Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher is part of the Magic Shop series of books for young readers. The central character of the story is Jeremy Thatcher, an artistically inclined sixth grader who has the misfortune of being both small for his age and apparently cute enough that Mary Lou Hutton wants to kiss him - a prospect he finds horrifying. Despite his artistic talent, Jeremy is convinced that his art teacher hates him.

While fleeing from the proffered kisses of Mary Lou, Jeremy winds up on a street he doesn't recognize and wanders into the magic shop. Once there, he unknowingly buys a dragon egg, and begins the magical portion of the story. After he gets home, Jeremy finds instructions on how to hatch the egg, and later, how to raise his new baby dragon. Jeremy has to research dragons (with the help of a friendly librarian), come up with food to feed his new charge, and try to keep his new companion a secret.

As with most Magic Shop books, the addition of the dragon is presumably to help Jeremy learn something, but that element of this book seems to be somewhat poorly developed. There is a parallel between Jeremy having to give up on winning a school art contest and having to give up the dragon when it grows too large to continue to keep. There is also a related parallel between learning to love the dragon and learning to accept Mary Lou as something other than a yucky girl. Even so, there seems to be little urgency to the part of the plot.

Overall, there is little urgency in any part of the book. Jeremy's art teacher makes for a weak antagonist, as do the two less than impressive bullies Jeremy has to deal with, a contrast to the scary witch villain from (for example) Jennifer Murdley's Toad. The portions of the book that deal with Jeremy raising a dragon, and his joy in producing art are very good, but the book seems somehow incomplete, like only half of the story was written.

In the end, Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher feels like it is half of a really good book. As a result, what is written is quite good, but left me frustrated and wanting the other half. ( )

Jeremy, while running away from a pair of bullies, discovers a magic shop with a dragon egg. Raising the dragon he hatches from the egg is not easy, but Jeremy finds an ally in the girl who caused his teasing to begin with. The dragon is difficult, but wonderful, and Jeremy misses her terribly when she goes to her own land. He even gives up the art he loves, but he discovers that he remains connected to her, and goes back to it. ( )

Great story about a kid who buys a dragons egg for a quarter and the adventures he has raising a magical creature in our modern world. This book is the best of Bruce Covilles Magic Shop series. ( )

It's been very long since I've read this, but I remember it being good. ( )

A wonderful entertaining story about Jeremy whose father is a vet and who loves animals. While fleeing from some class mates, he stumbles into a shop and chances upon a very strange object that “chooses” him to care for it. After leaving it out in the moonlight for 3 hours, the object hatches to reveal a tiny dragon. Jeremy must then care for her as she grows bigger and bigger day by day.p.7-14. Jeremy is being chased and he ends up in the magic shop. From “Taking a gamble…” to the end.