Wednesday, September 29, 2010

How to Ride a Dragon’s Storm: The Heroic Misadventures of Hiccup the Viking by Cressida Cowell

Cowell, Cressida. How to Ride a Dragon’s Storm: The Heroic Misadventures of Hiccup the Viking, 254 pgs. Little, Brown & Co., 2010. $10.99. Sexual Content-G; Language-G; Violence-PG.

How to Train Your Dragon, book 7 continues the hilarious and violent Viking adventures of Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third. Hiccup isn’t looking forward to the Intertribal Friendly Swimming Race—swimming as long as you can, in full armor, in freezing water doesn’t sound like fun. Hiccup’s crazy grandfather tells him not to return for three months, five days, and six hours. Hiccup and his two friends Fishlegs and Camicazi are kidnapped mid-race by Norbert the Nutjob. Norbert is on his way to America and plans on murdering Hiccup when he gets there. Meanwhile Madguts the Murderous has presumably won the race and demands the lives of Hiccup’s father and Big-Boobied Bertha as his prize. Their only hope is that Hiccup and his companions can come back and win the race.

The illustrations are reminiscent of a child’s doodling in the margins, but have a professional consistency. This zany adventure is sure to appeal to boys and reluctant readers.

EL – ADVISABLE. Samantha, Public Librarian.

No comments: