Training to become a pirate, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III proves his mettle again while hunting for his ancestor's famous treasure. As rightful heir, this unlikely hero triumphs over vicious beasts and humans by relying on luck, a bit of courage, and lots of heart. Humorous childlike illustrations and zany character names add laughs to this amusing book.

Quick wit and a heroic heart win out over brawn and bravado in this follow-up to How to Train Your Dragon (2004). Mild-mannered Viking-in-training Hiccup—son of Stoick the Vast, "Terror of the Seas, Most High Ruler of the Hooligans, O Hear His Name and Tremble, Ugh, Ugh"—and his pipsqueak dragon, Toothless, survive storm, shipwreck, monsters, brutal outlaws and the jeers of bullying classmates to discover a huge treasure left by his renowned ancestor Grimbeard the Ghastly. Cowell works very hard to envelop events in a mantle of farce, inflicting characters with proudly borne names like Gobber the Belch and Hugefarts while strewing sudden disasters, stupid comments and crudely drawn sketches or inkblots throughout, but beneath it all, this is a semiserious exploration of what true heroism and leadership are all about. Not only does the larger-than-life Stoick turn out to be a loving father, but, having seen the ugly effects even a taste of treasure has on his fellow Hooligans, in the end Hiccup wisely elects to leave the real hoard hidden. Rank it with Debi Gliori's Pure Dead series, a cut above Philip Ardagh's out and out slapstick. (Fiction. 10-12)

Gr 4-6-The sequel to How to Train Your Dragon (Little, Brown, 2004) continues the adventures of the son of Stoick the Vast and future leader of the Hairy Hooligan Viking tribe. Although the skinny, freckled Hiccup has more brains than the rest of the Hairy Hooligans put together, he has a hard time garnering respect from anyone, least of all his arch-rival, Snotlout. It doesn't help that Hiccup's dragon, Toothless, is predisposed to hypochondria and cowardice. During a pirate-training session, them meet up with charming "Alvin the Poor-But-Honest-Farmer," who is keen to help them discover the legendary treasure of Grimbeard the Ghastly. After a series of hair-raising, humorous escapades on the high seas, a deadly island, and an undersea cavern, Hiccup learns some surprising things about his previously undervalued abilities. The usual motifs of deceptive appearances, last-minute escapes, and the merits of inner worth are addressed with humor that is accessible to both reluctant and avid readers. Cheeky drawings in the style of grade-school doodles add to the general appeal of the tale.-Farida S. Dowler, Mercer Island Library, WA Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.