How to Speak Dragonese (How to Train Your Dragon, Book 3) by Cressida Cowell

Rating: Needs Parent Supervision, I like it, BUT some families may not

Reading Level: Late Elementary, Middle School

There are a couple new Possible Concerns:

• A rival Viking tribe leader is called, “Big Boobied Bertha,” and she overwhelmingly lives up to her name.
• Big Boobied Bertha’s heir is always saying, “You’re a pretty good fighter, for a boy…” etc., qualifying her remarks with Hiccup’s male identity.
• The opening page may bother some sensitive families when it says, “Imagine the time of Viking heroes, in which, men were men and women were sort of men too and even some little babies had chest hair.”

… in addition to the issues from Book 1 and 2:

• fart/poop/bare bottom jokes,
• Some gore/poison/violence
• bullying, name-calling, as with book 1.
• more references to Norse gods and Norse Mythology (“By Thor!”, and “Woden is angry,” “Valhalla” as heaven, etc.).
• treachery (backstabbing), and greed

Despite these issues, the book has the same beautiful Gospel themes, that make the above well worth it for me. Discussion topics:

• Listening before jumping to act; using wisdom and shrewedness before going to war; making peace instead of falling into a trap of violence.
• What makes a good leader? Does he/she feel pain? Does he/she leave the 99 to rescue the one? Does the father love the son enough to send a war party to rescue him?
• Helping the weak and lowly, such as a tiny nanodragon, even though it doesn’t seem like much at the time and doesn’t appear on the surface to be worth the risk.
• Again, an unlikey, seemingly weak young boy is the future king and heir (It reminds me of King David).
• Loving your enemies even if they don’t ever respond accordingly: when have you ever needed to do this? Today, how can you love someone that has betrayed or hurt you?

It is so good!!! This is another one I would have it on my bookshelf and just remember to talk to my kids about the inappropriate bullying, Norse mythology, and reinforcing that God also sent a war party (He sent His own son!) to rescue us, his precious adopted children.

Here are links to other books in the series that I have reviewed:

title	link	rating
How to Train Your Dragon Book 1	https://jesuslovesbookworms.com/2023/11/09/how-to-train-your-dragon-book-1-by-cressida-cowell/	I like it BUT some families may not, Needs Parent Supervision (Other Religious Practices/Cultures, Body humor)
How to Train Your Dragon Book 2: How to be a Pirate	https://jesuslovesbookworms.com/2023/11/13/how-to-be-a-pirate-how-to-train-your-dragon-book-2-by-cressida-cowell/	I like it BUT some families may not, Needs Parent Supervision (Other Religious Practices/Cultures, Body humor)
How To Train Your Dragon Book 3: How to Speak Dragonese	https://jesuslovesbookworms.com/2023/11/16/how-to-speak-dragonese-how-to-train-your-dragon-book-3-by-cressida-cowell/	I like it BUT some families may not, Needs Parent Supervision (Other Religious Practices/Cultures, Body humor)
How To Train Your Dragon Book 4: How to Cheat a Dragon’s Curse	https://jesuslovesbookworms.com/2024/01/15/how-to-train-your-dragon-book-4-how-to-cheat-a-dragons-curse-by-cressida-cowell/	I like it BUT some families may not, Needs Parent Supervision (Other Religious Practices/Cultures, Body humor)