Customer Reviews

How to Speak Dragonese (How to Train Your Dragon)

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I liked How to Speak Dragonese for several reasons. It had lots of humor, with that little side of fantasy(both my favorite genres!)I didn't really dislike anything in this book, it was SO GOOD! I think this because whenever there was a "The End," or "And they lived happily ever after," another challenge popped up for the main characters within the next few pages. This creates lots of suspense!
The setting in this book is in the past. They travel by non-motor boat and balloon, not by cars, planes, and steam boats. Once you start reading this, though, you can easily tell that it takes place in the past. It takes mostly takes place in the Barbaric Archipelago, but it also takes place a little in the Sea like a Woden's Bathtub, and the Isle of Berk.
Here's the basic outline of the plot: Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third has his dragon, Toothless, stolen by the Roman Empire! He tries to send a search party for Toothless, but before he can, the Romans take him and Fishlegs(Hiccup's best friend)to the Roman Empire,too! They both have to get out of the Empire without getting eaten by dragons!
The main characters in thsi book are:

Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third: Hiccup never wants to give up; he is always trying his best in life. He is also somewhat funny.

Fishlegs: Fishlegs is Hiccup's best friend, but he is VERY clumsy, not very good at things, allergic to practically anything, and very scared.

Camicazi: Camicazi thinks she is always better then boys(she is a Bog Buglar, and all Bog Burglars are girls,) an aggressive sword fighter, nad sometimes odd.

Toothless the Dragon: Toothless is a VERY funny and unique dragon. this is becaouse he is so samll, and he has no fangs(that is why he is called Toothless.) He is Hiccup's dragon.
I would recommend How to Speak Dragonese to anyone who likes fantasy and/or adventure. If you like those genres, and you start this book, you wont be able to put it down!(At least I wasn't!)
HAPPY READING!!!!
:);)

These books make Harry Potter seem like literature.

This one was a little better in terms of plot and action, but still plagued with words I would prefer my 5-year-old not repeat: snot, boobies, poo, etc.

Entertaining and memorable, but not high quality.

It's always hard to find a book that will keep my 8yrs interested. But from the first chapter to the last he enjoyed the story. The characters and their antics he said where great. He asked me to order the other books in the group even before he finished this one.

This latest outing is only enjoyable if you have read the two previous ones. The continuity factor was great, but it felt a little light in content.

Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III's loyal dragon Toothless has been captured, and it's up to Hiccup to prove himself a true Viking hero and rescue him. Both newcomers and prior fans of Hiccup will find this latest saga, 'translated from the Old Norse', to be a delightful and fun adventure.

We discovered this series after my seven year old daughter developed a "crush" on the movie; it's been a good lesson in the (sometimes) pleasurable difference between the book and the movie by the same title. It's cheerfully vulgar, but nothing too offensive, mainly small-child potty humor-type situations that are familiar to anybody with a contrary pet and/or a small child. In other words, if somebody's not been bit on the behind, shot in the behind, or at least finds a nasty little "gift" in their helmet, you just haven't been paying attention. Enough adult subtlety/sarcastic humor to keep the adult reading it from dropping over into a sugar coma and enough fun and easily accessible humor to keep the child listening to it being read from getting bored. Definitely a read-aloud book complete with different "voices" for the characters, particularly Toothless as he whines and grumbles his way through each story.

Another great book for kids who don't like to read. I didn't think my son would like this and it turns out he loved it.

How to Speak Dragonese (Hiccup)
I was worried at first that my 6 year old would have trouble understanding the narrator's accent, but from the first words he was fascinated with this exciting story. The accent adds powerfully to the feel of the story, very Viking sounding. We quickly figured out that this story and the movie have little in common but that didn't matter a bit. I immediately ordered two other audio CD's in this series. Unfortunately I wasn't able to get the first one and get the story from the beginning, but my boy has no problem figuring out the time line so when we do get it we will just start over from the beginning so we can hear them in sequence. Meanwhile we are really enjoying these.

In this story Hiccup has been collecting data on the language of the dragons and he alone is able to communicate with them. He put all the information in a notebook which he always carries with him. While out with his class for a pirating lesson he and his best friend Fish Legs get lost in the fog, accidently board a Roman Ship, Toothless is captured, the boys escape, then they are kidnapped, run into Alvin the Treacherous. Alvin quickly figures out how valuable the book of dragonese would be for his plan to control dragons and take over the archipelago. The book is accidently sliced in half and he gets one half of the book. The Romans (guided by Alvin the Treacherous) also kidnap the heir of the Bog Burglars, Kamakazi, and the three kids work out a plan to escape.

Each of the Dragon stories has a unique plot, no formula story here. Now that I've heard three stories I see they are woven together so we get to know the people in the stories. The characters each have personality that resonates. Just their names are hilariously funny using all the words my boy is not allowed to use at school such as Snot Lout, Fish Brains, Duh Brain. Just that aspect of the stories alone cracks up my 6 year old. They put stinging worms in someone's knickers to get even for an offense. Antics on the verge of misbehavior but pulling back from the brink of being a "bad influence". I highly recommend all of this series for loads of fun entertainment. We own the books as well now but listening to them narrated is so much better. It really captures that Viking feeling.

My 10 year old loves this series and all the books keep her reading until their done and then she starts over.

It is so, so awesome! Hiccup is really funny! This book is great, it is my favorite in the series because Hiccup gets kidnapped, and Camacazi keeps trying to escape but she keeps screwing up. Fishlegs keeps worrying and Toothless keeps flying around.