Beatrice and the Basilisk

by Bruce McCandless III

12-year-old Beatrice McIlvaine has a problem. It’s not sixth grade math—and no, it doesn’t involve boys. This problem is bigger than that, and it has a nasty bite. As Beatrice steels herself to fight yet another threat to the precarious existence she leads with her single mother and a troubled little brother, she finds she’s not so alone after all. A modern parable about love, family, and killing giant, murderous dragons, Beatrice and the Basilisk is a modern fairy tale, short (at about 8,000 words) but not entirely sweet. And there’s a lesson in there somewhere. If you can see through the dismal night sky, and beyond those dangerous teeth . . .

Note: Beatrice and the Basilisk is the first chapter in the Beatrice McIlvaine Adventure Series. The saga continues with Beatrice at Bay.

“Though ostensibly about fighting a dragon, this multilayered novella also depicts the power of perseverance, the strength of family, and a young person’s ability to believe in magic even after a horrible life experience… This brief but powerful dragon story soars.” —Kirkus Reviews