A Gift of Dragons.

Anne McCaffrey. 2002. Read by Lee Merriwether. 5 cds. 6 hrs. Random House Audio. 0-7393-0184-5. $29.95. Includes "The Smallest Dragonboy," "The Girl who Heard Dragons" "The Runner of Pern," "Ever the Twain." Plastic; plot, author notes. JSA 

McCaffrey takes us into the magical, whimsical world where dragons are adorable, amiable, and yet fierce creatures that adore their riders and fight evil. Children at the appropriate age go to the hatchling grounds where dragons are first breaking out of their shells and choose their own dragon. In "The Smallest Dragonboy," Keevan, although diminutive, wants desperately to become a rider, while his peers tease him unmercifully about fulfilling his dream. In "The Girl Who Heard Dragons," a girl who is not a dragon rider has the unusual power of being able to communicate with dragons. "The Runner of Pern" is about another unusual profession, runners who carry messages from place to place. "Ever the Twain" is a new, delightful story of twins who are inseparable. The boy is desperate to become a rider, but desolate when his sister is the one chosen to be brought to the hatchling grounds.

To enter the exotic world of Pern, a land the author created more than 30 years ago. is an amazing experience and will exhilarate audiences young to old. The reader is a skilled actor with a melodious voice who greatly enhances the remarkable adventures of Pern. Sherri Forgash Ginsberg, Chapel Hill, NC