book cover

How To Train Your Dragon 5: How to Twist A Dragon’s Tale

by Cressida Cowell

Interest age: 7 to 11
Reading age: 8+

Published by Hodder Children’s Books, 2017

  • Fantasy
  • Funny
  • Historical

About this book

It’s an unseasonably hot, muggy August day on the Isle of Belch, and Gobber Belch, the leader of the Pirate Training Programme has decided it’s a perfect day for a herding-reindeer-on-dragonback lesson. Hiccup and the rest of the trainees absolutely disagree, and would much rather be lying under a tree drinking cold water from a drinking horn, but Gobber won’t be persuaded.

What no one realises is that the heatwave is being caused by the volcano on Lava-Lout Island, which is ready to blow. Now Hiccup faces a terrifying Quest to Stop the Volcano Exploding, alongside his best friend Fishlegs and Humongously Hotshot, the ex-Hero. But Lava-Lout Island is full of Exterminator Dragons which, according to Hiccup’s grandfather, might cause the end of the world as they know it. Hiccup must battle the dragons and face his nemesis, Alvin the Treacherous, to restore the kingdom to normality.

The fifth in the hugely successful series is just as likely to get kids reading as the others – the humour, illustrations and fast-moving plot are fantastic even for reluctant readers.

About the author

Cressida Cowell is the number one bestselling author-illustrator of the How to Train Your Dragon and The Wizards of Once book series. How to Train Your Dragon is also an award-winning DreamWorks film franchise. Cressida is an ambassador for the National Literacy Trust, a trustee for World Book Day and a founder patron of the Children's Media Foundation. She lives in Hammersmith with her husband, three children and a dog called Pigeon.

Cressida was our Writer in Residence in 2016–17 and the Waterstones Children's Laureate 2020–2021

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