are running high when Seraphina, a gifted musician, joins the court just before a member of the royal family is murdered — apparently by a dragon. Seraphina is drawn into the investigation and struggles with protecting the secret of her connection to both sides of the conflict: her half-dragon heritage. In Shadow Scale, Seraphina is seeking others like herself in hopes of preventing war — but a new half-dragon with the terrifying ability to take over another creature's mind threatens everything she hopes to build. To defeat him, Seraphina will have to truly embrace her power...and her true identity. This engrossing, complex fantasy world full of politics and conspiracy is sure to fascinate teens and adults alike.

Her Own Set of Scales: Dragon Dress-Up

If your Mighty Girl loves dragons, she’d probably love some dragon dress-up gear! These dress-up options for all ages are sure to thrill any dragon lover.

Even the littlest Mighty Girls can be ferocious in this red dragon costume available in infant (age 1 - 2) and preschooler (age 3 - 5) sizes. On the other hand, if she’d prefer to be a cuddly dragon, this blue dragon costume has a friendly smile and also comes in infant (age 0 - 2) and child (age 6 - 8) sizing.

For a spiky dragon with a great wingspan, perfect for flying, check out this plush blue dragon costume (age 1 - 7). Or for a dragon with a little something extra, check out this three-headed dragon costume (age 1 - 8) — the gloves are extra heads with the costume, or hand puppets without.

For just a touch of draconic flair, check out a dragon cape instead! The Creative Education dragon cape (age 3 - 6) has rich, shiny green fabric and just the right touches of yellow and red to be suitably draconic. Or, she can alternate between knight and dragon with their reversible dragon cape (age 3 - 5), which has dragon scales on one side and knight’s armor on the other!

And who says kids should have all the fun? This dragon kigurumi is the perfect way for grown-ups to celebrate a love of dragons. Kigurumi are a combination of lounge wear and costume; you can wear them for day-to-day, or as part of a dress-up event. This one fits most adults over 5 feet; it’s comfy, warm, and even has pockets!

And if you want to add a bit of dragon fun to your everyday wear, check out Sock It To Me's Dragon Socks (age 13 and up)! These comfortable, high-quality knee socks feature a vividly colored dragon coiled around the calf. There’s no better way for a grown-up dragon fanatic to show their true colors — or keep them as secret as a dragon's hoard.

Dragons can represent so many things: luck or destruction, wisdom or rage. Whatever a dragon means to your Mighty Girl, we hope she enjoys taking a flight of fancy through these recommendations.

Additional Recommended Resources

• For more Mighty Girl stories featuring mythical creatures, check out our selection of stories based on fairy tales and folktales.
• For more fantasy stories of starring Mighty Girls, visit our Fantasy section.
• For stories of Mighty Girls who dream of fantastical friends, check out our blog Special Friends: Mighty Girls and Their Dolls, Stuffed Animals, and Imaginary Friends.
• For more costumes for Mighty Girls who love to dress-up, visit our Costumes & Dress-up section.