The How To Train Your Dragon series, written by Cressida Cowell, is a fantastic epic-style story for third- or fourth- graders. So, as a 26-year-old, what do I feel these books uniquely contribute to the field of children's literature?
I'll admit that I saw the movie first and loved it, and still love it after reading the books. That being said, the books hold their own; each one is a fantastic story with potent moments that catch you by surprise. Cowell's intelligent choice to open and close the books with Hiccup the elder provides thought-provoking perspective of the adventures in contrast to the two-dimensional characters. Her inclusion of hilarious dragonese, sketchy illustrations, and copious references to body fluids and anatomy make the books funny while maintaining the setting and tone of the Isle of Berk's Vikings, all larger-than-life characters.
The dragon classifications truly place the tale in a universe of its own. There is huge potential for interactivity and creative energy these books could inspire in children, and at the least, I'm willing to bet every kid who enjoys these books has a favorite species of dragon.
While these books are likely written for an audience of young boys (frequent farting, belching, snot, and poo are hints), I imagine that young girls who enjoy a good swashbuckling tale and aren't afraid of less-than-dashing characters will also enjoy these books. Lovers of the movie may be surprised to find that the first two books are populated entirely by boys, with brief references to Hiccup's mother. This takes a turn in the third book with the introduction of Camicazi--the sword fighting, pick-pocketing, tangle-haired daughter of Bog-Burglar chief Big-Boobied Bertha, whose "bosoms have killed before and they will kill again"(208, Book 3). So, pretty much as soon as they are introduced, the women in this series are not your standard sheroes.
The series delves deeper into the women of Berk with Hiccup's mother, Valhallarama. In the closing of Book 5, Hiccup (the elder) remembers his mother as a Great Hero, a warrior, a Quester, who guarded her emotions as carefully as she hid the broken ruby she carried. Moreover, Valhallarama's description in the book pretty much defies all our current standards of beauty: "Her lovely fat, white, muscly legs! Her thunderous thighs! Her soft little beard! Her excellent sword-arm! My little double-chinned Sweetheart..."(105-106, Book 5). Like most of the men in these books, the women are larger-than-life and provide a significantly different perspective of womanhood for young girls than most females they will run across in a typical epic.
As far as their place in children's literature, these are the books that I imagine a parent giving to a child before handing them Redwall by Brian Jacques, which is what I imagine comes before/in tandem with Tolkien's The Hobbit. Cowell's style provides the perfect launching-pad: there are songs, unlikely heroes, languages, creatures and humans who are neither good nor evil, and all of whom are fallible in some way. I'm a total fan of these books, and Hiccup and his fellow characters have completely charmed me, but of course, I am not eight or ten years old, so I am not the authority on these things.
If you liked these books, I recommend:
The Enchanted Forest Chronicles: Dealing with Dragons, by Patricia C. Wrede
Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, by Rick Riordan
Voyage of the Basset, by James C. Christensen
The Sisters Grimm, by Michael Buckley
... and of course, the Redwall series and The Hobbit.
I want to read the series now
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