How to Train Your Dragon Book 6: A Hero’s Guide to Deadly Dragons by Cressida Cowell

Rating: Highly Recommended, but Needs Parent Supervision, I like it BUT some families may not.

Reading Level: Late Elementary, Middle School

This book illustrates some fantastic Gospel principles, but needs parent supervision/discussion to pull out the themes. Here, when bad things happen, Hiccup wonders whether the world is “A Good Egg” or “A Bad Egg.” In the end, a twist of fate works in Hiccup’s favor. This illustrates the principle that “all things work together for the Good of those who are called according to God’s purposes,” namely, that if you’re on God’s team you’ll see all things end up working for your good, while if you’re not on God’s team, you’ll see things working against you in the end.

 The story had the usual concerns:

• Viking mythology, mentions of Thor or “the gods”
• Fantasy. Dragons with magic & curses
• Breasts. “Big boobied Bertha” is mentioned a couple times
• Potty/Body Humor. References to farts, bottoms, pooh. For example, one dragon is described as having “spiky eggs but luckily the mother has a thick skinned bottom.” In the dragon language, “piss” is used several times.
• References to romance happen in this one when toothless meets a lady dragon. The lady dragon is attractive and shows interest in various male dragons who impress her.
• References to books being banned. The plot is all about books being shut up in a protected library. Hiccup challenges the belief that books should be banned and asks for the library to be open for his birthday.

Check out my reviews of other books in the series.