Dragonhaven (2007)

Jake lives at Smokehill, a dragon sanctuary, where protecting wildlife becomes much harder when he secretly rescues an orphaned hatchling. Feeding, exhaustion, law and the difficulty of communication make caring for a dragon feel like demanding work. McKinley’s young narrator can be rambling, which suits a story whose discoveries take time. A standalone for readers drawn to conservation and the gap between loving a creature and understanding what it needs.