C. Do you think the dragons of ancient legend and lore were real or imaginary creatures? Go to the library or online to find facts to support your opinion. Then, hold a debate with classmates or friends, supporting or rejecting this proposition: Real dragons once existed.

D. Using paints, colored paper, clay, fabric scraps, or other craft materials to draw, sculpt, or sew a dragon of your own imagining for display in your home or classroom. Create a label that includes your dragon’s name, place of origin, and any special attributes.

II. Fitting in, Fitting Together

A. Like the characters they become in their dragon journeys, the four protagonists of Dragon Magic seem to feel like misfits in their own communities. With classmates or friends, role-play a discussion between Sig, Artie, Ras, and Kim in which they try to explain their feelings at the outset of the novel.

B. The boys first encounter the dragons in an unusual puzzle. Go to the library or online to learn the history of the jigsaw puzzle. If desired, learn about the origins of ancient Chinese tangram, the Rubik’s cube, and other puzzling games. Write a short report based on your research, concluding with your thoughts on why the author chose a puzzle as the means by which the novel’s protagonists take their journeys.

C. Use descriptive clues found in the novel to recreate the Dragon Magic puzzle. Cover a thin sheet of cardboard (such as a side cut out of a cereal box) with a sheet of white drawing paper. Use metallic markers, colored craft paper, or other materials to create your four-dragon image. When the image is dry, cut the puzzle into pieces. Invite friends or classmates to attempt to assemble your puzzle.

D. Outline your own short story in which a magical puzzle brings assistance or insight to several characters. What image or images will be featured on your puzzle? Where will the puzzle be discovered? What seemingly magical properties will it hold? Who are the characters the puzzle will help and how?

E. In the character of Sig, Artie, Ras, or Kim, write a journal entry beginning with the sentence, “Sometimes my life seems like a terrible puzzle . . .”

III. Connecting the Past and the Present

A. The protagonists of Dragon Magic travel to past times related to their own ancestry. Choose one of these times to research at the library or online. Divide a sheet of paper into two vertical columns on which to compare novel elements with research information. Were the heroes and dragons of the novel real historical figures? Have the events of the novel’s stories been recounted in similar ways in folktales or other literature? Were the characters into which the four boys transformed mentioned in these tales? Present your comparison research to friends or classmates.