“How to Train Your Dragon”
Dragons in modern fiction are generally featured in fantasy novels intended at least for young adults, if not older (like the complex Lord of the Rings series). In her children’s series “How to Train Your Dragon” (named for the first installment), Cressida Cowell has captured the magic of dragons in a way that can be enjoyed by young and old alike.The recent Dreamworks film loosely adapts the plot of Cressida’s first novel. In the film, a young Viking named Hiccup tries to win the acceptance of his father and the love of his fierce peer, Astrid, but finds both more difficult when he chooses to save one of the dragons that his tribe is fighting against. Hiccup names the dragon Toothless, but finds it increasingly more difficult to keep the pet a secret as his own stature rises in the tribe.The film (by directors Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois) has become a critical and financial success. What’s next? A sequel, television show, and live tour are in the works. Cowell’s eighth book was released the year before the film, so hopefully we can expect another work from her in the near future.