'When I was small, I didn't think Mum had a problem. I thought she was normal. I thought all mothers had blue-green scales on their hands, and feet that ended in curved white claws.'

A thrilling adventure story with a big heart, about family, friendship and (not) fitting in – and baking!

Aidan Mooney has the mother of all problems. His mother is part-dragon.

He's spent his whole life struggling to keep her hidden from the world. But now, with the help of his super-smart new friend Charlotte, Aidan discovers a much darker secret hiding in the woods ...

Loneliness, isolation, anxiety and being different are explored in this tender and heartwarming tale. A mother-son relationship and friendship between a boy and girl are at the heart of the story. And at the end – fun baking recipes to try at home!

'Part heart-warming family drama (my favourite scenes are between Aidan and his mother), part rip-roaring kidnapping yarn, this story is a clever blend of realism and fantasy for children who like adventure tales with lashings of humour and heart.' – Irish Independent 

'A fun-filled mystery adventure, with mythical creatures and a near-death experience, that will make you laugh and cry right to the very end.' – Inis Magazine

After studying geology at university, Debbie Thomas trained as a BBC reporter. She worked in Bangladesh and South Africa, then moved to Ireland, where she decided that making things up was more fun than telling the truth in news reports. She has written five children’s books (Dead Hairy, Jungle Tangle, Monkie Business, Class Act and My Secret Dragon) and is the writer in residence at Our Lady’s Hospital School in Crumlin, Dublin. She is a director of Nepal Leprosy Trust, a charity that supports people in Nepal affected by leprosy. Whenever she visits that beautiful country she waves at Mount Everest – and it always waves back.