Backpack Dragons – First Reader Series for Kids Who Learn Differently
Bastian Schroeder
A six-book dragon adventure that grows with your child: little text per page, a progress bar in every chapter, one continuing story. For beginning readers ages 5–9.
Learning materials for kids who learn differently.
Backpack Dragons is a dragon adventure beginning readers can actually finish, even when focus and stamina are hard. Book 1 starts with two short sentences per page. Book 6 is a real chapter book. In between is one continuing story, exciting enough that your child wants to know what happens next.
Start with Book 1 → · See the whole series on Amazon →
Why the pages look the way they do
Every page is built so a child can finish it before they run out of steam:
- Little text on every page. Book 1 has two short sentences per page. No wall of text, no giving up before the first line.
- A progress bar in every chapter. A bar at the top of the page fills up as your child reads. They always see how far it is to the end of the chapter, and a visible end makes it easier to keep going.
- Pictures only at the end of a chapter. Nothing on the reading pages pulls attention away. The illustration comes once the chapter is done, as a reward.
- One story across six books. The same characters, the same world. Kids who know Lio keep reading, even as the sentences get a little longer book by book.
Why these books exist
Written by a dad with autism and ADHD for his autistic son.
The reading material from school was too busy for my son: too much text, too many pictures, too much at once. And the stories he actually cared about were far too long to read on his own.
I have autism and ADHD myself, so I knew what a page needs to be doable: very little on it, the same layout every time, an end you can see. And I knew what a story needs to keep you going: a hero you recognize yourself in, and a reason to turn the page.
That is how Backpack Dragons started. Lio is not a superhero. He is a quiet boy who would rather be alone in the woods, and that is exactly what makes him strong in the end.
More than 20,000 copies of our learning books later, parents keep telling us the same thing: it works for many children, not only those with a diagnosis.
Who it's for
If your child …
- loves dragons and magic, but gives up on thick books after three pages
- shuts down when a page is full of text
- is quiet or shy and needs a hero who is, too
Especially for
- kids with ADHD, autism, dyslexia or attention differences
- reluctant readers
- homeschool families, special-education teachers and reading tutors
How to use it
- One chapter a day is plenty.
- Reading aloud and reading alone can take turns.
- Bad day? One page, then close the book. That still counts.
The series grows with your child
Each book is only a small step harder than the one before, so your child stays in the same story while they get more confident.
| Book | Text per page | Pictures at chapter end | About |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 – The Secret Egg | 2 short sentences | yes | ages 5–7 · K–1st grade |
| 2 – Academy Shimmerstone | 2 longer sentences, more dialogue | yes | ages 6–7 · 1st grade |
| 3 – The Fairy Forest | 2 sentences, more description | yes | ages 7–8 · 1st–2nd grade |
| 4 – The Stone Library | several sentences, first chapter book | yes | ages 7–9 · 2nd grade |
| 5 – The Misty Lake | several sentences | no | ages 7–9 · 2nd–3rd grade |
| 6 – The Volcano | several sentences | no | ages 7–9 · 2nd–3rd grade |
From Book 5 on there are no chapter pictures. That is not a mistake, it is the next step: your child is now reading full chapters with no picture support. The progress bars stay until the very last page.
The six books
Book 1 – The Secret Egg
Lio is seven, quiet, and happiest on his own. At school he hardly says a word. The woods are the only place he feels safe, and that is where he finds a glowing egg hidden in the mist. Out of it hatches Fero, a small red fire dragon who lives in Lio's backpack, can hear his thoughts, and never leaves him alone again. A lot of kids see themselves in Lio.
Ages 5–7 · 10 chapters · 2 short sentences per page · picture at the end of every chapter
Book 2 – Academy Shimmerstone
A portal takes Lio and Fero to Shimmerstone Academy, a hidden school for dragon bearers. Lio finds his first real friend in Enna and her stone dragon Pebble, and learns he is the first fire dragon bearer in a thousand years. Not everyone is happy about that. And at night, shadows move through the mist: the Order of the Spider hunts dragons.
Ages 6–7 · 13 chapters · 2 sentences per page, more dialogue · picture at the end of every chapter
Book 3 – The Fairy Forest
Fero's backpack is failing, and without it a dragon cannot survive. Only a legendary dwarf mechanic can fix it, and he lives deep in the Fairy Forest, where the paths change with your thoughts. Lio, Enna and even Tulu have to stick together while the Order of the Spider follows close behind.
Ages 7–8 · 2 sentences per page, more description · picture at the end of every chapter
Book 4 – The Stone Library
The floor of the dragon hall shakes. The teachers say old castles just do that sometimes, but Enna doesn't believe it: something is down there. Behind a secret switch in the forbidden library, a staircase leads deep underground, to a glowing green stone the Order of the Spider wants very badly.
Ages 7–9 · first chapter book, several sentences per page · picture at the end of every chapter
Book 5 – The Misty Lake
For the first time, Lio, Enna and Tulu leave Shimmerstone. They have to find the Water Stone before the Order does. But the fog over the lake whispers your worst fears, and mechanical spiders wait under the dark water. Tulu, the boy who was scared of everything, has to be braver than ever.
Ages 7–9 · 14 chapters · several sentences per page · progress bars · chapter book, no pictures
Book 6 – The Volcano
The big finale. In a black castle on top of the volcano, hundreds of stolen dragons have stopped believing in themselves. Enna gives the most important speech of her life, and Lio climbs the tower alone to face the Master of the Order. At the end, your child has read a whole series on their own.
Ages 7–9 · 14 chapters · several sentences per page · progress bars · chapter book, no pictures
The box sets
Once you know your child loves the story, the box sets keep the next book ready:
Box Set Books 1–3
From a first reader to confident independent reading: the three Level 1 books with pictures at the end of every chapter, in one book. The best place to start.
Box Set Books 4–6
For kids who have finished Books 1–3: the step from first reader to real chapter book, ending with no picture support at all in Books 5 and 6.
Box Set Books 1–6
The whole story in one book, from the glowing egg to the finale. For families who want to plan ahead, and a great gift.
Start with Book 1
One chapter a day, two short sentences per page and a dragon in a backpack. That is all it takes to begin.
Book 1 – The Secret Egg on Amazon →
Frequently asked questions
What age is the series for?
Book 1 is for beginning readers ages 5–7, around Kindergarten and 1st grade. The sentences get a little longer with every book, and Books 4–6 suit kids around 7–9 in 2nd and 3rd grade. How confidently your child reads matters more than their age.
Which book should my child start with?
Book 1, even if your child can already read a bit. The story builds from book to book, and an easy start makes sure the first chapters feel like a win.
Is the series suitable for kids with ADHD, autism or dyslexia?
It was made for them: little text per page, the same layout every time, a visible end to every chapter, and nothing on the reading page that pulls attention away. Many parents tell us it works just as well for kids without a diagnosis. The books are not a replacement for therapy or specialist support.
Why are there no pictures from Book 5 on?
Because by then your child doesn't need them. Books 5 and 6 are real chapter books, and reading them without picture support shows your child they can really read. The progress bars stay until the end.
Single books or a box set?
Single books are great if you want to try the series first. The box sets are worth it once your child is hooked: the next story is right there, with no break.
Is there a paperback?
Every book is available as a Kindle ebook, readable on a Kindle, a tablet or in the Kindle app. Some books are also available in print; check "Formats" on each Amazon page.
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Book Details
- Author: Bastian Schroeder
- Title: Backpack Dragons – First Reader Series for Kids Who Learn Differently
- Type: First Reader Series
- Age Range: 5-9 years