Common Sense Media Review
Engaging story is great for reluctant readers.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 8+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 7 parent reviews
Based on 23 kid reviews
Kids say this book is an adventurous and humorous read that delivers valuable life messages, like the importance of understanding and respecting dragons. Many reviewers found the series to be engaging, with clever plots and lovable characters, although some noted the humor can get crude and the later books darker, making them more suitable for slightly older children.
- adventurous humor
- life lessons
- engaging plots
- lovable characters
- darker themes
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III is the son of Stoick the Vast, chief of the old Viking Tribe of the Hairy Hooligans. Hiccup, though reasonably stoic, is not very vast. Nevertheless he, like the other boys his age, must pass the tribal initiation test: capture and train a dragon for use in hunting. The dragon that Hiccup manages to snag, though, is tiny and not very trainable, even though Hiccup has the unusual skill of talking Dragonese. But when the tribe is beset by a mountain-size sea dragon, Hiccup's brains and his dragon's orneriness may be more useful than brawn.
Is It Any Good?
Middle-grade boys, especially reluctant readers, are going to love this. Author Cressida Cowell has taken a character from one of her picture books, Hiccup, the Viking Who Was Seasick, and wrapped a novel around him. It's filled with humor both broad (characters have names such as Gobber the Belch and Snotface Snotlout) and snarky, with crude but amusing illustrations by the author.
Of course, humor of this sort is shooting fish in a barrel: All it really takes to get 8-year-old boys snorting milk out their noses is to say "poop" or "underpants." Fortunately, author Cowell also offers an appealing protagonist and a story that, though predictable, is entertaining and often exciting in a format that's clever yet easy to read.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about dragons. Why are they so popular in fairy tales, books, and movies? Why are we so fascinated by them?
If you've seen the movie How to Train Your Dragon, how do you think the book compares?
What do you think about initiation rites? Do you think it's a good idea for societies to have tests that children must pass before they're considered adults? Do you have any initiation rites in your own culture?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Cressida Cowell
- Genre : Fantasy
- Topics : Adventures , Animals ( Ocean Creatures , Wild Animals ) , Fantasy ( Dragons , Magic ) , Friendship
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Little, Brown and Company
- Publication date : May 1, 2004
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 8 - 12
- Number of pages : 214
- Last updated : March 19, 2026
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