The Lost Ryu

BEST OF THE YEAR:
Chicago Public Library · Kids’ Indie Next List

A story of multigenerational pain, magic, and the lengths to which we'll go to protect the people we love.

Kohei Fujiwara has never seen a big ryu¯ in real life. Those dragons all disappeared from Japan after World War II, and twenty years later, they've become the stuff of legend. Their smaller cousins, who can fit in your palm, are all that remain. And Kohei loves his ryu¯, Yuharu, but…

…Kohei has a memory of the big ryu¯. He knows that's impossible, but still, it's there, in his mind. In it, he can see his grandpa – Ojiisan – gazing up at the big ryu¯ with what looks to Kohei like total and absolute wonder. When Kohei was little, he dreamed he'd go on a grand quest to bring the big ryu¯ back, to get Ojiisan to smile again.

But now, Ojiisan is really, really sick. And Kohei is running out of time.

Kohei needs to find the big ryu¯ now, before it's too late. With the help of Isolde, his new half-Jewish, half-Japanese neighbor; and Isolde's Yiddish-speaking dragon, Cheshire; he thinks he can do it. Maybe. He doesn't have a choice.

? “A thought-provoking, magical middle-grade journey that explores sacrifices, faith in allies and the resilient hopefulness of a child. A boy, his new friend and their dragons travel across Japan in search of a giant dragon they believe may heal his grandfather in this hopeful and stirring middle-grade debut.”
—Shelf-Awareness (starred)

“A spellbinding mix of fantasy and alternate history that explores themes of generational trauma, resilience, and family love. Recommended.”
—School Library Journal

“A beautiful—though complex—exploration of generational trauma.”
—Kirkus