Free Dragon Dreams by Laura Joy Rennert

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    Text copyright © 2012 by Laura Joy Rennert
    Illustrations copyright © 2012 by Melanie Florian
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    Designed by Irene Vandervoort and Mina Chung • Text set in Goudy Oldstyle
    Printed in the U.S.A.
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    Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
    Rennert, Laura.
    Dragon dreams / Laura Joy Rennert ; illustrated by Melanie Florian.
    p.   cm. — (Royal Princess Academy)
    Summary: Attending her first year at the Royal Princess Academy, Emma prefers soccer to ballroom dancing and dreams of one day riding a dragon.
    ISBN: 978-1-101-59139-0
    [1. Princesses—Fiction. 2. Individuality—Fiction. 3. Sex role—Fiction. 4. Dragons—Fiction. 5. Schools—Fiction.] I. Florian, Melanie, ill. II. Title.
    PZ7.R2903Dr 2012
    [E]—dc23
    2012002851
    ALWAYS LEARNING
    PEARSON

To my darling Emma, her Chihuahua sidekick Lola, and
her terrific group of princess friends. You’re my inspiration!
And no, Emma, we CAN’T get a dragon!!—L.J.R.

DRAGON DREAMS

Chapter 1
All About Me
    I’m Princess Emma and I’m in my first year at the Royal Princess Academy.
    Yes, even princesses need to go to school. My great-grandmother, my grandmother, my mother, and all my aunts and cousins have gone to the Royal Academy. It’s a family tradition.
    My best friend Rapunzel and I are in thesame class. But, unlike Rapunzel, I am NOT your typical princess.
    I don’t like pink.
    I’m too clumsy to dance.
    I’m always tearing my gowns.
    Here are the things I like best:
    1. Kicking a soccer ball.
    There is nothing better than feeling my foot connect with the ball for a shot on goal.
    2. Playing with my pug and my Chihuahua.
    I think
every
princess needs a dog, or two!
    3. Racing my cousin Prince Ben.
    I’m pretty fast, so it’s always a close contest, and we both like to win.
    4. Reading about magical animals.
    I’m especially interested in dragons. I wish I could visit the Dragon Caverns.
    5. Sliding down the castle banisters.
    (Don’t tell my mother, the queen!)
    Our castle has lots of them and, since I’m sometimes late in the morning, this is fun AND a good way to get to breakfast on time.

    We just had school picture day at the Academy. I forgot to tell my mom it was coming up. Let’s just say that my picture did
not
look like any of the others. I think you’ll be able to tell what I mean.

Chapter 2
Princess Problems
    Now the most important day of the whole year—the All-School Princess Contest—is almost here. I’m a little worried about it. You see, the girls in my family have always outdone themselves in the