HomeGroupsTalkMoreZeitgeist
Search Site
This site uses cookies to deliver our services, improve performance, for analytics, and (if not signed in) for advertising. By using LibraryThing you acknowledge that you have read and understand our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Your use of the site and services is subject to these policies and terms.

Results from Google Books

Click on a thumbnail to go to Google Books.

How to Train Your Dragon Book 1 by Cressida…
Loading...

How to Train Your Dragon Book 1 (original 2003; edition 2010)

by Cressida Cowell

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingMentions
3,7701623,284 (3.84)182
In this chapter book, Hiccup wants to be able to prove that he can kill a dragon like his father can. Although he goes through intense training he still fails at finishing his training and he is a disappointment to his father. Eventually, Hiccup tames one of the most mysterious dragons of all, Toothless. His friends are amazed and eventually Hiccup is considered a hero. I would use this book during read aloud as a closing the day with a chapter book activity. This book has been made to a movie that is extremely popular with elementary children and is something silly, magical, and appropriate for both boys and girls.
  bbruskland | Mar 1, 2011 |
English (158)  Italian (1)  French (1)  German (1)  All languages (161)
Showing 1-25 of 158 (next | show all)
This book surprised me. I was originally turned off by the gross names and the strange art, but listened to as read by David Tennent I was cracking up along with my 6 year old. ( )
  mslibrarynerd | Jan 13, 2024 |
I read this book as an audio book and I have to say it was really good as an audio book. It was read by David Tenant and he gave such life to the character it made the experience even better.I have also read parts of the paperback and the story by itself is also well done. there are pictures and other added information in the book that just helped add to the story ( )
  Sarahmouse | Nov 25, 2023 |
Listened to the audiobook, narrated by DAVID TENNANT, it was a fantastic experience, completely different from the movie and extremely funny and interesting ( )
  enlasnubess | Oct 2, 2023 |
Welcome to a world of dragons....

I absolutely loved the movie series How to Train Your Dragon. It blew my mind that it was based off a book, and ever since I had been chasing down a copy. It's been years of me trying to find it at local bookstores (because why just find it online? The hunt is way more fun), but I finally came across it. Not through a store, but through a friend! A friend of mine grew up reading and binging this series, and when I happened to mention it was one I was looking for - BAM! I borrowed the book. It's funny how things turn out, eh?

This book is the first in the series of How To Train Your Dragon. It follows Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III (we just call him Hiccup), and his journey to become a Viking. There's a special ritual the men of the tribe have to go through. They collect a dragon and train it. Once they've trained their dragon and completed special quests, voila! Viking! Hiccup is a little awkward turtle though. He ends up picking the smallest dragon, who most people are sure is the most wildly available (and kind of bland) dragon, but Toothless ends up being anything but. Small but mighty!

Hiccup and the band of misfits all end up totally blowing their chances at becoming Vikings... Until, by chance, a giant problem arises. Mean, evil dragons are there to destroy their crew! Well, this sounds like a time to call a bunch of hooligan Viking-wannabes and their barely trained dragons, right? It might not be the most sound of logic, but they take a chance anyways!

This book is an absolute delight. If you're like me, you watched the movie first and then were oddly surprised when the book was NOTHING like the movie. They are vastly different, but still both excellent in their own right. You can tell that the movie took inspiration from the book but didn't follow it 100%. I like that! It makes both of them their own separate entities. I honestly can't wait to grab more books in the series. This book was an absolute delight.

I definitely recommend middle graders picking this book up. It's fun, fast paced, has pictures and will take you away to a fantasy land. It's goofy, silly and just a delight to read. I highly recommend it! Why, you might ask? Well, Hiccup is a lovable character with great ethics and goals. He does his best, isn't perfect but still comes off as likeable and very real. He's not whiny, or bratty, or anything annoying (like some other middle grade books). He wants to do his best and really tries to help everyone out. He loves his family, his dragon and his friends (even if some are super annoying). Then you have Toothless - he's quite the little dragon who packs a very sassy punch. He's a fun character who has a great character arc. Once you get past your main characters, you have a wealth of dragons and fun quirks about each of them. You can learn about the many fictional characters and be amazed by how much Cressida Cowell has put into them. Plus the humour in this book is awesome. It's not all fart jokes - it holds up whether you are a kid or an adult. It put a big smile on my face.

Four out of five stars!
( )
  Briars_Reviews | Aug 4, 2023 |
This book was exactly what I wanted, a quick and fun read. It wasn't the best book ever, but I like it a lot. I listened to the audiobook, and my favorite part was David Tennant's narration. His different voices and sound effects were well done. ( )
  TimeLord10SPW | Jul 4, 2023 |
Fun book to read aloud with the kids. Significantly different than the movie, but I liked this version too. ( )
  bangerlm | Jan 18, 2023 |
Funny, and punny, but not as cute, or endearing, as I'd hoped for. ( )
  wanderlustlover | Dec 26, 2022 |
Lighthearted enjoyable read. Fishlegs, Hiccup and Toothless were fun characters. The story was fast paced and the humour was amusing. ( )
  funstm | Dec 1, 2022 |
this was fun, more fun than i expected. a not so likely hero has to become one, as does his pet dragon. it's adventure and humor and some tough names to read out loud. this was a fun start to the series, and my son loved it. ( )
  overlycriticalelisa | Oct 7, 2022 |
Az eleje traumatikus volt - teljesen paff voltam, hogy gyakorlatilag semmi nem úgy van, ahogy azt az általam amúgy felettébb nagyra becsült film alapján vártam. Fogatlan például nem nemes ragadozó, hanem egy nyüzüge szárnyas gyík (és TÉNYLEG fogatlan), a vikingek pedig VALÓBAN bunkók, nem csak a természet faragatlan, de jóravaló gyermekei. (Mondjuk ez valószínűleg közelebb is áll a történelmi realitásokhoz.) De így a második kötet végére eljutottam oda, hogy megveszek ezért a sorozatért, a humoráért, az mondanivalójáért, a jószívűségéért - meglehet, még egy picit jobban is, mint a gyerekek.

Az egész kötet lényegében egy mondatban összefoglalható: hülyék között kész kín egyedül okosnak lenni. Hablaty olyan, mint a törzs többi tagjának negatívja: amiből nekik sok van (izom), abból neki kevés, de ami belőlük totálisan hiányzik (ész), az neki fölösen is van. Ami már csak azért is szívás, mert elméletileg ő a törzs leendő vezére - de hát hogy vezethetné az ostobákat valaki, aki nem olyan ostoba, mint ők? A magyar politikai vademecum erre azt irányozza elő, hogy tettesd olyan hülyének magad, mint néped átlaga (vagy kicsit még hülyébbnek), de Hablaty nem ilyen. És pont ettől szép ez a könyv. Mert azt üzeni, hogy légy önmagad. Ne hagyd, hogy a világ betuszkoljon a maga kockájába. Ne legyél hülye viking, még ha mindenki ezt is várja tőled. Legyél inkább okos viking - és idővel hátha te formálod majd a környezetedet, nem pedig az téged.

Ja, sárkányok is vannak benne. Meg kardozás. Kaland. ( )
  Kuszma | Jul 2, 2022 |
Really good. Funny. I didn’t know that Dream Works invented the night fury. Toothless is truly toothless. The dragon’s language is surprisingly interesting. ( )
  MaryRachelSmith | Apr 18, 2022 |
A really enjoyable children’s book that creates a believable fantasy world and populates it with a host of brilliant characters (both human and dragon). The story moves along at a rapid pace and the tale is gripping and frequently very funny. Cowell has great fun with the Viking and dragon names and isn’t afraid to throw in a little toilet humour (no bad thing!)
I listened to the Audible version, brilliantly and amusingly narrated by David Tenant, who really was a great choice. ( )
  whatmeworry | Apr 9, 2022 |
It was very cute.

The plot was very different from the movie, but both were age-appropriate, I felt.

David Tennant was an excellent reader for this. The brogue really added to the atmosphere. ( )
  Tikimoof | Feb 17, 2022 |
How to Train Your Dragon is you're typical hero book. The wimpy Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third is bullied by the piggish Snotlout. Aside from Fishlegs, Hiccup's the laughing stock of the Hairy Hooligans. It would probably be okay if Hiccup were just another Viking's son, but he's the son of Stoick the Vast, the chief of the Hairy Hooligans, meaning Hiccup is next in line. Not if Snotlout has something to say. Undermining everything Hiccup is, Snotlout thinks of himself as the next chief. So much so that when the boys pick their dragons - a rite of passage into the Hairy Hooligans - Snotlout picks a Monstrous Nightmare - a dragon only meant for the chief and his son. When trouble arises while picking their dragons, Hiccup gives up his dragon in order to save Fishlegs from exile. He returns to the dark dragon cave to retrieve another dragon for himself, grabbing a mysterious dragon that he "felt" was there. When Hiccup discovers the only remarkable thing about his dragon is how remarkably small it is, well, that's when things start getting interesting.

Like I said, the book's pretty much your run of the mill hero story. It's the same archetypal character. From Frodo Baggins to Peter Parker to Harry Potter, it's the small guy can save the world idea. And Hiccup and his small dragon, Toothless, prove just that. Cowell does present us with a story worth reading, but I can't imagine how the other books will differ from the same, basic idea - Hiccup, the boy you can't see as a hero, doing heroic things. And I can't see me reading them. ( )
  ennuiprayer | Jan 14, 2022 |
A 3.5. a funny little book about dragons and vikings. ( )
  Kat_books | Nov 9, 2021 |
Playful, entertaining, clever, and wonderful.
  MizPurplest | Oct 25, 2021 |
***Before Re-listening***
I LISTENED TO THIS!

But when?

Well time to get it back from my family!
  Jonesy_now | Sep 24, 2021 |
Beyond a name or two, this book was nothing like the film. I enjoyed the book far more, but I guess that's no surprise. ( )
  jamestomasino | Sep 11, 2021 |
Loved this Audible book!!! Great narration by David Tennant! ( )
  PhyllisH | Sep 3, 2021 |
❧ audiobook review

And that, my friends, that is the hard way to become a hero.

THIS WAS SO BLOODY CUTE. The names are adorable. It's all adorable. TOTES ADORBS. ( )
  rjcrunden | Feb 2, 2021 |
At the moment, I'm reading an intense historical fiction novel set in Italy during WWII. After awhile I need a break from such a serious subject. I came across this lovely audiobook narrated by David Tennant, and knew that was just the thing I needed to listen to! I'm glad I did! Before now, I had only seen the animated movie of this story. I had never read the book. I love the movie.....but the book is so much better!

Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III is the son of a chief. While that's pretty cool in itself, he still has to prove that he can catch and train his own dragon to become a real member of the Hairy Hooligans Tribe. He's a bit worried about it. The other boys have given him some great nicknames like "Useless''....so anyone can understand why he is a bit afraid of failing and being exiled. He and all the other Boys go on their adventure to capture their dragons.....and he does manage to get one. But, it's the smallest dragon anyone has ever seen.....and it won't listen to him. Somehow he has to train Toothless before the ceremony.....will he manage?

OMG! This story is soooooo cute! And, listening to David Tennant do all the voices is such a hoot!! This unabridged audiobook version is just a bit over 3.5 hours long. David Tennant reads at a nice even speed, and acts out the action very well. I have hearing loss, but I was easily able to hear and understand everything.

I had a great time listening and rooting for Hiccup & Toothless! :) There were some scenes that actually had me laughing out loud. :) Great book! I'm going to rewatch the movie now......both are very enjoyable.



( )
  JuliW | Nov 22, 2020 |
Digital audiobook performed by David Tennant

A delightful children’s fantasy book about dragons and Vikings and young people who rise to the occasion. The names of the characters will appeal to tween boys (SnotLout, Fishlegs, Dogsbreath…etc) as well.

I’ve never seen the movie, and I don’t have children, so really didn’t know what to expect. But I was completely charmed by this outrageous story. It’s fantastical, but relatable. Kids deal with bullies, with adults who don’t’ listen to them, with fear and courage and friends they can rely on. They worry about looking foolish, or appearing scared. They support their friends and stand up for what’s right. They’re smart, inventive, resilient and tenacious.

David Tennant does a marvelous job of narrating the audio version. The voices he uses for the Green Death Dragon and for Toothless, the heroic mini-dragon are wonderful. ( )
  BookConcierge | Oct 22, 2020 |
Türelmetlen kamaszoknak való hosszúságban egy remek rajzfilm története. Az illusztrációk kárpótolnak valamelyest a tartalmi zsugorítás miattt. Azért érdemes megnézni a filmet, sokkal több érdekes részlet és hatátos összefüggés, szép jelenet a barátságról és a családi viszonylatokról, az észről és a bátorságról. ( )
  gjudit8 | Aug 3, 2020 |
Narrated by David Tennant. Need I say more? ( )
  TheaIsaacs | Apr 20, 2020 |
Interesting, very quick read. ( )
  BelindaS7 | Apr 14, 2020 |
Showing 1-25 of 158 (next | show all)

Current Discussions

None

Popular covers

Quick Links

Rating

Average: (3.84)
0.5
1 7
1.5 2
2 30
2.5 4
3 136
3.5 29
4 189
4.5 27
5 138

Is this you?

Become a LibraryThing Author.

Hachette Book Group

2 editions of this book were published by Hachette Book Group.

Editions: 0316737372, 0316085278

 

About | Contact | Privacy/Terms | Help/FAQs | Blog | Store | APIs | TinyCat | Legacy Libraries | Early Reviewers | Common Knowledge | 203,224,075 books! | Top bar: Always visible