Raising Dragons by Bryan Davis

Book 1 of Dragons in our Midst

Summary:

Action, adventure, inspiration as two teens meet their dragon past...

A boy learns of his dragon past; a girl has known of hers for years. They combine their faith, courage, and love to overcome an evil slayer who seeks to bring an end to dragon heritage, forever.

The kids at school call Billy "Dragon Breath" for good reason. His breath is bad! It isn't the normal morning-mouth bad; it's the hot-as-fire, "don't-you-dare-get-near-me" bad. Trouble erupts when his hot breath sets off the fire sprinklers in the boys' restroom at school, and his parents learn that they've kept their secret for too long. 

Billy finally discovers the secret. His father was once a dragon! Now that's a piece of news a guy doesn't deal with every day. Billy feels betrayed, alien, lost. When the dragon slayer traps him on a cold mountaintop in West Virginia, Billy learns to battle with weapons of steel and spirit while relying on a power he doesn't understand, a power that helps him learn to trust again. 

Bonnie, an orphan, tries to find a home, someone to love her, even though she feels like a freak because of a body feature that she calls a deformity. But this unusual feature becomes a life-saving attribute as she discovers that her love for others and her faith in a creator hold answers she's looking for. 

Raising Dragons is a contemporary fantasy novel that inspires young people to dig deep within to find their God-given strengths and use them to overcome any obstacle. it is both a hair-raising, modern-day adventure and a glimpse into another world--a world of knights, dragons, and fair maidens. 

Opening Lines: 

"Halt, foul dragon!"

Billy stared at the tall stranger, a ghostly figure draped in dark chain mail. He looked like a knight of some kind, like a toy box action figure come to life. But what was he so mad about? Could he be yelling at me?

The knight swung a sword in his right hand. Its brilliant blade flashed in the sun, and his armor jingled all over his body, echoing his swift, skillful moves. With a wave of his shield he barked a challenge. "I fear you not, fiend, nor your hellish fire! Come to battle, and we shall see whom the Creator will protect!"

Billy opened his mouth to answer, but he couldn't talk. His throat burned like a sizzling sidewalk, and acid bubbled up form his boiling stomach. With a convulsive shudder, he belched a plume of hot, steamy gases, blistering his tongue and scorching his lips. A second later a raging river of fire blasted through his gaping mouth and hurtled toward the knight.