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How to Train Your Dragon #1-9
How to Train Your Dragon
Read the original bestselling series that inspired the hit movie sensation! How to Train Your Dragon chronicles the adventures and mis adventures of reluctant Viking hero Hiccup and his dragon, Toothless. Join them on their first nine adventures in How to Train Your Hardcover Gift Set . This hardcover boxed set How to Train Your Dragon ; 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 .
2048 pages, Hardcover
First published October 16, 2012
6 people are currently reading
318 people want to read
About the author
Cressida Cowell
211 books2,456 followersCressida Cowell grew up in London and on a small, uninhabited island off the west coast of Scotland. She was convinced that there were dragons living on this island, and has been fascinated by dragons ever since. She has a BA in English Literature from Oxford University, a BA in Graphic Design from St Martin's and an MA in Narrative Illustration from Brighton. Cressida loves illustrating her own work, but also loves writing books for other people to illustrate as the end result can be so unexpected and inspiring. Cressida has written and illustrated eight books in the popular Hiccup series. The unique blend of child centred humour and sublime prose made Hiccup an instant hit. How to Train Your Dragon is now published in over 30 languages. A DreamWorks Animation feature film is out in March 2010. Also the author of picture books, Cressida has won the Nestle Children's Book Prize 2006 and has been shortlisted for many others. Cressida lives in Hammersmith with her husband and three children.
Her Books:
1. How to Train Your Dragon (2003)
2. How to Be a Pirate (2004)
3. How to Speak Dragonese (2005)
4. How to Cheat a Dragon’s Curse (2006)
5. How to Twist a Dragon’s Tale (2007)
6. A Hero’s Guide to Deadly Dragons (2008)
7. How to Ride a Dragon’s Storm (2008)
8. How to Break a Dragon’s Heart (2010)
9. How to Steal a Dragon's Sword (2011)
10. How to Seize a Dragon's Jewel (2012)
Her Books:
1. How to Train Your Dragon (2003)
2. How to Be a Pirate (2004)
3. How to Speak Dragonese (2005)
4. How to Cheat a Dragon’s Curse (2006)
5. How to Twist a Dragon’s Tale (2007)
6. A Hero’s Guide to Deadly Dragons (2008)
7. How to Ride a Dragon’s Storm (2008)
8. How to Break a Dragon’s Heart (2010)
9. How to Steal a Dragon's Sword (2011)
10. How to Seize a Dragon's Jewel (2012)
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
October 8, 2020
| Reader Fox Blog |
You know those rare moments in life when you loved the movie far more than you even liked the book? Well, that's How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell. This doesn't happen very often for me, but ultimately I find some movies really take the source material and change it for the better. Often, unfortunately, that happens when the source material either isn't great, has problems, or just plain missed out on an opportunity for emotional attachment. In the case of Cowell's novel, it's not that her story is bad but rather that the film's story is better, infinitely so, especially when it comes to emotionality.
Let's get one thing straight here to start with.
Cowell's How to Train Your Dragon is nothing like its movie counterpart. If you suggested that the film is loosely based on this book, you'd be correct. Near everything is different. I could probably count the similarities on one hand. Barring Hiccup's personality (but only moderately), the names, the setting, and pieces of the ending...there's very little similar about them. Instead of a world of Vikings who are terrified of and fight dragons, we live literally in a world where they are raised to capture and train them. The entire central conflict of the film, that of Stoick wanting his son to kill dragons and Hiccup refusing, does not exist in the book.
Also, much to the annoyance of one of my students, there is no Astrid in the books.
As much as I hate to admit it, the changes made to the story really do affect the likability. I can guarantee you all that I would not have an emotional attachment to How to Train Your Dragon without the things that they changed in the process of adapting it. Most likely, if I'd even read the book, I would have thought it was decent for young readers--it is generally a pretty good book--but I never would have cared much more than that. As it stands, I really have no interest whatsoever in reading the rest of the books in this series.
Let's talk about why.
I'm just going to come right out and say it: book Toothless is awful. He's whiny and annoying and in no way endearing. I don't care about him at all in the books whereas in the movie I fall in love with him. This was perhaps my biggest gripe about the differences between the books. I couldn't stand one of the most important characters. Also, Toothless talks which, while not inherently bad, it did make it harder to connect with the characters in general. Again, there's that emotionality aspect; Toothless was kind of a jerk, something you wouldn't have felt as much had he not been able to talk.
The stakes are higher in the film. First of all, you care more about the characters. You love Hiccup, you adore Toothless, and you're incredibly invested in their relationship and wellbeing. The books were more about a bullied kid of a leader who couldn't figure out how to train his bratty pet. The movie, however, had many deeper messages. Moments of tension like when Hiccup had to decide between being the fearsome dragon killer his father wants him to be and when he tried to convince his people that dragons weren't dangerous had you on the edge of your seat. You care about Stoick, but you hate him for what he does to Toothless.
The movie shows you that adults can be wrong sometimes and learn, too.
You don't really get that in the book.
Honestly, at times the victory at the end of the novel doesn't even feel earned. Things just happened to turn out. The lazy dragon who refused to anything just happened to get up and do something. If I recall correctly, he complained the entire time he was doing it. Everyone had dragons, so Toothless--baring his reluctant heroics--wasn't really special in any way other than that he allowed Hiccup to get bullied more.
And I'm not saying that the book was bad. The world-building is amazing, the characters are fun and relatable, and the story is pretty decent. But I never would have loved it on its own. And, yeah, when compared to the movie it doesn't even really stand a chance.
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You know those rare moments in life when you loved the movie far more than you even liked the book? Well, that's How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell. This doesn't happen very often for me, but ultimately I find some movies really take the source material and change it for the better. Often, unfortunately, that happens when the source material either isn't great, has problems, or just plain missed out on an opportunity for emotional attachment. In the case of Cowell's novel, it's not that her story is bad but rather that the film's story is better, infinitely so, especially when it comes to emotionality.
Let's get one thing straight here to start with.
Cowell's How to Train Your Dragon is nothing like its movie counterpart. If you suggested that the film is loosely based on this book, you'd be correct. Near everything is different. I could probably count the similarities on one hand. Barring Hiccup's personality (but only moderately), the names, the setting, and pieces of the ending...there's very little similar about them. Instead of a world of Vikings who are terrified of and fight dragons, we live literally in a world where they are raised to capture and train them. The entire central conflict of the film, that of Stoick wanting his son to kill dragons and Hiccup refusing, does not exist in the book.
Also, much to the annoyance of one of my students, there is no Astrid in the books.
As much as I hate to admit it, the changes made to the story really do affect the likability. I can guarantee you all that I would not have an emotional attachment to How to Train Your Dragon without the things that they changed in the process of adapting it. Most likely, if I'd even read the book, I would have thought it was decent for young readers--it is generally a pretty good book--but I never would have cared much more than that. As it stands, I really have no interest whatsoever in reading the rest of the books in this series.
Let's talk about why.
I'm just going to come right out and say it: book Toothless is awful. He's whiny and annoying and in no way endearing. I don't care about him at all in the books whereas in the movie I fall in love with him. This was perhaps my biggest gripe about the differences between the books. I couldn't stand one of the most important characters. Also, Toothless talks which, while not inherently bad, it did make it harder to connect with the characters in general. Again, there's that emotionality aspect; Toothless was kind of a jerk, something you wouldn't have felt as much had he not been able to talk.
The stakes are higher in the film. First of all, you care more about the characters. You love Hiccup, you adore Toothless, and you're incredibly invested in their relationship and wellbeing. The books were more about a bullied kid of a leader who couldn't figure out how to train his bratty pet. The movie, however, had many deeper messages. Moments of tension like when Hiccup had to decide between being the fearsome dragon killer his father wants him to be and when he tried to convince his people that dragons weren't dangerous had you on the edge of your seat. You care about Stoick, but you hate him for what he does to Toothless.
The movie shows you that adults can be wrong sometimes and learn, too.
You don't really get that in the book.
Honestly, at times the victory at the end of the novel doesn't even feel earned. Things just happened to turn out. The lazy dragon who refused to anything just happened to get up and do something. If I recall correctly, he complained the entire time he was doing it. Everyone had dragons, so Toothless--baring his reluctant heroics--wasn't really special in any way other than that he allowed Hiccup to get bullied more.
And I'm not saying that the book was bad. The world-building is amazing, the characters are fun and relatable, and the story is pretty decent. But I never would have loved it on its own. And, yeah, when compared to the movie it doesn't even really stand a chance.
| Instagram | Twitter | Reader Fox Blog | Bloglovin’ | Facebook |
October 8, 2020
| Reader Fox Blog |
You know those rare moments in life when you loved the movie far more than you even liked the book? Well, that's How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell. This doesn't happen very often for me, but ultimately I find some movies really take the source material and change it for the better. Often, unfortunately, that happens when the source material either isn't great, has problems, or just plain missed out on an opportunity for emotional attachment. In the case of Cowell's novel, it's not that her story is bad but rather that the film's story is better, infinitely so, especially when it comes to emotionality.
Let's get one thing straight here to start with.
Cowell's How to Train Your Dragon is nothing like its movie counterpart. If you suggested that the film is loosely based on this book, you'd be correct. Near everything is different. I could probably count the similarities on one hand. Barring Hiccup's personality (but only moderately), the names, the setting, and pieces of the ending...there's very little similar about them. Instead of a world of Vikings who are terrified of and fight dragons, we live literally in a world where they are raised to capture and train them. The entire central conflict of the film, that of Stoick wanting his son to kill dragons and Hiccup refusing, does not exist in the book.
Also, much to the annoyance of one of my students, there is no Astrid in the books.
As much as I hate to admit it, the changes made to the story really do affect the likability. I can guarantee you all that I would not have an emotional attachment to How to Train Your Dragon without the things that they changed in the process of adapting it. Most likely, if I'd even read the book, I would have thought it was decent for young readers--it is generally a pretty good book--but I never would have cared much more than that. As it stands, I really have no interest whatsoever in reading the rest of the books in this series.
Let's talk about why.
I'm just going to come right out and say it: book Toothless is awful. He's whiny and annoying and in no way endearing. I don't care about him at all in the books whereas in the movie I fall in love with him. This was perhaps my biggest gripe about the differences between the books. I couldn't stand one of the most important characters. Also, Toothless talks which, while not inherently bad, it did make it harder to connect with the characters in general. Again, there's that emotionality aspect; Toothless was kind of a jerk, something you wouldn't have felt as much had he not been able to talk.
The stakes are higher in the film. First of all, you care more about the characters. You love Hiccup, you adore Toothless, and you're incredibly invested in their relationship and wellbeing. The books were more about a bullied kid of a leader who couldn't figure out how to train his bratty pet. The movie, however, had many deeper messages. Moments of tension like when Hiccup had to decide between being the fearsome dragon killer his father wants him to be and when he tried to convince his people that dragons weren't dangerous had you on the edge of your seat. You care about Stoick, but you hate him for what he does to Toothless.
The movie shows you that adults can be wrong sometimes and learn, too.
You don't really get that in the book.
Honestly, at times the victory at the end of the novel doesn't even feel earned. Things just happened to turn out. The lazy dragon who refused to anything just happened to get up and do something. If I recall correctly, he complained the entire time he was doing it. Everyone had dragons, so Toothless--baring his reluctant heroics--wasn't really special in any way other than that he allowed Hiccup to get bullied more.
And I'm not saying that the book was bad. The world-building is amazing, the characters are fun and relatable, and the story is pretty decent. But I never would have loved it on its own. And, yeah, when compared to the movie it doesn't even really stand a chance.
| Instagram | Twitter | Reader Fox Blog | Bloglovin’ | Facebook |
You know those rare moments in life when you loved the movie far more than you even liked the book? Well, that's How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell. This doesn't happen very often for me, but ultimately I find some movies really take the source material and change it for the better. Often, unfortunately, that happens when the source material either isn't great, has problems, or just plain missed out on an opportunity for emotional attachment. In the case of Cowell's novel, it's not that her story is bad but rather that the film's story is better, infinitely so, especially when it comes to emotionality.
Let's get one thing straight here to start with.
Cowell's How to Train Your Dragon is nothing like its movie counterpart. If you suggested that the film is loosely based on this book, you'd be correct. Near everything is different. I could probably count the similarities on one hand. Barring Hiccup's personality (but only moderately), the names, the setting, and pieces of the ending...there's very little similar about them. Instead of a world of Vikings who are terrified of and fight dragons, we live literally in a world where they are raised to capture and train them. The entire central conflict of the film, that of Stoick wanting his son to kill dragons and Hiccup refusing, does not exist in the book.
Also, much to the annoyance of one of my students, there is no Astrid in the books.
As much as I hate to admit it, the changes made to the story really do affect the likability. I can guarantee you all that I would not have an emotional attachment to How to Train Your Dragon without the things that they changed in the process of adapting it. Most likely, if I'd even read the book, I would have thought it was decent for young readers--it is generally a pretty good book--but I never would have cared much more than that. As it stands, I really have no interest whatsoever in reading the rest of the books in this series.
Let's talk about why.
I'm just going to come right out and say it: book Toothless is awful. He's whiny and annoying and in no way endearing. I don't care about him at all in the books whereas in the movie I fall in love with him. This was perhaps my biggest gripe about the differences between the books. I couldn't stand one of the most important characters. Also, Toothless talks which, while not inherently bad, it did make it harder to connect with the characters in general. Again, there's that emotionality aspect; Toothless was kind of a jerk, something you wouldn't have felt as much had he not been able to talk.
The stakes are higher in the film. First of all, you care more about the characters. You love Hiccup, you adore Toothless, and you're incredibly invested in their relationship and wellbeing. The books were more about a bullied kid of a leader who couldn't figure out how to train his bratty pet. The movie, however, had many deeper messages. Moments of tension like when Hiccup had to decide between being the fearsome dragon killer his father wants him to be and when he tried to convince his people that dragons weren't dangerous had you on the edge of your seat. You care about Stoick, but you hate him for what he does to Toothless.
The movie shows you that adults can be wrong sometimes and learn, too.
You don't really get that in the book.
Honestly, at times the victory at the end of the novel doesn't even feel earned. Things just happened to turn out. The lazy dragon who refused to anything just happened to get up and do something. If I recall correctly, he complained the entire time he was doing it. Everyone had dragons, so Toothless--baring his reluctant heroics--wasn't really special in any way other than that he allowed Hiccup to get bullied more.
And I'm not saying that the book was bad. The world-building is amazing, the characters are fun and relatable, and the story is pretty decent. But I never would have loved it on its own. And, yeah, when compared to the movie it doesn't even really stand a chance.
| Instagram | Twitter | Reader Fox Blog | Bloglovin’ | Facebook |
February 24, 2018
This is a fun series which inspired the movies. I say inspired because the movies are very different from the books. For example, the dragons in the book are captured to train as hunting animals, while in the movies, the vikings kill any dragons that come to close to the village. I found the first book at a book store and, intrigued, bought it, read it, and LOVED it. There is plenty of boy humor in this book and is quite funny yet entertaining. The first book kind of introduces you to the characters and the rest build up to a climax in book 12. I listened to this on audio; David Tennant narrated, and he did an amazing job. Each character has their own voice; how he kept track of them all is amazing. Time reading this book is time well spent :)
July 27, 2019
So, I loved most of the books, in this series. There is a witch that comes into play, in the middle of the series, which I think kids would be really scared of.
When I read children’s books, I read them to let my family and friends know how I liked them, and if they’re worth reading with their kids. (I can’t have kids, otherwise, I would read to my own. 😉)
I love the films they made, and I think they did an excellent job on the films, but, left me slightly confused as to why they didn’t include some things from the books. But, that’s movie making for you, right? 😁
I would say that kids 12+ would be safe to read these. Younger kids would have a hard time with some of the scarier parts, especially, concerning the witch.
When I read children’s books, I read them to let my family and friends know how I liked them, and if they’re worth reading with their kids. (I can’t have kids, otherwise, I would read to my own. 😉)
I love the films they made, and I think they did an excellent job on the films, but, left me slightly confused as to why they didn’t include some things from the books. But, that’s movie making for you, right? 😁
I would say that kids 12+ would be safe to read these. Younger kids would have a hard time with some of the scarier parts, especially, concerning the witch.
July 31, 2018
So I started reading these books just for fun and it was totally worth it. They were silly and very well written. They are stand alone at first but then in later books you find out there is a whole overarching plot and the way Cressida Cowell connects the smallest details is amazing. I would totally suggest these books and then I would also suggest that you read the last three in the series because you need them to finish of the story.
January 21, 2019
I have read all of these books. They, of course, do not resemble the movies overmuch, but the ending of this series was deeply satisfying.
November 22, 2025
a have to read if you like dragons
March 18, 2019
While the writing style was amazing, there were "things" in them that I didn't agree with. I wouldn't recommend these books, but I would totally recommend the movies. Just my personal opinion😊
August 26, 2015
My seven year-old is reading these by herself. Frankly, they aren't the kind of kid literature that interests me, so I'm glad she doesn't ask me to read them. I have to give the series four stars though because my daughter (who isn't into dragon stuff at all) spends HOURS with her nose in these books each day. This is the first series to really hold her interest and motivate her to keep going past the first book. She doesn't attend school and basically taught herself to read less than a year ago, so the fact that she's blazing through these books on her own is a compliment. From what I can tell, she loves the silly characters and almost-scary story lines.
October 11, 2020
We will always cherish the memory of listening to these audio books read by David Tennant. He made them come alive. It was August and September of 2016. We were staying in a place 40 minutes away from school until we found a home finally in October. But that long drive was a joy to look forward knowing we could listen to these beloved dragon adventures! We were sad when we finished the series. Like saying goodbye to a great friend. These books forever cemented our love of all things dragon!
August 16, 2014
I absolutely love reading these books for my eight-year old twin sons. Wholeheartedly recommended!
September 18, 2014
LOVE LOVE LOVE!!
June 21, 2018
A really humorous series. My son really enjoyed this series by cressida cowell. He is currently reading the fifth book . How To Twist A Dragon's Tale. So far it has been nailbiting and exciting
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews