He usually nods or shakes his head in response to questions. When he says three or four words in a row, Jackie jokingly says that he has made a speech. His leg is broken when the second dragon is killed, and the Dragonslayer and Jackie leave Ron in a village for a while to heal. Bill - A dragonslayer's assistant, who the Dragonslayer hires after Ron is injured. He is married to Widow Matchem and is trying to be a good farmer. Knowledgeable and friendly, if gruff, he works with the Dragonslayer and Jackie for one job - that of killing two giant birds - and then returns home to re-equip his wife's farm. Themes A theme of the book is the success and growth of someone through training and trials; ambition, perseverance, and ingenuity play a part. According to Scholastic, topics of the book are "...achievement and success; cleverness, creativity, and imagination; discovery and learning; and life experiences and relationships." Also, the book is about the unusual achievements of a young female character, so an underlying theme is the strength of the perceived 'weaker' sex. Superstition is also presented in a negative but understanding light, and bureaucracy is sometimes presented negatively as well. Literary Significance and Reception The magazine "Locus" had a short review by Carolyn Cushman on The Dragonslayer's Apprentice in their February 1999 issue. Awards and nominations The Dragonslayer's Apprentice (the Scholastic New Zealand edition) was a finalist for the New Zealand Post Children's Book Awards in 1998, and was, in fact, the Junior Fiction honour book. New Zealand Post sponsors the award. References Notes The full reference for "Calder. The Dragonslayer's Apprentice." is "Calder, David. The Dragonslayer's Apprentice. New York: Scholastic Inc., 1998." New Zealand fantasy novels 1997 novels 20th-century New Zealand novels