TFK Kid Reporter Aubrey Lamirault read The Last Dragon House and interviewed its author, Liv Mae Morris. Read Aubrey’s thoughts below.
The Last Dragon House, the debut novel from Liv Mae Morris, explores themes of imagination, identity, and belonging. After he turns 12, Ollie is expected to work in a dangerous factory to help support his family. But he finds a mysterious house where he’s offered an interesting job: working with dragons.
The book provides a variety of perspectives that add humor and help readers feel connected to the characters, both humans and dragons. “Some of [the characters] were originally just jokes in the footnotes,” Morris told TFK. “And then I just liked them so much that they became main characters.”
The dragons represent more than just magic. They also show the importance of imagining and enacting change. Morris explores serious topics such as fairness, change, and child labor while maintaining the story’s fantasy elements. Morris told TFK that imagination can be a “really powerful” tool to help make sense of these concerns.
This book, and interviewing Morris, gave me a greater understanding of the importance of creativity. Now I see creativity as a way to shape how we see the world—to change it for the better.
Overall, The Last Dragon House is a playful, possibility-filled book that blends fantasy with important themes. It encourages readers to embrace creativity, to think deeply about the world around them, and to stay true to who they are.
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