How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell (Book 1 Heroric Misadventures of Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III)

Hiccup is the son of the chief of the Tribe of Hairy Hooligans, Stoick the Vast, so shouldn’t he be as strong and fearless as his cousin Snotlout? Alas, Hiccup gets the moniker of Hiccup the Useless. Every Viking warrior needs a dragon, and during the Dragon Initiation Test all the boys of age will soon become full-fledged members of the tribe. Unbeknown to the tribe, an ancient Sea Dragon has been awakened and is mighty hungry.

Things do not go as planned for Hiccup during the test. The dragons from the nesting cave wake up and chase the boys. After failing so spectacularly to train their dragons, all the boys are exiled. On the tail end of this event, the Sea Dragon(s) cometh. It’s up to Hiccup and his “mighty” dragon Toothless to save the day.

I had put off reading this series for a while, because I tend not to read the uber-popular books right away. I’m glad I did, because now I have eight more great adventures to read! This book is chock-full of fantastic humor, characters (both human and dragon), and hilarious drawings. Hiccup and Toothless are the underdog heroes of this little saga, and they prove that when you have the brains, you don’t necessarily need the brawn to save the day.

Continue reading about Hiccup’s adventures in How to Be a Pirate, How to Speak Dragonese, How to Cheat a Dragon’s Curse, How to Twist a Dragon’s Tale, A Hero’s Guide to Deadly Dragons, How to Ride a Dragon’s Storm, How to Break a Dragon’s Heart, and How to Steal a Dragon’s Sword (coming out in October 2011).

Ages 9-12

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (May 2004)

ISBN: 9780316737371

Not available as an eBook at this time.

Image from www.goodreads.com

FTC Full Disclosure: I received my review copy from the local library.