Children’s Book Award Blog Tour- The Last Dragon on Mars by Scott Reintgen
We have two shortlisted titles still to discover! Today we find out more about is The Last Dragon on Mars by Scott Reintgen.
How does it feel to be nominated for the Children’s Book Award? This is the only book award that is voted on solely by children across the UK.
To me, there’s no higher honour. It’s that last part that especially matters for me. I write for young readers. They’re my audience. Knowing they were responsible for voting Last Dragon into this position means the world to me. One of the great responsibilities of any writer who is writing for young people is understanding that we are forming their ‘canon’ so to speak. There is a weight, I think, in knowing that our books will be the foundational pieces. What they look back on, years from now, when asked what made them a reader in the first place. I take that responsibility very seriously, and I’m honored the young readers in the UK responded so positively to the book.
Tell us more about your book.
The Last Dragon on Mars is sci-fi and fantasy all wrapped into one. My favourite worlds to build are the ones that feel familiar but take the reader from familiar territory into the unknown. For this one, we have our solar system but occupied by dragons. What would change? What would be the same? The story follows Lunar Jones, a boy born on Mars, and allows readers to explore a familiar solar system through him. They’ll learn about actual planetary science, while also enjoying new takes on Greek mythology, and more.
What do you hope that readers will take from reading your book?
My main hope is that every young reader who jumps into this book enjoys themselves. That’s the starting point, isn’t it? That they set the book down when they’re finished, they lean back in their chair, and they say, “Wow. That was fun.” Because reading needs to be that before it’s anything else. It needs to be enjoyable. If there’s any lesson to learn, I think the main one I wove through Last Dragon is how important it is to come together. Lunar finds a family in the crew he joins and it’s only in coming together, combining their strengths, that they save the day.
Where do you find ideas and inspiration for your books?
Everywhere! When I travel around and speak at schools, I remind students that story is happening everywhere. It’s happening in their lives. It’s happening in the lives of their friends. As long as they keep their eyes and ears open, they’ll see stories waiting for them around every corner. The other key is to write down those story ideas when they arrive. I use the ‘Reminders’ section of my iPhone for that. It’s a place where I’ve slowly gathered thousands of ideas over a decade of being a writer. They can do the same. All they need is a little note pad in a back pocket.
Are you working on anything exciting that you can tell us about?
One fun thing is that any young reader who loved Last Dragon can expect more of the Dragonships series. There’s The Rise of Neptune waiting for them, and then the third book in the series, The Void Dragons, is on the way as well. I’m always working on the next story, so I do have future projects coming.
What advice would you give children keen to be an author or illustrator in the future?
It’s rather boring advice, but the main thing is to just write. Spend time doing what you love. Log the time. We often confuse writing as solely an ‘art’. You’re born with it or you’re not! And I think that’s totally wrong. Writing is a skill. Just like kicking a football or archery or engineering. If you spend time doing it, you’ll absolutely get better at it. The best writers I know aren’t the ones who just think about being an author. They’re the people who sat down, day in and day out, and spent time writing. Getting better. Honing their craft. The rest is history.
Children across the UK are encouraged to get involved. Copies of the books can be purchased at a discount from our partner supplier Heath Books here https://www.heathbooks.co.uk/federation-of-childrens-book-groups-childrens-book-award-2026/ and online voting will be opened on Monday 23rd March here https://fcbg.org.uk/childrens-book-award-2026/
The deadline for voting is 12 noon on Friday 8th May and category winners and the overall winner of the most popular children’s book published in 2025 will be announced at a ceremony in Birmingham on 13th June, attended by representatives from all our local groups and livestreamed on the FCBG YouTube channel.
