Dragonriders of Pern

I received my first Dragonriders of Pern novel when I was in 4th grade, home sick from school. I read about a girl named Menolly, who had been forbidden to sing or play instruments by her father simply because “girls can’t be Harpers”. Menolly ran away from home, survived dangerous Threadfall on her own, and accidentally adopted nine firelizards, devoted tiny dragons, before Harper Hall discovered her musical talents and offered her a place in their ranks.
Anne McCaffrey’s fantastical world of Pern filled my head with dragons and their riders up through high school. I devoured the novels one after another, imagining that I had a dragon of my own and that we could fly through the skies together, protecting the planet. My best friend and I played at hatching dragons, and ran around playing with our imaginary firelizards. I spent my allowance on the novels the library didn’t have. My bookshelf had a whole shelf devoted to the series. Menolly was a sister I never had and together we were Harpers when I wasn’t busy being a dragonrider. I was the heroine and the damsel all in one.
Anne McCaffrey’s books were filled with strong women and brave men, filled with ideals and duty. The dragons were noble and beautiful yet very human, and the world was one very different than my own. A dragon could choose anyone to be their rider, even someone like me. Each book was an escape on dragon wings.