"How to Train a Dragon" is a series of books written by British author Cressida Cowell. The books are a series of fictional stories loosely describing the lives of Vikings.
The main character in the book is named Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III. When the series first begins we find Hiccup and his friends beginning their rite of passage to acceptance. Their job is to capture and train their own dragons. If they fail they are banned from their home.
While most of his friends intend to conquer their dragons, Hiccup has other ideas. Hiccup is a thoughtful young viking who thinks before he acts. His method of working with the dragons is to understand them, then train them. At first it seems as if his methods are a failure, but in the end everyone works together to win.
I saw the movie prior to reading this book. The movie changed some things around, as movies often do, but despite that the story was enjoyable.
The book was even better. I got a good deal more out of the characters while reading the story than I did while watching the movie.
This is one of those books that both the boys and girls will enjoy, but I suspect the boys might enjoy a bit more. I'd get it for kids around aged 8 on up.
The story is full of the usual adult offensive, children delighted types of writing with lots of emphasis on the disgusting. But you could find the same thing in Shakespeare. You write for your audience, and let's face it, kids love the gross! Think of it this way: Sometimes you need that little bit extra to give the kids the feeling that reading this particular story is something their parents might not approve of, making it more fun to read.
I had a lot of fun reading the first book in this series. So far there are ten books written, all but one has dragons in the title. The second book is called "How to be a Pirate". This book tells how Hiccup saves his clan from a sneaky interloping that rides into the land hidden in a coffin. Just like the first, it looks great. I can't wait to start it.
I know school is beginning soon. Kids will be less inclined to read, because it becomes a chore instead of a pleasure. If you give them the incentive that they need to enjoy books, it will give them a lifetime of pleasure. "How to Train a Dragon" could be considered mental bubblegum, but it is GOOD mental bubblegum.
Friday, August 31, 2012
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Captain Underpants
The Captain Underpants series by Dav Pilkey is one of those books that kids love and parents tend to hate. The story is about two fourth graders named George Beard and Harold Hutchins. The two boys go to a school which strongly discourages imagination and fun. But you can't keep a good imagination down. The boys run their own comic book company. Of course no store will sell to a pair of boys wholesale so they do the next best thing. The boys go to the school's copying machine and run off the latest copies of their own comic books, then sell them to the other kids on the playground.
Mr. Benjamin Krupp is their principal. He is a mean man who has a deep hatred of children. He feels it is his sworn duty to protect the other children in the school from George and Harold's shenanigans. Poor Mr. Krupp! Little does he know that he is actually Captain Underpants!
Captain Underpants is really Mr. Krupp's secret identity. He is such a deep secret that even Mr. Krupp doesn't realize who he is. Captain Underpants was created by George and Harold when they accidentally hypnotized Mr. Krupp. Whenever Mr. Krupp hears snapping fingers, he turns into Captain Underpants. Captain Underpants costume consists of a red cape with black polka dots <what superhero would be without his cape?> and a pair of underpants. In order to turn back into Mr. Krupp Captain Underpants has to have water poured over his head. In the first few books, Captain Underpants had no super powers, but believed he did. In order to keep Captain Underpants safe, George an Harold followed him around, interfering at the last critical second. But in the third book of the series, Captain Underpants gains his superpowers by drinking juice he finds on an alien spaceship.
The ninth Captain Underpants book just came out this month, with the tenth due in January. Each one is more popular than the next.
Of course since the principal is such a jerk, and the boys are so "bad". The powers that be <whom I'm convinced have never read a book in their life> have decided that the Captain Underpants series is bad for your children and must be banned at all cost to protect the little cherubs from the idea that occasionally, boys misbehave and adults might be mean. Parents, in case you are wondering, there is nothing harmful in Captain Underpants. You aren't fostering future serial killers who might take it into their heads to hypnotize you when they are 16 into letting them take the family car out for a drinking party.
Captain Underpants is just a simple fun series that encourages kids to read. I promise you if they take the car to a drinking party when they are 16 it won' t be because they hypnotized you!
Let them enjoy the series. Your children may never say thank you for letting them read what they like. But their grades will be thanks enough.
Mr. Benjamin Krupp is their principal. He is a mean man who has a deep hatred of children. He feels it is his sworn duty to protect the other children in the school from George and Harold's shenanigans. Poor Mr. Krupp! Little does he know that he is actually Captain Underpants!
Captain Underpants is really Mr. Krupp's secret identity. He is such a deep secret that even Mr. Krupp doesn't realize who he is. Captain Underpants was created by George and Harold when they accidentally hypnotized Mr. Krupp. Whenever Mr. Krupp hears snapping fingers, he turns into Captain Underpants. Captain Underpants costume consists of a red cape with black polka dots <what superhero would be without his cape?> and a pair of underpants. In order to turn back into Mr. Krupp Captain Underpants has to have water poured over his head. In the first few books, Captain Underpants had no super powers, but believed he did. In order to keep Captain Underpants safe, George an Harold followed him around, interfering at the last critical second. But in the third book of the series, Captain Underpants gains his superpowers by drinking juice he finds on an alien spaceship.
The ninth Captain Underpants book just came out this month, with the tenth due in January. Each one is more popular than the next.
Of course since the principal is such a jerk, and the boys are so "bad". The powers that be <whom I'm convinced have never read a book in their life> have decided that the Captain Underpants series is bad for your children and must be banned at all cost to protect the little cherubs from the idea that occasionally, boys misbehave and adults might be mean. Parents, in case you are wondering, there is nothing harmful in Captain Underpants. You aren't fostering future serial killers who might take it into their heads to hypnotize you when they are 16 into letting them take the family car out for a drinking party.
Captain Underpants is just a simple fun series that encourages kids to read. I promise you if they take the car to a drinking party when they are 16 it won' t be because they hypnotized you!
Let them enjoy the series. Your children may never say thank you for letting them read what they like. But their grades will be thanks enough.
Friday, August 10, 2012
The Whipping Boy
I meant to do my blog tomorrow, because I was all set today to head out to the Baltimore Aquarium and Ravens Stadium. <Anyone who wants to clue me in on where to get tickets for the Giants Ravens game in December please message me!> . The weather didn't want me down there, with four inches of rain expected and lots of thunder and lightening.
So what's a girl to do? Head to the bookstore of course!
Today I found a book that took me maybe 45 minutes to read but was extremely enjoyable none the less. The book was called "The Whipping Boy". This Newbery award winning book is written by Sid Fleischman
This is a great book for boys or girls around the age of 7 to 11 depending on their ability to read.
The book is about a boy named Jemmy who was a poor boy who made his living as a rat catcher. But one day he is chosen by the king to become whipping boy to the Royal Prince, that everyone calls Prince Brat. The prince is a spoiled. obnoxious boy who does anything he wants. No one can whip the prince because that would be treason, so instead they have the whipping boy who is punished in his place. Jemmy's job is to be whipped every time the prince misbehaves. The prince's behavior assures Jemmy of job security, but Jemmy isn't too happy as you can imagine.
One day the prince decides to run away. Jemmy is at first reluctant, but then realizes he can ditch the prince. Jemmy's plan is to run away back to his home in the sewers where he was happy. But when Jemmy and the prince are kidnapped by two villainous highwaymen, the two boys discover new things about one another that they never realized existed. Both boys are changed for the better.
Sid Fleishman, who died in 2010 at age 90 was truly a child in a man's world. He started out life as a magician and traveled the vaudeville circuit in the 1930s. Then he became a newspaper writer, and from there a children's writer. His son, Paul Fleishman is also a Newbery Award winner.
Sid Fleishman writes with a child's point of view in mind, but he doesn't write childishly. His stories are clear, crisp and imaginative without being fluffy. Boys will really enjoy this story, but don't be surprised if your girls can't put it down either. If you are stuck inside on a rainy day "The Whipping Boy" is definitely the kind of book that you want to enjoy!
So what's a girl to do? Head to the bookstore of course!
Today I found a book that took me maybe 45 minutes to read but was extremely enjoyable none the less. The book was called "The Whipping Boy". This Newbery award winning book is written by Sid Fleischman
This is a great book for boys or girls around the age of 7 to 11 depending on their ability to read.
The book is about a boy named Jemmy who was a poor boy who made his living as a rat catcher. But one day he is chosen by the king to become whipping boy to the Royal Prince, that everyone calls Prince Brat. The prince is a spoiled. obnoxious boy who does anything he wants. No one can whip the prince because that would be treason, so instead they have the whipping boy who is punished in his place. Jemmy's job is to be whipped every time the prince misbehaves. The prince's behavior assures Jemmy of job security, but Jemmy isn't too happy as you can imagine.
One day the prince decides to run away. Jemmy is at first reluctant, but then realizes he can ditch the prince. Jemmy's plan is to run away back to his home in the sewers where he was happy. But when Jemmy and the prince are kidnapped by two villainous highwaymen, the two boys discover new things about one another that they never realized existed. Both boys are changed for the better.
Sid Fleishman, who died in 2010 at age 90 was truly a child in a man's world. He started out life as a magician and traveled the vaudeville circuit in the 1930s. Then he became a newspaper writer, and from there a children's writer. His son, Paul Fleishman is also a Newbery Award winner.
Sid Fleishman writes with a child's point of view in mind, but he doesn't write childishly. His stories are clear, crisp and imaginative without being fluffy. Boys will really enjoy this story, but don't be surprised if your girls can't put it down either. If you are stuck inside on a rainy day "The Whipping Boy" is definitely the kind of book that you want to enjoy!
Friday, August 3, 2012
The Forgotten Filly
In honor of my favorite part of the Olympics, Dressage, I am presenting this book for everyone to enjoy! Karle Dickerson was a writer for the Thoroughbred Series. A series of books written for the horse crazy set. This book has the same theme but different characters.
The story, "The Forgotten Filly" is centered around a young girl named Joelle who has bred her horse Dance Away. Joelle's horse means the world to her and she can't wait for Dance Away to foal <give birth> so that she can start training up the new baby to follow in mama's footsteps, competing in jumping and dressage. The night Dance Away gives birth to a beautiful filly, Joelle is thrilled but upon the happiness comes sadness. Dance Away dies from a hemorrhage soon after. Joelle is devastated. Her father and mother, while sympathetic, remind her that is up to her to care for the foal. They get another horse into the nurse the baby, and leave it up to Joelle to begin training. Joelle isn't happy but to keep her parents off her back she does as little as possible with the foal. Her resentment is felt by the foal, who fails to bond with Joelle, is stubborn, and difficult to train. Joelle's father sees what is going on and decides to sell the foal.
Joelle's little brother Jeff is devastated with the announcement. Jeff is a six year old who recently suffered an injury that's left him wheelchair bound. Jeff has bonded with the foal and is angry with his sister for rejecting Dance Away's baby. But Joelle still can't bring herself to love the foal that caused her to lose her horse. It isn't until Joelle nearly loses her brother that she realizes that it is possible to love another horse as much as she loved Dance Away.
I liked this book for several reasons. The first was obviously because it was about horses. Many an hour was spent with them when I was growing up, and in my last year of going to college, I actually got on the college equestrian team. Granted, the competition wasn't fierce but still, it was great!
Horse themes aside, I found there was another reason to enjoy this book. The fact is, I really liked the way the story presented a loss and how the loss can be worked through. I think underneath all the "horsieess" of the story that a child can learn it is possible to recover for the sadness of a beloved pet dying. It was sad yes, but there was so much strength in the sadness. There was growth in it too and in the endn that is what we as parents want for our children. We can't shelter them from sadness but we hope they can learn and grow from it.
This is definitely a book that shows that lesson. So if you want your boys or girls to read a book that will have a positive effect on them this is the one!
The story, "The Forgotten Filly" is centered around a young girl named Joelle who has bred her horse Dance Away. Joelle's horse means the world to her and she can't wait for Dance Away to foal <give birth> so that she can start training up the new baby to follow in mama's footsteps, competing in jumping and dressage. The night Dance Away gives birth to a beautiful filly, Joelle is thrilled but upon the happiness comes sadness. Dance Away dies from a hemorrhage soon after. Joelle is devastated. Her father and mother, while sympathetic, remind her that is up to her to care for the foal. They get another horse into the nurse the baby, and leave it up to Joelle to begin training. Joelle isn't happy but to keep her parents off her back she does as little as possible with the foal. Her resentment is felt by the foal, who fails to bond with Joelle, is stubborn, and difficult to train. Joelle's father sees what is going on and decides to sell the foal.
Joelle's little brother Jeff is devastated with the announcement. Jeff is a six year old who recently suffered an injury that's left him wheelchair bound. Jeff has bonded with the foal and is angry with his sister for rejecting Dance Away's baby. But Joelle still can't bring herself to love the foal that caused her to lose her horse. It isn't until Joelle nearly loses her brother that she realizes that it is possible to love another horse as much as she loved Dance Away.
I liked this book for several reasons. The first was obviously because it was about horses. Many an hour was spent with them when I was growing up, and in my last year of going to college, I actually got on the college equestrian team. Granted, the competition wasn't fierce but still, it was great!
Horse themes aside, I found there was another reason to enjoy this book. The fact is, I really liked the way the story presented a loss and how the loss can be worked through. I think underneath all the "horsieess" of the story that a child can learn it is possible to recover for the sadness of a beloved pet dying. It was sad yes, but there was so much strength in the sadness. There was growth in it too and in the endn that is what we as parents want for our children. We can't shelter them from sadness but we hope they can learn and grow from it.
This is definitely a book that shows that lesson. So if you want your boys or girls to read a book that will have a positive effect on them this is the one!
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