L'École des Massacreurs de Dragons, 9 : Dressez votre dragon en 97 leçons

Dragon Slayers' Academy #9

by Kate McMullan, Bill Basso (Illustrator), Vanessa Rubio (Translator)

Mordred, le directeur de l'École des Massacreurs de Dragons, lance un Défi-Ménage pour la visite des inspecteurs académiques. Wiglaf et Angus, affectés à la Patrouille Poubelle, font alors une étrange découverte : un oeuf énorme et mystérieux d'où éclôt bientôt un dragonnet. Les deux amis attendris décident de le garder à l'insu de tous et se transforment en baby-sitters de dragon. Ils décident de le dresser. Mais leur protégé devient vite très encombrant. Et qu'adviendra-t-il si Mordred le découvre ?

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Childrens, Middle Grade, Dragons, Chapter Books, 21st Century

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Kate McMullan is an American children's book author.
She is the author of the Dragon Slayers' Academy series. She is married to author and illustrator James McMullan.

She also has books published under the name: Katy Hall.

Reviews

[Atbash (Emma) · Rating 3 out of 5]

We’ve *definitely* got a dragon in this one— we’re mainly just missing out on the promised slaying. One for two isn’t bad.

Okay, so I had to look up the title first, and it seems like it’s riffing on something called 97 Ways to Make a Dog Smile, which, like, okay? Another reference the target audience isn’t going to get, but whatever, because HERE’s the thing— what *I* thought of first was a certain OTHER 2000’s book series about a kid and some dragons. Training those dragons, specifically. Dragon Slayer’s Academy, as a series, does precede How to Train Your Dragon by a solid margin……. but. *This* book, book number 9 in the series, was published *six months after* the first HTTYD book. Possibly enough time for McMullan to see the book, get angry about an upstart encroaching on her territory, slap together this plot as a response and send to print. Drama amongst the historical fantasy redheads? I’m choosing to believe so. And we know who got the culturally lasting movie franchise, so. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I don’t see edits of Wiglaf hanging out with Rapunzel from Tangled is all I’m saying.

Anyway. Solid book with a sweet plot line that aligns with the characters well. We’re reminded of how sweet and appreciative of animals Wiglaf is and his sympathy for runts, which is a character trait established in book 1, Erica stays the hell out of it because she’s a rule-follower but not so much that she’s gonna be a snitch, and Angus… well, I could believe that he wants a pet really badly or whatever. Maybe he’s using his relationship with Worm the dragon pipling (love that choice, calling them piplings) and Worm’s respect for his orders to explore his feelings about his status as the headmaster’s nephew isolating him from most of his peers while not even being able to reap any benefits from that relationship because his uncle uses him as a servant to cut costs and Angus never really complains about it but that probably has a lot to do with the fact that his uncle is apparently his sole guardian and holds no special affection for him. Or something. It was really cute how Worm called Wiglaf “mommy” and wiglaf was super hype about it the whole time. The co-parenting dynamic with Angus was fun.

I think my biggest problem with this book, and a lot of similar stories, is spelled out right in the title. The dragon is framed more like an animal than anything, and not even a cool animal like a horse or something. (Shoutout to those two books I read where they did shows and foxhunts with their bonded dragons… I can’t remember the titles but the covers were gorgeous. That was rad.) After the hatching, Angus and Wiglaf are raising a fire-breathing puppy with the intelligence of a parrot, and that’s it. The book isn’t willing to get creative enough to engage with how different the relationship could be outside of pet-and-pet-owner with a fantastical creature, one they’ve already established to be on-par with human intelligence, acknowledge familial relationships, have cultural traditions and norms, etc. Like, I know that this is a baby, but there’s ways to make it a baby *dragon.* Its silliness and proclivity towards pranks helped, but it wasn’t enough for me, especially since that was just a clear avenue for Shenanigans to happen in a plot where not much does. I just want it to be a DRAGON, man, a MONSTER. (People try to do this with Pokémon, too! They go, ohhh, the Pokédex isn’t actually correct, it wouldn’t be realistic if this Pokémon could do that, and also this Pokémon just has the mannerisms of like. a fucking iguana. Or just like a normal goddamn cat. Like COME ONNNNNN have a little FUN with it accept the PREMISE this volcanic slug IS HOTTER THAN THE SUN and you’re gonna LIKE IT. They’re not animals, they’re monsters!! I don’t understand why people try to take the fantastical and make it more mundane that’s LITERALLY THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT POKEMON DOES…. it’s about seeing your community and environment as something magical and dangerous and worth taking the journey to explore. with MONSTERS. that fit in your POCKET.)

…three stars. No Zelnoc. And if Worm shows up in a future book before Surekill does, I’m gonna be sad.

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the ninth book in the Dragon Slayers' Academy series by Kate McMullan. Our girls have been reading a few different dragon stories and so this series piqued their interest.

One series we've been reading (the Dragon Keepers series by Kate Klimo) paints the dragon as the hero and the slayer in a bad light. But while this series gives us more of a typical look at dragons and their slayers, this book is very similar, as Wiglaf and Angus become dragon keepers, at least for a bit.

The story centers around a school where children are taught to become dragon slayers, primarily for the purpose of enriching the school's headmaster with the slain dragon's hoard. So far he hasn't been the beneficiary of much dragon gold, but I get the feeling that with 19 books in the series, he will keep sending his boys out, hoping to succeed at long last.

It's a very entertaining story, with lots of subtle tongue-in-cheek humor and word play within the narrative. Our girls loved the movie How to Train Your Dragon, and while we haven't yet read that book, this was a fun take on that task. The baby dragon sounds very cute and our girls loved him.

It's a quick read and I liked the story. Our oldest has been reading these stories on her own, so I'm reading them quickly to catch up with her in the series. We've read a few of the stories together, but now we're all reading them independently. Our youngest is also reading a few of these tales now that she's finished with the first Warriors series. I am sure that we will look for more of the books in this series at our local library.

[MelMon Sanchez · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cute little tale to tell the kiddos. A little mystery, some suspense, love and libraries. Lets not forget the dragon tale. Angus and Wiglaf, Daisy, Brother Dave and Eric(ka) find a most curious friendship in a dreary place. Work gives them something to look forward to and some responsibility. Like a mother and her children they fall in love at first sight and become protectors. A tale to keep the kids interested and teach them something about friends and family.

[MK ( MaKayla) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hello guys !
This book is one of the lightest and funniest things I've read in such a long time !I've decided that I should read what I love even if people raise their eyebrows as I read a book possibly meant for elementary students . This book and the feel of it reminded me of the cartoon show Jacob Two-Two which is a very bizarre and funny TV show .

Wiglaf attends Dragon Slayers Academy ,a school that is anything but a conventional medieval Slayers school . His best friends are Angus ,who always is hungry ,and Eric...err Eric who is actually Erica . Leave it to the only girl in an all boys school to be the smartest student xD. Wiglafs other best friend just so happens to be a pig that he named Daisy . Daisy not only speaks but she speaks pig Latin ..after an encounter with a wizard ;D
DSA is filled with boys who are unfit to be slayers ,teachers who are incompetent ,and food that is not fit ton be eaten ,eelmeal *gags *. In this book which is the ninth in the series Wiglaf and Angus find a dragon egg while they are cleaning during dawn patrol . So the two boys take the dragon egg back to DSA where they endure the mischievous adventures of their new found pet .
Thanks for reading ,
Mike <3

[Jc · Rating 3 out of 5]

My first introduction to Wiglaf and friends.

[Lindsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was okay! my students seem to like it so far

[Jeff McNeill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good

[Paprika]

küçüklüğümden beri kitap okumaya bayılırım. hele kendi yaş grubumdakilerin ön planda olduğu ve fantastik ögeler içeren kitaplar için ölüp biterim. lakin çocukluktaki sıkıntım, kitaplara erişimimin bayağı kısıtlı olmasıydı; yeni bir kitabın keşfi çook değerliydi bu yüzden.

işte bu şartlarla hayatım devam ederken bir süpermarket reyonunda bu kitaba rastladım.
allahım nasıl güzel bir kitaptı… ne kadar eğlenceliydi… ne şanslıydım bunu bulduğum için…

güç bela serinin başka kitaplarını da bulup okudum. her birini tekrar tekrar okudum ancak favorim her zaman “ejderha eğitmenin 97 yolu” oldu. çünkü seriyi onunla keşfetmiştim ve serinin de en keyifli kitabıydı bence.

sonuçta seriyi hiçbir zaman tamamlayamadım.
zaten okumak için ödünç alan sınıf arkadaşımdan geri istediğimde hepsinin kaybolduğunu söyledi. ailesinden bedelini istediğimde vermeyeceklerini söylediler.
böyle hüzünlü ve haksızlık dolu bir halde bitti hikayemiz.

[Williamh · Rating 3 out of 5]

97 ways to train a dragon by kate mcmmullan i choose this book because it dident seem to hard or easy so it seem right fore readers who just want to sit down and read what happens his this kid angus and firends find a dradon egg and clams it as a pet

what i like aboute this book is it like there takeing care of a chiled it starts of as a baby and ends of a big dragon i think you should read this book if you like fantcy i plane on reading is bleachs series

[Tonia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is book #9 of the Dragon Slayer's Academy series. Wiglaf and Angus (very strange character names in this book) find a baby dragon egg while picking up trash for the Master. Instead of making scrambled dragon eggs they decide to keep it. It hatches and they call it "Worm". It's very funny what they encounter with the dragon and all the things they think to teach it (97 wawys to be exact).

[En]

5 stars

[Kaulin · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite part was when Angus & Wiglaf found the dragon egg. Because they wanted to take care of it. I wish I could take care of an egg, even a robin egg!

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

One thing that REALLY bothered me about this book was the fact that all of a suddent Angus knew that Erica was a girl. I don't recall him finding out any time in book eight that this was the case.

[Norene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nathan has read this book at least 2-3 times. Isaac liked this book too.

[Sylvia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dragon slayer's academy.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Soren this was real funny.

[Horace Mann Family Reading Challenge · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was funny when Mordred thought he was hearing and seeing things at school. J.R.

[Jorden · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book, it was interesting, and funny. Would be good to have in classroom for independent reading.

[P.n.m · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favorite book in this series.Really cooooool!

[Payton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Angus and Wiglaf find a egg and decide to keep it.This story got my atention and was pretty good.

[Sydney · Rating 4 out of 5]

i like the part when Wiglaf and his friend Angus finds a dragon egg and takes it in at Dsa.

[Dean Burson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book

I've seen great books but this was the (well, one of. the best ) books ever. But pleaseeeeeeeeeee right more. than. 20. Read. this it is :).

[Cws]

JEAR3-McM