Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
81st out of 340 books
—
552 voters
The New Kid at School (Dragon Slayers' Academy #1)
When a traveling minstrel foretells that he is to become a hero, Wiglaf sets out to fulfill his destiny: he signs up at the Dragon Slayers' Academy. But how can he ever hope to be a dragon slayer when he can't even stand the sight of blood?
Paperback, 112 pages
Published
May 12th 2003
by Grosset & Dunlap
(first published May 12th 1997)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
1,033)
May 27, 2012
Dolly
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
children starting to read chapter books
This is the first book in the Dragon Slayers' Academy series by Kate McMullan. Our girls have been reading a few different dragon stories and so this one piqued their interest.
One of the series we've been reading (the Dragon Keepers series by Kate Klimo) paints the dragon as the hero and the slayer in a bad light. But this story gives us more of a typical look at dragons and their slayers, although the story is riddled with tongue-in-cheek humor.
This tale offers an interesting take on the drag...more
One of the series we've been reading (the Dragon Keepers series by Kate Klimo) paints the dragon as the hero and the slayer in a bad light. But this story gives us more of a typical look at dragons and their slayers, although the story is riddled with tongue-in-cheek humor.
This tale offers an interesting take on the drag...more
Well, this brings back memories. As a young child (as you can tell I'm not exactly "old", let's just say I'm somwhere between the age of 13-16 right now) I loved this series of books. I would borrow as many as I could at a time from the library and read them all as fast as I could never stopping to take a break.
Now that I'm older I'm seeing how hard it is too find good children books. This book is spectacular for children. It's not found in my libraries or bookstores now days (mostly because it...more
Now that I'm older I'm seeing how hard it is too find good children books. This book is spectacular for children. It's not found in my libraries or bookstores now days (mostly because it...more
Grades 4-5
McMullan tells the story of Wiglaf, a young boy who feels maltreated and decides to join a special school that trains heroes, The Dragon Slayer's Academy. Once there, Wiglaf realizes that the school is odd, but he learns to make friends. The story is full of comical adventures and jokes. The illustrations in the book are all black and white, but are very detailed. The pictures are spread out with about three to four pages of text in between. This book will appeal to children by enticin...more
McMullan tells the story of Wiglaf, a young boy who feels maltreated and decides to join a special school that trains heroes, The Dragon Slayer's Academy. Once there, Wiglaf realizes that the school is odd, but he learns to make friends. The story is full of comical adventures and jokes. The illustrations in the book are all black and white, but are very detailed. The pictures are spread out with about three to four pages of text in between. This book will appeal to children by enticin...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
I found this book to be very interesting it had the factor that makes you not want to put the book down. This book was about a young boy, Wiglaf, who didn’t fit in with a family of 12 siblings. One day he meets a man who tells him his fortune, he was going to become a hero. After 12 years of getting picked on by his older siblings Wiglaf finally felt he would have something to be proud of. Not long after his fortune was told he is on a trip to the fair with his family and he comes across a sign...more
2nd-4th grade independent read
McMullan writes a beginning chapter book (first in a series) about Wiglaf who wants to show his family that he would become a hero. The text is medium typeface with a few detailed black and white pictures throughout the book to give some visualization to the young reader. The paragraphs are three to four sentences with easy site words until they bring in pig latin which may confuse young children. There is some reference to the modern day such Queen Barb and King Ke...more
McMullan writes a beginning chapter book (first in a series) about Wiglaf who wants to show his family that he would become a hero. The text is medium typeface with a few detailed black and white pictures throughout the book to give some visualization to the young reader. The paragraphs are three to four sentences with easy site words until they bring in pig latin which may confuse young children. There is some reference to the modern day such Queen Barb and King Ke...more
Wiglaf is a 12 year old boy who has been told by a minstrel that someday he will become a hero. So when Wiglaf sees an advertisement of a Dragon Slayers' Academy he heads off with the blessing of his parents (who are glad to be rid of him and hope that he'll make them rich with the gold from the dragons he will slay). It's not long after arriving at the Dragon Slayers' Academy that he's sent off to fight his first dragon. But how can a boy who has never willingly hurt a fly, and has in fact gone...more
I read this book to my boys, we have 1-10. They thought it was hilarious and I laughed as well. I recommend them to anyone, although I think they would appeal more to boys. We are excited to read the next one.
My 8-year old son has been reading this book aloud for us. We LOVE the character of Wiglaf (great name!) and laugh outloud at his mishaps. He is sooo good hearted that even when he believes he is saving the life of the wizard stuck in the swamp, he has failed because the wizard is really there on purpose! And how can he be so unfortunate as to strike the teacher, Coach Plungett, by his wig, instead of spearing the training dragon? This book inspires my dyslexic son to continue reading. Thanks so...more
Kate McMullanin "Uusi oppilas" (Sanoma Magazines, 2010) aloittaa uuden Lohikäärmeakatemia -kirjasarjan, jonka ensisijainen kohderyhmä löytynee alakoulun pienimmistä oppilaista (kakkoset, kolmoset).
Sarjan päähenkilö on kaksitoistavuotias Wiglaf-poika, joka asuu yhdessä isänsä, äitinsä ja yhdentoista veljensä kanssa pienessä röttelössä. Kun kiertelevä trubaduuri ennustaa, että Wiglafilla on edessään loistava tulevaisuus sankarina, tulee hän pestautuneeksi akatemiaan, josta valmistuu urhoollisten l...more
Sarjan päähenkilö on kaksitoistavuotias Wiglaf-poika, joka asuu yhdessä isänsä, äitinsä ja yhdentoista veljensä kanssa pienessä röttelössä. Kun kiertelevä trubaduuri ennustaa, että Wiglafilla on edessään loistava tulevaisuus sankarina, tulee hän pestautuneeksi akatemiaan, josta valmistuu urhoollisten l...more
Oct 12, 2007
Debbie
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
reluctant reader, young harry potter lovers
Shelves:
k-3rd_grade,
fantasy
From School Library Journal Grade 2-4. A fantasy adventure for beginning chapter-book readers. Wiglaf, the would-be hero, lives with his large, brutish family in abject poverty. Their hovel smells worse than their pigsty. Though Wiglaf is the smallest member of the family, he is made to do all the work, and is constantly picked on by the others because he is reluctant to kill any living thing. A traveling minstrel tells Wiglaf's fortune; it shows that he can improve his lot by performing a galla...more
For me, at least it was short. I can see where a younger child, girl or boy, might enjoy this. It would work especially well as a suggestion for someone who enjoyed the new How to Train Your Dragon movie. The vocabulary is fairly good which would help reassure a parent, but it's not too high and mighty for a kid to not enjoy it. It was rather silly and the twist about one of the characters was out of left field, but overall I think kids will pick it up and read it. The humor is something that ma...more
Tässäpä vasta hauska ja helppolukuinen kirja pienimmille fantasian ystäville!
Perheensä hylkimä Wiglaf pääsee possunsa kanssa lohikäärmeakatemiaan, jossa opetetaan miten lohikäärmeitä surmataan. Pieni Wiglaf ei oikein haluaisi surmata hyönteisiäkään, mutta uskoo että tosipaikan tulle hän voisi olla valmis tappamaan ilkeän lohikäärmeen.
Kirja oikeastaan loppuu ennen kuin ehtii alkaakaan, mutta onneksi kakkososa on jo suomennettu!
Perheensä hylkimä Wiglaf pääsee possunsa kanssa lohikäärmeakatemiaan, jossa opetetaan miten lohikäärmeitä surmataan. Pieni Wiglaf ei oikein haluaisi surmata hyönteisiäkään, mutta uskoo että tosipaikan tulle hän voisi olla valmis tappamaan ilkeän lohikäärmeen.
Kirja oikeastaan loppuu ennen kuin ehtii alkaakaan, mutta onneksi kakkososa on jo suomennettu!
Thought this book would be funny for most students, but boys would probably get the most out of it. Wiglaf, mistreated by his family, decides to enroll in the Dragon Slayer's Academy to become a hero. On the first day, he is ordered to kill the local dragon, where he brings it down with bad jokes. Kids would find this funny and may relate to being mistreated by parents, siblings, and some teachers (not me, ofcourse).
I thought this was a really good book. I think it works well for young readers. Even as an adult I thought the story line was interesting enough.
I especially enjoyed how the sword came to life. I like the surprises, like the wizard and that one of the students had an identity secret.
I was able to finish then in one day. I think reading this series will help me on my quest in studying childrens literature.
I especially enjoyed how the sword came to life. I like the surprises, like the wizard and that one of the students had an identity secret.
I was able to finish then in one day. I think reading this series will help me on my quest in studying childrens literature.
Very cute book. Read this with to my 4 year old son. He thought it was hysterical and loved the dragon. The chapters and overall story were just the right length to keep him interested. The physical text was also big enough that he could easily pick out his sight words as we read and was able to work with mom and dad to sound out other words. Some of the vocabulary was still above his skill level so it would be another few years before he could read this on his own without an adult to explain so...more
I'm giving this book 4 stars, even though I didn't think it was anything great because I think kids would love it and, as a result, their love of books and reading would grow. It is pure fluff, kid-style entertainment, nothing of great worth unless you want to learn how to tell a bad joke. It has quite a bit of humor and adventure in it that would keep kids laughing and wanting more.
The 4-star rating is mostly reflective of my 7-year-old son's opinion of this book (I think he would actually give it 5 stars while I would give it 3). It is a cute book, funny and quirky. But some parts were really difficult to read aloud convincingly! The writing was very stilted and awkward in spots, but overall we both enjoyed reading this book together.
Think Harry Potter meets How To Train Your Dragon...but vastly less enjoyable than both. I felt like my IQ was dropping while reading this. I really would have quit the book if it wasn't so short (read it in an hour). The best part of the book was the "Pig Latin" speaking pig. I obviously won't be reading the rest of the series.
My 8 year old son has been reading these and Bryan and I decided to read them with him too. The whole series is quite hilarious. Short, satirical, with references to modern society such as the monarchs are Queen Barbie and King Ken. Quite easy for me to read in a few bathroom settings (Did I really admit that?!).
This is a cute book is a good one for preadolescence reluctant readers. Most tweens will be able to identify with this story of disgusting parents, abusive siblings, and incompetant, greedy teachers. After reading it and asigning it to a student, who really liked it, I am buying the next three books in the series
Wiglaf on poika, joka ei pysty vahingoittamaan kärpästäkään. Tästä huolimatta hän pestautuu Lohikäärmeakatemiaan opiskelemaan lohikäärmeen tappamista. Millainen soppa syntyykään, kun velho taikoo possun puhumaan takaperin, taikamiekka ei toimikaan kunnolla ja lohikäärme pitäisi päästää päiviltä?
Kakkosille.
Kakkosille.
This is aimed at beginning readers, but is still fun. I would pick up these books (there are more than a dozen in the series) and read them in the BYU Bookstore if I had an hour between classes. It has dragons, a princess in disguise, a pig that talks in pig latin, and a wizard with memory problems.
With wizards, dragons, and a medieval setting, this book introduces elements of fantasy while maintaining a light tone found in Wiglaf’s jokes and mishaps. This is a fine book for children who want to experience fantasy, but aren’t able to read Andrew Lloyd Alexander or J.K. Rowling yet.
With wizards, dragons, and a medieval setting, this book introduces elements of fantasy while maintaining a light tone found in Wiglaf’s jokes and mishaps. This is a fine book for children who want to experience fantasy, but aren’t
able to read Andrew Lloyd Alexander or J.K. Rowling yet.
able to read Andrew Lloyd Alexander or J.K. Rowling yet.
Buku ini lucu dan ringan banget, tidak melibatkan emosi sama sekali. Walau demikian, saya sulit melupakan tokoh-tokohnya dengan mudah, tidak seperti buku-buku ringan lainnya.
Dragon Slayer Academy mirip dengan serial How to Teach Your Dragon-nya Cressida Cowell, hanya saja lebih tipis!
Dragon Slayer Academy mirip dengan serial How to Teach Your Dragon-nya Cressida Cowell, hanya saja lebih tipis!
It is not too much to ask that a book should entertain both child and parent at the same time. My five-and-a-half-year-old was mildly entertained, but I felt blech about it. Good motivation to keep writing my own stories for the kids.
Wiglaf was told that he would become a hero, but he kept wondering when it would happen. When he sees a poster for Dragon Slayers' Academy he thinks he finally has his chance at being a hero.
This was actually a pretty fun book with a few unexpected surprises. I'll probably be reading other books in the series.
This was actually a pretty fun book with a few unexpected surprises. I'll probably be reading other books in the series.
This is a fun little children's book that details the experience of an out-of-place runt who goes off to Dragon Slayers' Academy. Some funny parts and a nice introduction to historical terminology for the age group. First in a series.
An early chapter book about a fortune teller who tells Wiglaf that he will become a hero. In believing the man, Wiglaf signs himself up to join the Dragon Slayers Academy(DSA). Here he has some interesting adventures which culminate in him being selected to slay a dragon with fellow DSA student Eric. Wiglaf is a very likeable character and what stands out the most is his ability to outwit and find ways to overcome his size and fears.
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Aug 03, 2012 12:58pm
Aug 03, 2012 03:08pm
We've read her "I Stink," "I...more
Aug 06, 2012 07:22am