A new live-action remake of How To Train Your Dragon just dropped into theaters, and the reviews have been very positive. Whether you're tired of the live-action remake trend or not, a good movie is a good movie. Kids especially are sure to enjoy the tale of a young man from a tribe of dragon-hunting Vikings who bonds with one of the flying fire-breathing beasts instead.
Where should their fantasy education go from here? Why not take things from the screen to the page? There are lots of great book series out there perfect for younger readers who got a taste of high fantasy with How To Train Your Dragon and are hungry for more. Below are 12 of the best, with as many dragons in them as possible:
1. How To Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell
Let's start with the obvious: the How To Train Your Dragon movies are based on the How To Train Your Dragon books by Cressida Cowell. She wrote 12 in all, many of which haven't yet been adapted to the screen.
The books start pretty much like the movies do, with young Hiccup capturing a dragon and forming a bond with it in defiance of the traditions of his village. But there are big differences right from the start. For instance, Hiccup is 15 in the movies but 10 in the books, and his dragon Toothless is much smaller at the start.
Cowell's books already had a following before the How To Train Your Dragon movies and provide a great way to stay in this world. On the page, Hiccup goes on an epic journey that we may never get to see in full onscreen.
2. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
Any young reader getting into fantasy will come across The Hobbit sooner or later, and we recommend it be sooner. J.R.R. Tolkien's classic novel follows a little hobbit who goes on a big adventure, leaving his home in the Shire with a wizard and a bunch of dwarves to go on an epic quest. Along the way, he'll encounter goblins, elves, and finally a big fire-breathing dragon.
The Hobbit laid the foundation for The Lord of the Rings, which laid the foundation for pretty much every epic fantasy story written since. The Lord of the Rings is a great thing to graduate to after finishing The Hobbit, but the original book is also plenty education on its own.
3. Skyward by Brandon Sanderson
Brandon Sanderson is one of the most prolific and successful fantasy authors working today, and it's never too early to get acquainted with him. Skyward is one of the easiest entry points. It's about a teenager named Spensa who longs to become a pilot and help defend humanity against the Krell, an alien menace that's been menacing her world for generations. After much difficulty, she's accepted into the flight academy, makes friends, and finds that the mysteries surrounding and Krell and her own family history go much deeper than she knew.
Skyward is a sci-fi story, which makes it a little different from a lot of the other books on this list, but it's still an accessible story with a good story; there are four books total in this series, so if you finish Skyward and want more, you've got it.
And if that still doesn't satisfy you, Brandon Sanderson has a whole world of writing out there to explore, most of it aimed at a slightly older audience. If you're a fan of Brandon Sanderson, you're basically never out of things to read.
4. The Ice Dragon by George R.R. Martin
George R.R. Martin is the author behind A Song of Ice and Fire, adapted by HBO as Game of Thrones. That makes him another of the most successful fantasy authors alive. His novelette The Ice Dragon shares some things in common with How To Train Your Dragon; it's about a young girl, Adara, who befriends a dragon. But this being George R.R. Martin, there's a bit of a melancholy edge to it, as Adara is also dealing with the recent death of her mom.
The Ice Dragon is a short read and a good introduction to Martin's work. Martin has repeatedly insisted that this story is not set in Westeros, but no one's going to be offended it you ignore that.
5. The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini
You can't go wrong with a story about a kid bonding with a dragon. In the case of The Inheritance Cycle, the kid is farmboy Eragon Bromsson and the dragon is Saphira, who hatches from a blue egg. In this world, dragonriders are a thing of the past. Eragon and Saphira restart the tradition, taking to the skies to fight an oppressive Empire.
Paolini wrote four books in his Inheritance Cycle, starting with Eragon in 2002. He's also written a sequel book and a collection of short stories. The first book was already adapted as a movie in 2006, and there's a TV show coming to Disney+. Eragon is about to be everywhere, so why not get a jump on things by diving into the books?
6. Percy Jackson by Rick Riordan
Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson universe is huge, with multiple series that follow hero Percy Jackson during different stages of his life, as well as other series about different characters in different mythoogies. But to start, you're best off sticking to Percy Jackson and the Olympians, a five-book series about a boy who finds out that he's actually the son of a Greek god. He goes off to a special summer camp for other demigods where he can learn about his powers.
Percy and his friends go on a variety of adventures in and around Camp Half-Blood as they grow up; the format should be familiar to anyone familiar with the Harry Potter books. Just like those, they're a great way to get a younger reader interested in fantasy. And while dragons aren't at the center of the Percy Jackson story, they are involved; one guards the legendary Golden Fleece at Camp Half-Blood, and that's just to start.
7. The Storm Runner by J.C. Cervantes
Young Zane Obispo likes to play around the dormant volcano near his home, and is surprised to hear that it's actually a prison for the Mayan god of death, to whom Zane's destiny is linked. It ends up that Zane's father was actually a Mayan diety. Obviously, he's going to have to go on an epic quest before all of this can be sorted out.
The Storm Runner shares a bit in common with the Percy Jackson books, which makes sense; Percy Jackson author Rick Riordan published it under his own imprint. Two more books finish off this exciting trilogy.
8. Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
Do the Harry Potter books really need an introduction? J.K. Rowling's book took the world by storm when they started coming out in the late '90s, the movies took the world by storm when they started coming out in the 2000s, and HBO is hoping a new TV show a will take the world by storm when it comes out in a couple of years. It's the story of a young boy living with his cruel aunt and uncle who discovers he's a wizard. He's whisked away to magic school where he makes new friends, uncovers secrets, and finds himself at the center of an epic struggle years in the making.
The Harry Potter books, seven in all, are charmingly written, rich with character, and grow with the reader. They were great reads when they came out and they remain great entry points into the fantasy genre. There aren't many dragons to speak of, but one does turn up towards the end, in case you need that last push.
9. The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
Before Harry Potter, there was The Chronicles of Narnia, a seven-book series about a magical land where animals can talk, good conquers evil, and children can be heroes of legend.
The Chronicles of Narnia books are more eclectic than the Harry Potter books. The books are connected, with the Pevensie children featuring in several. But there are also entries that more or less stand on their own.
The best and most famous of these books is The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, which is a great entry point, even if it isn't technically the start of the larger story; that would be The Magician's Nephew, which Netflix is currently adapting into a movie. The fifth book, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, has the most dragon action.
10. Dragonriders of Pern by Anne McCaffrey
If you're looking for a dragon series that will occupy your time, you can't go wrong with Dragonriders of Pern, for which author Anne McCaffrey wrote a whopping 24 novels, plus two story story collections. The first book in the series, Dragonflight, revolves around Lessa, a young girl who's drafted to become a dragonrider. Dragonriders are common in this world, with many bonding with their dragons since birth. Dragonfire is needed to combat the Threads, natural disasters that happen whenever a nearby planet passes by the world of Pern.
There's a little more sci-fi in this series than you'll usually find in a story about dragons. It doesn't end with the Threads; McCaffrey also introduces time travel and other elements. With 24 books to work with, there's not much she doesn't introduce; this is a dense and deep series that explores the culture and history of Pern from every angle. It's a great series to get lost in.
11. Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke
Let's end with Dragon Rider, which unlike most of the other books on this list is told in large part from the dragon's perspective. Humans are encroaching on dragon land, and the dragon Firedrake goes out in search of the Rim of Heaven, a legendary haven for dragons. Along with Firedrake comes the cat-like creature Sorrel and the orphan boy Ben. Together, they figure out a way to perhaps save dragonkind both from human encroachment and a fearsome creature bent on destroying dragons
Dragon Rider was originally written in German, but was a huge success when an English translation came out in 2004. One sequel, Dragon Rider: The Griffin's Feather, came out in 2017, meaning this is a compact series perfect for younger readers.
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