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Quick answer: If your child loves How to Train Your Dragon, try Cressida Cowell's The Wizards of Once, then Dragon Masters, Wings of Fire, Dragon Rider and Percy Jackson. All are funny, action-filled adventures with dragons and young heroes.
Cressida Cowell's How to Train Your Dragon series follows Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, a small Viking boy who trains a small, stubborn dragon named Toothless, in a story quite different from the film. The books are funny, illustrated and inventive. The books below offer more dragons, humour and adventure for children aged seven to twelve.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Wizards of Once | Cressida Cowell | Ages 8-12 | wild fantasy |
| Dragon Masters: Rise of the Earth Dragon | Tracey West | Ages 6-9 | dragon adventure |
| Wings of Fire: The Dragonet Prophecy | Tui T. Sutherland | Ages 8-13 | dragon war |
| Dragon Rider | Cornelia Funke | Ages 8-12 | quest for a valley |
| Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief | Rick Riordan | Ages 9-14 | quest adventure |
| Dragonbreath | Ursula Vernon | Ages 7-10 | graphic-style comedy |
| Dragon Slippers | Jessica Day George | Ages 10-14 | fairy-tale dragons |
| Eragon | Christopher Paolini | Teen | dragon epics |
| His Majesty's Dragon | Naomi Novik | Adult | Napoleonic dragons |
| The Hobbit | J.R.R. Tolkien | All ages | the adventure |
| Magyk | Angie Sage | Ages 8-12 | wizards and castles |
| Dealing with Dragons | Patricia C. Wrede | Ages 10+ | princess and dragons |
| Dragonology | Dugald Steer | Ages 7-12 | illustrated guide |
| Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone | J.K. Rowling | All ages | the classic |
| The Reluctant Dragon | Kenneth Grahame | Ages 6-10 | gentle classic |
1. The Wizards of Once by Cressida Cowell
A young wizard and a warrior girl meet in an ancient forest. Funny and illustrated.
Best for: wild fantasy.
2. Dragon Masters: Rise of the Earth Dragon by Tracey West
A boy is chosen to train a dragon. Short and action-filled.
Best for: dragon adventure.
3. Wings of Fire: The Dragonet Prophecy by Tui T. Sutherland
Five young dragons are raised to end a war. Action-packed.
Best for: dragon war.
4. Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke
A young dragon, a boy and a brownie search for a hidden valley. Warm and adventurous.
Best for: quest for a valley.
5. Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
Percy learns he is the son of a god. Funny and fast.
Best for: quest adventure.
6. Dragonbreath by Ursula Vernon
A boy and his dragon friend get into scrapes. Funny and illustrated.
Best for: graphic-style comedy.
7. Dragon Slippers by Jessica Day George
A girl makes dragon-friendly shoes and gets into trouble. Charming and funny.
Best for: fairy-tale dragons.
8. Eragon by Christopher Paolini
A farm boy finds a dragon egg and is thrown into a war. A friendly start to epic fantasy.
Best for: dragon epics.
9. His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik
A British captain bonds with a dragon during the Napoleonic wars. Elegant and exciting.
Best for: Napoleonic dragons.
10. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
Bilbo Baggins joins dwarves on a quest. A foundation of modern fantasy.
Best for: the adventure.
11. Magyk by Angie Sage
The seventh son of a seventh son and a missing princess drive this tale. Whimsical.
Best for: wizards and castles.
12. Dealing with Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede
A princess runs away to be a dragon's housekeeper. Funny and clever.
Best for: princess and dragons.
13. Dragonology by Dugald Steer
A beautifully illustrated field guide to dragons. A fun companion for fans.
Best for: illustrated guide.
14. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
A boy learns he is a wizard. The best-known gateway to magical fantasy.
Best for: the classic.
15. The Reluctant Dragon by Kenneth Grahame
A boy befriends a dragon who would rather write poetry than fight. Short and charming.
Best for: gentle classic.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with How to Train: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
How to Choose
For more Cowell choose The Wizards of Once. For younger readers pick Dragon Masters, Dragonbreath or The Reluctant Dragon. For adventure read Wings of Fire, Dragon Rider or Percy Jackson. For older readers try Eragon, His Majesty's Dragon or Dealing with Dragons. How to Train Your Dragon is funny and quick, so these picks suit readers who love dragons and jokes. The books are very different from the films, with a more comic and chaotic tone and many more dragons, so fans of the movies often enjoy the contrast. Cowell's illustrations are also part of the charm. If your child enjoys the books, a trip to a library to explore other dragon stories is a fun outing. Many of the books on this list have audio versions that suit car rides. Cowell's author notes and illustrations add humour for readers who like details.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is How to Train Your Dragon about?
A small Viking boy trains a small, stubborn dragon named Toothless.
Who wrote it?
Cressida Cowell.
When was the first book published?
2003.
How many books are in the series?
Twelve.
Is it like the films?
No, the books are quite different.
What age is it for?
Roughly ages 7 to 12.
Is it funny?
Yes, with silly Viking humour.
What should we read next?
Try The Wizards of Once or Wings of Fire.
Are the books very different from the film?
Yes, the books have a different tone and story.
Who is Toothless in the books?
A small, stubborn dragon who is very different from the film version.