Dragons

A few years ago the movie "How to Train Your Dragon" was a huge hit.  At the time I was teaching in an elementary special needs classroom and was always looking for good books to read aloud with my class.  I chose How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell so that I could use the movie as a visual for the book.  It was also a great book for a classroom full of boys and I was able to easily adapt the book to meet their needs.  If you are a special needs teacher for students with moderate to severe disabilities click here to see a sample of my How to Train Your Dragon book adaptation.

Needless to say my classroom full of boys loved the book and the movie.  I wish that three years ago I knew about Kate McMullan's series, Dragon Slayer's Academy.  Her first book The New Kid at School  reminded me a lot of How to Train Your Dragon. A young boy, Wiglaf, who is forgotten in his family and ignored by peers, steps up to play the hero in the dragon world, much like Hiccup did in How to Train Your Dragon.  

The great thing about McMullan's series is that they are short easy reads.  I would have been able to easily read aloud a chapter a day to my class, with out having to adapt or omit parts. Plus, I would have been able to extend the dragon theme out that they loved so much.

If you are a teacher, or parent, with boys grades first through fifth I would check out How to Train Your  Dragon and Draon Slayer's Academy as read alouds.  They are funny, creative and packed with action.  As a bonus "How to Train Your Dragon 2" comes out in theaters in 2014.  Going to a movie could make great reward for meeting a reading goal!

Check out the trailer for "How to Train Your Dragon 2."

Happy Reading!
Laura