An epistolary novel set during the Regency with an established magical society, you say? And it has a CHOCOLATE POT on the cover?? It will come as a surprise to none of our listeners that we are big fans of Sorcery and Cecelia, by Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer. Join in as we discuss the joys of fictional letters, learn about gaslamp ...…

Officially our most-requested book, it’s easy to see why The Thief is beloved by so many dragon babies. Mystery, mythology and a charmingly deceptive narrative structure make this book smart and super enjoyable (no matter your age). This is our first introduction to Megan Whalen Turner and we couldn’t be more delighted. “A romp,” says Madeleine ...…

We’re roaring into 2019 like teenage griffins thanks to Diana Wynne Jones’ Dark Lord of Derkholm! Revisit cruel capitalist overlord Mr. Chesney and learn whether you, too, are more affected by this book as an adult. Inspired by the trials and tribulations of the Pilgrim Party organizers (and the pilgrims themselves), Grace relives her worst job ...…

It's a Hogswatchnight miracle! Our extra special Hogfather episode is here just in time for the holidays. Enjoy & thank you so much for listening! MUSIC - Pippin the Hunchback, Thatched Villagers and Jingle Bells by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) - Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/ ...…

In which Madeleine and Grace visit the land of Faerie - and struggle to return to Wall. Neil Gaiman's Stardust is high fantasy with fascinating twists, plus the signature wit and weirdness that have led us to officially label fall 2018 Gaiman Season. Listeners can look forward to an extended discussion of questing/camping food, detailing the wa ...…

The Secret of Platform 13 by Eva Ibbotson is an injection of joy into a weary life. After opening on a wondrous island filled with adorable-beyond-belief mistmakers, we’re traveling to the most magical place of all - London! Join Madeleine and Grace as they fantasize about gigantic sundaes, shop for bladderwrack online and engage in some truly ...…

It’s time for the Dragon Babies Election Day special featuring a discussion of racial prejudice and police biases in fantasy literature. Terry Pratchett and Thud! provide plenty of parallels to discuss between Sam Vimes’ approach to troll and dwarf tensions in the city of Ankh-Morpork and human rights violations and inequities in our own societ ...…

We FINALLY managed to read our alethiometer correctly and were told it was high time we covered The Golden Compass! We joined Lyra, Pantalaimon, Iorek (Grace’s new Favorite Bear) and a couple of the worst parents we’ve encountered in fantasy to transcend this universe and eat a ton of raw seal meat along the way. Discussion ranges from the reli ...…

We’re rereading The Raven Ring, by Patricia C. Wrede! Travel with us to Lyra, where there’s a super engaging fantasy murder mystery afoot and endless D&D-esque quests popping up in your path. Have you ever attempted to leave a city again and again, only to be beset by thieves, sworn mortal enemies, and an annoyingly persistent lord? You’ll rela ...…

This is a mini episode for your mini enjoyment! We rewatched the 2009 film adaptation of Coraline, directed by Henry Selick - and we chatted about it! Check out our Coraline book episode for an in-depth discussion of Neil Gaiman’s superbly creepy novella. MUSIC - Pippin the Hunchback and Thatched Villagers by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) - L ...…

It's time to take a trip through a bricked-up door, armed with only a rock to ward against unspeakable evil... that's right, we're rereading Coraline, by Neil Gaiman! Don't be tricked by the delicious roast chicken dinner - Other Mother is up to no good, and the souls trapped behind the mirror aren't the only clue. We discuss the importance of ...…

Content Warning: Suicide We're celebrating the two year anniversary of Dragon Babies with a return to the series that started it all! While those who have been listening since our first episode will note our marked improvement in podcasting quality, they will be delighted to learn that our fervor for Garth Nix's Abhorsen books remains the same. ...…

It's official: Robin McKinley is a master of fantasy and we didn't appreciate her nearly enough when we read her books as kids. Today, we're ready to gush over Spindle's End. This perfect inversion of the Sleeping Beauty story offers a princess who saves herself (and really doesn't sleep much at all), as well as her motley crew of loyal animals ...…

Head into battle with the ragtag Dragon Babies crew! We're discussing Crown Duel by Sherwood Smith, and loving on Meliara in all her furious, revolutionary glory. Join in as we slog through the mud, sleep underneath ferns, and throw wine in corrupt barons' faces, all with a seriously messed up ankle and a raging fever. Plus: fantasy tea appreci ...…

This is a Very Special Episode about Tamora Pierce's newest gift to us all - Tempests and Slaughter, aka Baby Arram's Book! We just had to depart from our usual fantasy nostalgia approach because this is too exciting to miss. This marks our fourth Tamora Pierce episode - if you're a new listener interested in checking out our others, try our ep ...…

We're celebrating the glorious arrival of spring with a look back at the The Wind in the Willows! Hop into your tiny canoe and watch Toad be a complete sociopath, revel in the many miniature English teas, and wonder where the heck the female inhabitants of the river and wood have disappeared to. Plus: how Beatrix Potter, A.A. Milne and Kenneth ...…

This is an ultimately-not-so-miniature MINI EPISODE about A Wrinkle in Time (2018)! We may not be the intended audience for this film, but we are still going to talk about it! Spoilers ahead, so please listen after seeing the film if you're interested in checking it out for yourself (we do recommend it to any fan of the book). MUSIC - Pippin th ...…

We're completing the Tamora Pierce *Holy Trinity* by following up our episodes on Alanna & Daine with the stoic Keladry of Mindelan! Discover why Grace and Madeleine think Kel is the most relatable of Tortall's warriors, and fall in love with this wise-beyond-her-ten-years hero all over again. This book is surprisingly prescient, and Kel's pers ...…

Are Madeleine and Grace the two princesses? Definitely not - but we are still honoring them with one of our most tangent-heavy episodes yet. Even though we're not perfect parallels between Addie and Meryl, we're thrilled to discuss our favorite Gail Caron Levine book, The Two Princesses of Bamarre. Find out why we prefer this book to Ella Encha ...…

A book so perfect for our podcast mission that it has actually been requested by multiple listeners, A Tale of Time City burst into our lives with all the force of a butter-pie being poked into your eye. Listen in to hear us gush over Diana Wynne Jones' fascinating sci-fi/fantasy time travel extravaganza, and then argue over what a butter-pie m ...…

To follow up our episode on The Neverending Story by Michael Ende, we rewatched The Neverending Story (1984) and an episode of The Neverending Story: The Animated Adventures of Bastian Balthazar Bux (1995). This episode features our brother Patrick! We have a lot of thoughts about these adaptations! DISCLAIMER: We love fantasy literature and mo ...…

Falkor. Atreyu. BBB aka Bastian Balthazar Bux aka Boo... Bad Bro (okay we're reaching but stick with the alliteration please). All your old friends are living on forever in Michael Ende's The Neverending Story - but that's a story for another time. Listen in as Grace grows furious discussing hungry heroes on quests, Madeleine creates the Giant ...…

This is a Very Special Episode about Seattle's Book-It Repertory Theatre production of Howl's Moving Castle! If you're in the Seattle area, we urge you to check out this show ASAP - it's about to close. Beautiful, creative, and totally faithful to the book, this musical adaptation was everything we could have asked for. Disclaimer: this episode ...…

Dragonsong holds within its pages every form of miniature dragon we could ask for - dragon babies, baby dragons, and even baby dragon babies (we've never been more on brand). But that's not the only reason we've loved this book since Grace stole our copy from her 5th grade classroom. By turns triumphant and devastating, Anne McCaffrey's classic ...…

We saw Terry Pratchett: HisWorld at the Salisbury Museum - and we have thoughts! This episode features Grace and our mother, Elise - Madeleine was not able to join us on the trip but she was there in spirit. Enjoy! Photos of the exhibition are up on our website, dragonbabiespodcast.com. MUSIC - Pippin the Hunchback by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech ...…

Like your magic with a side of unintended consequences? Dive into four children's thrilling, frightening and nearly supervision-free summer as they discover The Enchanted Castle. As lifelong fans of sinister magical rings, E. Nesbit's classic is fully in our wheelhouse - although it's the absurd quantities of PRETEND FOOD that bring out our tru ...…

Time for something a little different! We're celebrating our 20th episode with a look at one of our favorite fantasy art books from childhood, the Voyage of the Basset. We didn't realize that it's much more art than story as kids, but we do now! Join us in discussing family-friendly versions of famous mythological baddies, looking at drawings o ...…

Evil dragons. An impossible love. Our favorite fully realized horse. Whatever malak is. The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley is much more than just the 1985 Newberry Medal winner. Rereading this one shook us to our cores and inspired an impassioned discussion about how female characters complicate the hero's journey, sneaky flashbacks and t ...…

Sleep deprivation, stories-within-stories-within-stories and questionable romance come together to make up this engaging, Shahrazad-centric retelling of One Thousand and One Nights. The titular character is a teenager tasked with telling her new husband a story so good he'll spare her life just to make it past a cliffhanger (we're just grumpy t ...…

We couldn't be more delighted to travel to Earthsea and explore human nature & super goth spirits with Arha/Tenar/The Eaten One, a teenage girl forced into a cult who spends all her free time exploring a haunted labyrinth. And getting into scrapes along the way! Join us in marveling over Ursula K. Le Guin's gorgeous writing and the glorious wei ...…

Creating this episode was an unexpected nightmare. Grace is 100% positive that the ghost of Asmodeus is now haunting her and Madeleine thinks that Cluny might be just a lil bit aggravated by her dismissal of him as a selfish grump. No matter what, the truth about the mysterious history of human life in the Redwall universe is now out there for ...…

This is a MINI EPISODE / companion episode in which we talk about what we felt while rewatching the 1985 Disney classic (?) The Black Cauldron. Note - we had some sound issues with this one and we're sorry :-(

This one's a doozy! Together, an overheated Madeleine and Grace explore the destructive glorification of war, powerful coming-of-age tales for teens, an endlessly relatable cast of characters, and whether Gurgi is more of a dog-man or a bear-man. Ya know, everything you've ever wondered when reading The Black Cauldron. Plus, an extended discuss ...…

June has become official Witch Month here on Dragon Babies as we follow up Wee Free Men with the stunningly postmodern, cruelly hilarious Witch Week by Diana Wynne Jones! In a world where children are so awful that they put your school's bullies to shame, there's entirely too much magic floating around for witchcraft to be punishable by death. ...…

Ach, noo yer talkin’ oour language! Welcome to our second Terry Pratchett episode, featuring the indomitable Tiffany Aching and the Nac Mac Feegle! Join us as we discuss the first of Pratchett's YA novels and the terrifying, nightmare-ridden Fairyland that you never expected. We've got a lively conversation about whether baby brothers are inher ...…

It’s time to get Grimm with an extended visit to the most famous fairy tale prison - and a new take on the witch that locked the damsel in a tower. Zel honors its source material and never shies away from the more upsetting components of Rapunzel, but adds complexity and humanity with telling psychological portraits of Zel, Mother, and the obse ...…

THE BABIES ARE BACK. After a painful break from podcasting, we're diving back in with So You Want to Be a Wizard: a technical marvel chock full of magic, friendship and leaving bullies in your supernatural dust. How can a white hole be so darn charming? Is there a more creative "wrong" version of our world than the Starsnuffer's personal utopia ...…

The Folk Keeper has a little bit of everything. Looking for a new take on Scottish & Irish mythology? Sealfolk abound. Interested in a coming of age story complicated by hidden heritage and gender swapping? Meet Corinna Stonewall. Developing your career as a poet or a rapper? The Last Word is all you need. No matter why you've come to The Folk ...…

Soothing, terrifying, and utterly glorious, A Wind in the Door made us feel all kinds of things. If you're looking for a detailed discussion of fictional bodies within mitochondria and whether boy geniuses are more annoying than valuable, well, you've come to the right place. We cover how this book helped form our understandings of life, death, ...…

Discworld has been a part of Grace's life since a kind camp counselor took pity on her silent bookishness and sent her boxes of Terry Pratchett paperbacks from the U.K.. Madeleine has only recently fallen in love with Pratchett's hilarious, disarming fantasy, but we can already tell she's a lifer. If you love cats, filthy cities, misplaced real ...…

After an all-too-endless holiday break, we're back, we're reading, and we're loving on Ella Enchanted. Don't write this well-rounded world off as a children's book - we gained so much from rereading it and Grace had several key epiphanies related to (you guessed it) personal perceptions of food. Do you love love? Then you'll enjoy listening to ...…

Yes, it's our first repeat author - and who could it possibly be other than Tamora Pierce? We're discussing Emperor Mage, book 3 of Madeleine's favorite YA fantasy series, The Immortals. Protagonist Daine's wild magic and communication with animals (not to mention international intrigue and plenty of poison) lead us into discussions of animal r ...…

We're getting a little serious this week with The Last Unicorn, but these are dark times, for humans and unicorns alike. Take this chance to pine for immortal beauty and mentally escape the mortal coil. We discuss fantasy and depression, reading books before you're ready, and whether we've ever believed in unicorns. Plus, a Shel Silverstein gem ...…

Dealing with Dragons not only shaped our dragon worldviews, it inspired Grace to write, Madeleine to envision her own fantasy worlds, and both of us to appreciate the scholar (and warrior) within. Revisit the Mountains of Morning and the Enchanted Forest, and wonder: why are wizards such jerks? What IS cherries jubilee? And how can I live in th ...…

We could talk about how great Diana Wynne Jones is for days - but can you listen for an hour?? We'll admit that this episode about Howl’s Moving Castle is particularly positive, except for the moments when we argue about Guy Fawkes awareness and muddle through some sibling tension, but we have only good things to say about this joyful take on t ...…

It’s time to discuss Alanna: The First Adventure! Kicking off the splendor and majesty of Tamora Pierce's Tortall books with the one that started it all for us. Talkin bout gender roles, the naming of things, and the eerie coincidence of two episodes in a row featuring an evil Roger. Cut Rogers out of your life today. MUSIC: Pippin the Hunchbac ...…

Our inaugural episode, featuring a giddy lovefest in which we revert to our teenage selves and gush over Sabriel, by Garth Nix. An extended discussion of the nature of death, matriarchy and unexpected gender roles, and why Madeleine is deathly afraid of the ocean. PLUS - do you remember book fairs?? We do! Get your daily dose of 90's nostalgia ...…

Hello! My name is Grace Harnois and young adult fantasy basically created my personality. I spent a lot of time reading as a lil kid but now I've lost touch with the books that once mattered the most. My sister, Madeleine, and I will be revisiting these to pay homage to their incredible authors and all they've done for us. Listen to this mini i ...…