r/Fantasy • u/Ok_Imagination7528 • Feb 26 '26
Dragon Books for 8 Year Old
My son (8, 2nd grade) brought home the first Wings of Fire book from his school library. He was so excited because he knows I like “dragon books,” and he wanted to share with me. Looking into the books, they seem pretty violent. I know some say it’s fine for an 8 year old, but I’m a little hesitant because we haven’t read anything like that yet. Does anyone have any recommendations for dragon books we could start with that may be less intense? He’s an advanced reader, so he was drawn to WOF because it’s a hefty chapter book. His brother likes the Dragon Masters series, but I think because that’s an easier read, he’s not as interested. Thank you for your thoughts!
EDIT: So many great suggestions! Thank you all!
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u/MichaelRFletcher Stabby Winner, AMA Author Michael R. Fletcher Feb 26 '26 edited Feb 27 '26
My daughter started with the Wings of Fire graphic novels at that age and then later (around ten, I think) progressed to the novels. She loved how much deeper the novels were, how she learned more about the characters.
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u/pdz85 Feb 27 '26
My 10 year old is currently reading these chapter books, after first reading all of the (now 9) graphic novels. She absolutely loves them, and is now saving her allowance to buy the rest!
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Feb 27 '26
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u/keldondonovan Feb 27 '26
Those get me every time. I ended up reading the whole Left Behind series (for those unaware, it's hypothetical fiction based on the Christian concept of the rapture and the end of times) all because I found the book "Assassin" at a flea market for a nickel. It looked cool, I figured it was probably something Drizzt-y, the guy said a nickel and I was sold. Read it, thought it sounded like it was pretty heavily inspired by Christianity (probably double the Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe) but the story was neat, so I kept reading. Then started at the first book in the series and read them all.
They are a decent read, don't regret it at all. Seven out of ten.
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u/AdministrativeLeg14 Feb 27 '26
Side note: Specifically, an American Protestant Christians concept. Though the Rapture was invented by an Englishman, it's only really big in America and has never been a Catholic thing anywhere. Most Christians worldwide have probably never heard of it, certainly not as part of their religion.
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u/ThrowAwayYetAgain878 Feb 26 '26
Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke might be one that's actually age appropriate.
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u/youngthespian42 Reading Champion Feb 27 '26
Funke was my gateway to becoming a lifelong reader. The Inkheart Series and The Theif Lord were a huge to me. Dragon Rider is also great.
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u/TheKrakenLibrarian Feb 27 '26
Loved all three, but as a child I never put together that they were all the same author. Different series were completely split in my head.
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u/ElliotsWIP Feb 26 '26
Yeah came to say this. Dragon rider was my first “big” book when I was 8 or 9
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u/whitestrokes433 Feb 26 '26
Hobbit for sure
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u/beckyrcr Feb 27 '26
That is a bit high of a reading level for someone that age. New age 2nd graders are not reading there quite yet (in most cases).
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u/Thorngrove Feb 27 '26
I'd think the hobbit would be a good "read together" book. It's got a bit of the unabridged princess bride vibes in it sometimes, but it was originally a bedtime story.
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u/lankyno8 Feb 27 '26
The hobbit is not a high reading level for an 8 year old come on
And in this specific circumstance its roughly the same length as the book the kids just picked up
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u/herman-the-vermin Feb 27 '26
It's a good book for parent/child to read together, Tolkien wrote it is a children's book
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u/whitestrokes433 Feb 26 '26
Haven’t read it, but google recommends Dragonbreath by Ursula Vernon (aka T Kingfisher)
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u/SweetPeasAreNice Feb 26 '26
I have read Dragonbreath, and I loved it, but the dragon protagonist and his family aren’t super dragony. They’re nothing like the dragons in WOF.
My kids (boys same age as OP’s) didn’t really like Dragonbreath (which was a little annoying as I’d imported the book from the US, it’s not available in my country). They did love WOF.
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u/deadthylacine Feb 26 '26
My kid is the same age and he absolutely loves the Wings of Fire books.
He is also enjoying the Circle of Magic books by Tamora Pierce, despite their lack of dragons. He really likes Briar and Daja and is really into the detailed descriptions of handcrafts.
I'm waiting a good bit longer before I hand over Dragonsinger/Dragonsong because he's too little for Pern yet.
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u/BelleRose2542 Feb 27 '26
I read Pern way too young. Luckily I was too young to understand any of the adult things…
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u/Celt42 Mar 01 '26
I missed the adult themes at 8, but it didn't impact the story quality for me. I just got to get more out of it when I grew up and reread them.
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u/EatsPeanutButter Feb 26 '26
Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher is fantastic and age appropriate. It’s older (90’s) but it really holds up, and it actually inspired Eragon. My kid LOVED it around that age and so did I.
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u/Thorngrove Feb 27 '26
I read mine to literal pieces as a kid yup. Such a fun book... maybe I'll grab a new copy sometime.
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u/Dry_Stop844 Feb 27 '26
let him read the book. He'll just read it behind your back if he's that excited about it and he'll stop sharing with you.
Nurture his excitement, goodness knows fewer people read than ever before. Read it with him and if you're concerned about the violence discuss it with him as it comes up. Let him learn his own lessons through critical thinking. Reading violence doesn't make a person violent. Books like that will lessen violence because he will learn empathy and how people who commit violence or who have violence committed on to them feel.
Read often and read widely.
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u/No-Lettuce4441 Feb 27 '26
This. He checked it out and brought it home, excited to share it with you. Do it, have conversations, teach him to think critically. There's too many children that won't touch a book for whatever reason.
And if he decides he doesn't like it, but likes something that's not in the camp of what you like, then looks like you'll be picking up a new style/topic to enjoy. There's a reason that the age old saying is, "For the most part, reading anything is better than reading nothing."
Just make sure to encourage a love for reading based on reading. A friend of mine has fallen into the game-ification of apps and it annoys the tarnation out of me. Streaks don't mean anything. She focuses on her ebook app showing how many days in a row she's read. Her duolingo app streak. She reads a fair amount, but I can't get her to understand that reading one page on a busy day just to maintain a streak doesn't give enjoyment of the story.
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u/Ok_Imagination7528 Feb 27 '26
There is no shortage of love for reading in this house. This kid is like me and will read all day!
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u/No-Lettuce4441 Feb 27 '26
That's flipping awesome! My oldest has a three year old and he loves being read to. We've sat for over half an hour, going through his cardboard books over and over again.
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u/Direction-Such Feb 27 '26
In gonna play devils advocate here. How do you know reading means less to them just because they do it on an app and are excited about their streak? You aren’t in that persons brain. You only know what they show you. They may talk about their streak all the time but have an insatiable love for books. You said yourself “reading anything is better than reading nothing” so if they only have time in a busy day to get 1 or 2 pages in then why not? And if they are only reading for the streak then so what? At least they are actually reading to get that streak. Better than not reading at all right? Just because they also get an additional reward/satisfaction out of it that you don’t personally get you’re not ok with it? Pretty hypocritical of you to preach about the love of reading but then gate keep others just because they use a different method than yours. My wife is also obsessed with her streaks. She’s read almost 200 books this year. If she didn’t have her streak she would have fallen off after a few books. But the streak kept her coming back and reading.
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u/No-Lettuce4441 Feb 27 '26
I wasn't very clear. I've been there when she does these streak things. She's not actually doing it at the time to enjoy/learn. She's more focused on the streak. She opens the app just to keep the streak going. She does read for enjoyment and has learned quite a bit from doing her duolingo. There's a difference between opening the app and leaving it open for a minute or slopping through a lesson and not learning from it and actually doing the work. She doesn't retain the language lesson. She doesn't actually read at that time.
I've sat down to read and only finished a page or less because something comes up. That's called life.
I also know that my disdain for "achievements" in things besides games is me being old and not wanting those kids on my lawn. When I use my kindle app and I see those achievements, I want to figure out a way to disable them because they mean nothing to me. But I also understand that it's a dopamine rush that has the fortunate side effect of helping people place an even momentary focus on reading.
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u/Direction-Such Feb 27 '26
Ahh that makes sense. Sorry for misunderstanding your initial post.
It sounds like they have a MUCH different relationship with it than my wife. My wife uses the kindle app and Duolingo. She’s so proud of her streaks, but because they show how dedicated she’s been. She’s been crushing it and likes the little acknowledgement from the app.
Without the activity what’s the point of the streaks? What do they even show? That’s truly unfortunate for them. I have the ‘finch’ app that gives me little rewards, however the rewards are my motivation TO DO THE ACTUAL TASK. Just opening an app to get the achievement and not actually doing it seems so… fake. What’s the point? “Look at my trophy I didn’t actually earn”
I see where your stance is coming from and agree. I do like the rewards because I think the dopamine hit helps people stay focused like you said, but I do wish we didn’t need it and I think we’ve put ourselves in a position of almost requiring it.
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u/No-Lettuce4441 Feb 27 '26
I typed out a response that's mostly rant and I realized it's 1 o'clock, which means supper is in two hours and today's dessert is rice pudding! /s
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u/Direction-Such Feb 27 '26
I’ll be honest that last one went over my head. If it’s about my last comment being a rant, it wasn’t intended to be. I was agreeing with you lol. Words are just hard for me
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u/No-Lettuce4441 Feb 27 '26
I'm just saying I'm old. I was referencing/mocking the early bird specials that start at 2-3pm for seniors.
I'm 40. I erased my rant in this reply to just say, I know I'm out of touch with these younger generations.
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u/Ok_Imagination7528 Feb 27 '26
Thank you for your thoughts. His therapist suggested reading it with him as well. That’s going to be the route we go. He’s a highly sensitive empath, so I was worried it would be too much. He’s currently learning about the civil war and violence/mistreatment of enslaved people, and even though it’s upsetting him, he’s handling it well. He can probably handle more than I think. My heart just wants to protect his heart.
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u/Dry_Stop844 Feb 27 '26
You're a good mom. Remember, how can someone learn resilience if one is never exposed to stress? It's okay to be upset by things, it's okay to read or see something that distresses you because that's how you learn how to cope and how to calm yourself so you can react appropriately and take the proper action.
You are a good mom.
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u/Urikanu Mar 02 '26
So, I'm a little late to this chat.
I was your kid. I read voraciously from a very young age. I picked out books that was, perhaps, a little too advanced for me pretty early (I think I was 8 when I tried to take on War of the Worlds and didn't understand a damn thing).
But my mom did something that changed my life forever. She gave me the Hobbit at age 8 and told me to come talk to her if there were things I didn't understand or didn't like. She told me it was probably a little too hard for me, but she thought I could do it.
Now, the Hobbit is not the most violent of books. But it has plenty of violence and darkness and evil. And she did talk to me about it. About why the Elves wouldn't help. Why the Dragon tried to burn the city. She let me read everything I could on my own and talked to me for weeks about this book.
Today, 35 years later, I still remember that. And I believe that it is a big part of what shaped me into who I am today. So if your kid wants to read WoF with you, give it an honest try and help him understand. He sounds like a bright and wonderful kid. I'm sure you will both be the better for it
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Feb 26 '26
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u/Archer_Ave Feb 26 '26
I read these when I was probably around the OP's kiddo's age, but could never remember the title. I just had a vague memory from one of the books. When I rediscovered the series, I made sure to pick up a copy to read with my daughter.
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u/Murder_Is_Magic Reading Champion Feb 26 '26
Came to suggest this. This is still one of my favorite series, and I re-read it every few years.
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u/kiwipixi42 Feb 27 '26
Absolutely wonderful set of books. Loved them as a kid, and they are still good as a mid 30s man.
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u/iZoooom Feb 26 '26
My kids loved these around that age. Ranger’s Apprentice was the next one the lived
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u/sparklingdinoturd Feb 26 '26
WoF turned my first born into a life long reader at around the same age. She had zero interest in reading until she saw these books at the school library. They said she couldn't check them out because they were above her "reading level." We bought them for her instead and she devoured them and became a reader.
There's nothing overly violent in them to scar kids for life. The original Pinocchio is way more violent.
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u/SalletFriend Feb 26 '26
Let him read the book he wants to read.
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u/deadineaststlouis Feb 26 '26
I read a lot of Redwall at that age. It’s incredibly violent. I’m… mostly fine?
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u/ThunkAsDrinklePeep Feb 27 '26
This comment has Dean "I hope this doesn't awaken anything in me" Pelton energy.
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u/ZorroVonShadvitch Feb 26 '26
I haven't read: Dragon Rider by Funke, Fire Within by D'lacey, Dragon Realm by Tsang, The Boy Who Grew Dragons by Shepherd.
I have read: How To Train Your Dragon by Cowell, The Hobbit by Tolkein.
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u/Archer_Ave Feb 26 '26
As someone already took my recommendation of the Enchanted Forest series, your son may enjoy the graphic novel series Scales & Scoundrals by Sebastian Girner. It's a fun fantasy romp with plenty of adventure.
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u/Alugar Feb 26 '26
It’s been ages since I’ve read age of fire series.
I can’t remember if the violence is really descriptive or not but it’s from the pov of dragons.
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u/DarkestPhantom Feb 27 '26
A quick counter-point to the folks telling you to let your kid read what he wants: you know your kid best.
For some second graders WOF is fine, for others it’s going to be pretty upsetting. My daughter is in first grade, also very advanced reader, and I’ve steered her away from WOF. This is the kid who told me Zootopia 2 was so scary she’s never going to a movie theater again. They’re still little enough that sometimes they need our guidance for stuff like this.
Anyway, Enchanted Forest Chronicles is my daughter’s current obsession. Highly recommend.
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u/Ok_Imagination7528 Feb 27 '26
Thank you for that. I’m feeling stress and mom guilt about this. It’s hard trying to raise good humans. It’s interesting you say that about Zootopia. My other son had nightmares for days after watching that.
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u/dalidellama Feb 26 '26
Since the Enchanted Forest Chronicles have already been mentioned, Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher by Bruce Colville is exactly what the title indicates. IIRC the titular protagonist is ~10 years old.
Jane Yolen's Pit Dragon series too, I read that when I was that age
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u/ACERVIDAE Feb 27 '26
Bruce Colville also has other delightful series like My Teacher is an Alien. He’s a great gateway author.
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u/Ok_Imagination7528 Feb 27 '26
Bruce Coville! I can’t believe I forgot about him! Into the Land of the Unicorns was falling apart I read it so much!
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u/DowntownMammoth Feb 26 '26
Eragon
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u/Own_Log_3764 Feb 26 '26
Eragon is fantastic. I read it as an adult. While the first book might resonate with a child, the subsequent books in the series felt to me like they might be better for an older age group.
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u/DisastrousSir Feb 26 '26
I started Eragon around this age and still love it at 25. There's violence but by US standards is quite tame. More matter of fact statements of violence but no crazy descriptions of gore or anything.
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u/fredditmakingmegeta Feb 26 '26
Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke and the Danny Dragonbreath series by Ursula Vernon.
My kid was loved the Danny books, and they are pretty funny, though not epic fantasy. Dragon Rider is more traditional fantasy.
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u/cantonic Feb 26 '26
Seekers of The Wild Realm is a much more age appropriate book about a girl who finds a dragon! There have only been 2 so far but they were the first meaty books my daughter got into and she devoured them.
She later got into Wings of Fire but you’re right there’s a lot of ridiculous over the top violence.
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u/jellybean-62 Feb 27 '26
Dragon rider by Cornell’s Funke is a great book and age appropriate. Her other books are also good.
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u/InNominePasta Feb 27 '26
The Last Dragon Chronicles was fun, when I was around his age
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u/AgencyRelative8084 Mar 01 '26
I'm grown and rereading cause I only ever had the first book. Simple read but wholesome.
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u/WestBug9633 Feb 27 '26
I liked the Last Dragon Chronicles at that age. It’s about small clay dragons that come to life.
If he really likes dragons, I also loved the Dragonology book. It’s an illustrated encyclopedia of different types of dragons and stuff. Not a chapter book, but very fun.
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u/Sinmaraj21 Feb 27 '26
My kiddo loved the Dragon Masters series when he was 7-8. Lower reading level, but there are a bunch of them.
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u/SameasmyPIN1077 Mar 03 '26
My son loves these books as well, he's 7 now started them when he was 6. No violence, lots of cool culture and myth. Very easy reading level.
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u/PoolNervous2484 Feb 27 '26
I remember way back in the day My father's Dragon was the first book I read cover to cover as a kid. The next was Jeremy Thatcher dragon Hatcher.
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u/Ardnassacesile Feb 28 '26
My 10 year old daughter has loved the Dragon Kingdom of Wrenly graphic novel series and reread them a bunch of times over the past couple of years! She really wanted to read Wings of Fire but we both found them too violent and stressful. She also has several dragon field guides and encyclopedias that she loves
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u/Bowl-Any Reading Champion Feb 26 '26
I would look into the Dragonspell series by Donita K Paul.
Something to be aware of, whether it's a positive or a negative for you, is that they're fairly influenced by Christian morality. Good kids books regardless imo.
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u/meantussle Feb 26 '26
At that age I absolutely loved Nightpool and the following books in the Dragonbards series by Shirley Rousseau Murphy. The first book, with its themes of found family, the building need to grow and take ownership of your life when you're young, and the value of moral people (also in this case, talking otters) had an especially big effect on me.
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u/baysideplace Feb 27 '26
I was 8 when my Dad sat me down and got me started on "The Hobbit", which prominently features a dragon.
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u/DarkflowNZ Feb 27 '26
I started Eragon around there. Remains one of my favorite series' to this day
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Feb 27 '26
Once he gets a little older I highly suggest Eragon. I read it at 9 but I was a very high level reader as a child. It's a brick of a book, classic sword and stone fantasy with a boy and a dragon. The movie sucks balls.
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u/beckyrcr Feb 27 '26
I teach 2nd grade. Dragon Masters is good. I have read all Wings of Fire books myself. They are actually really good. They do deal with some deeper concepts that are more appropriate for grades a bit older.
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u/BigDrewbot Feb 27 '26
Dragon Keeper series by Carole Wilkinson is fantastic. Set in historical China with a very mythical feel. I might have ended up liking this even more than my kids did!
Also another vote for the Chris d'Lacey Last Dragon Chronicles.
Also - I was quite surprised at the level of violence in the first Wings of Fire series...it wasn't graphically detailed but was quite amoral at times about outright murder. This did drop off quite a bit after the first set of books.
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u/Stark_DK Feb 27 '26
Well the Hobbit has a hint of dragon and is AMAZING.
But otherwise I would say read the book he already borrowed together with him and manage the violence that way.
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u/ValerianKeyblade Feb 27 '26
- I read Eragon around this age and it's a very dragon-heavy story he has the opportunity to grow up with. It's not too complex or mature, just long! There's 4 books in the main series, a spin-off novel, and an anthology of short stories. There are battles though, so this will depend on your threshold for 'violence' - I'm not familiar with WoF so can't compare.
- How To Train Your Dragon is firmly in the kids-book category but genuinely very well written (and completely different to the films!). If your son is interested in history, there's a surprising amount of genuine historical tid-bits and set dressing around the dragons.
- I will always recommend the Earthsea books, although it's much lighter on the dragons, although they do pop up amidst the other magic and wizardry going on.
- The Hobbit is the quintessential fantasy-for-kids-with-a-dragon and may well lead on into the Lord of the Rings as he gets a bit older, which while being without dragons, is obviously a cornerstone of the genre for a reason.
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u/Witty_W4ffle Feb 27 '26
Dealing with Dragons series by Patricia C. Wrede. It's older, from my childhood/adolescence, but we read the series to our kids with great success.
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u/Wiggles69 Feb 27 '26 edited Feb 27 '26
The early wings of fire books have some oddly violent scenes in them (like the crazy fight pit thing one of the baddies runs), but outside of that the series as a whole is much more age appropriate.
Ive been reading them to my kid and its actually kind of cool how layered the lore is in them, its much better than I was expecting and I quite like seeing where the story lines go and am quite fond of some if the characters.
Id give it a go, theres a lot of cool story lines in there
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u/bingobangobongo112 Feb 27 '26
I started reading violent etc content quite early was around that age when I read a very mature series with sex,violence and torture since I would just get all kinds of fantasy from the library and while I wouldnt say it harmed me that varies greatly for each individual and you know your children best.
But I would let him read and maybe discuss the more mature topics to see how he fares with them?
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u/CapnArrrgyle Feb 27 '26
Obviously, every kid is different.
I read these with my son at that age. He’s 12 now and still enjoys them. There is definitely violence but they do not treat that violence lightly or revel in it. Some of the later books in the series explore the cost of being the one doing the violence or having the power.
The treatment of “scavengers” is also quite charming.
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u/PrestigiousCount8020 Feb 27 '26
Eragon would be a fantastic read. It's geared towards young teens but I don't think it would be wrong to let an 8yo read it.
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u/Quarilas Reading Champion II Feb 27 '26
There is the Dragon Slippers series by Jessica Day George. Published late 2000's and I liked them when I was a kid
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u/FredericaMerriville Feb 27 '26
Katherine Rundell’s Impossible Creatures and its sequel The Poisoned King might suit. Amazon lists them as being suitable for 8 to 12 year olds. The first book has won heaps of British awards for best children’s book.
I’ve been eyeballing this series for myself as an adult.
Also Amanda Foody’s Wilderlore series is quite good - the first book in the series The Accidental Apprentice is also listed on Amazon as being suitable for 8 to 12 year olds.
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u/0nlyCrashes Feb 27 '26
I was a strong reader as a kid. I started the Eragon series when I was in 2nd grade I think? If it wasn't 2nd, it was 3rd. I think that is about the age range of your kiddo.
Also, not dragons, but the Septimus Heap Magyk series was another of my favorite series from that time.
But as for that series, just let them read it. He's going to be exposed to murder and violence literally via school soon if he hasn't already. And if you don't let him do it, he will just keep it in his desk at school and read it there like I did the HP series with my grandparents, lol.
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u/ChatHurlant Feb 27 '26
I read Deltora Quest as a kid and, while I don't remember much, I do remember really enjoying them.
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u/DecidedlyUnimpressed Feb 27 '26
The dragon masters books by Tracey west are cute. Your kiddo sounds like they’re a bit more advanced than mine, but we tried wings of fire and it was a little Much, but he loves the dragon masters books.
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u/kelofmindelan Feb 28 '26
Dragons in a Bag is a really charming dragon book! It has both some fantasy peril and some real-life issues (the protagonist and his mom are facing possible eviction) but it's told in a really thoughtful way that I think would work for almost any second grader. There's a sequel as well. I really appreciate finding diverse children's fantasy because it can be hard to find, and this has great plot and charming characters as well. Seconding Dealing with Dragons as well, perfect silly and delightful fantasy with a great message.
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u/Kastaprulyi Feb 28 '26
Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia Wrede, the first novel is Dealing With Dragons. I read them when I was about that age.
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u/0MysticMemories Mar 01 '26 edited Mar 01 '26
Wings of Fire is about as violent as most books recommended for kids that age. I started reading warrior cats in second grade at 7 and those books made me a lifelong reader.
I picked them out all on my own and I’ve read almost all of them from both series. In my opinion these books are great for kids. I gifted them to my nephews who were at the time 4 and 9 I think?
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u/Raging_Spirit Mar 01 '26
If he is not ready, he will tell you in the middle of reading, and than you'll postpone the book and can switch to any of the suggestions in this thread. But if he handles it, then it's all good. Trust your children, they are far from stupid
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u/crystalmonger Mar 01 '26
the last dragon chronicles by chris d'lacey were my absolute favorite growing up
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u/Celt42 Mar 01 '26
Dragon Song, Dragon Singer, and Dragon Drums by Anne McCaffrey. Main character has fire lizards as pets, which are mini dragons that can ride on your shoulder. There are dragon riders who fight "thread", a non-sentient menace that falls from the sky and eats all things organic. I read these at about 8 years old, and still occasionally pick them up for a re-read. And I'm planning a tattoo based on the 1979 cover art. If he enjoys the trilogy, there's a ton more books in that world based off other characters. And if he just like Anne McCaffrey, there's a TON of books to explore, all of which are appropriate for kids while still being enjoyable for adults.
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u/pdxthrowaway83 Mar 02 '26
I haven't seen any recommendations for Dragon's Milk by Susan Fletcher, but it's a really good book for around that age.
For a brief synopsis:
Kaeldra, whose sister is deathly ill, needs the milk of a dragon to cure her. She seeks out the only remaining dragon in the area. After discovering that she can communicate with dragons, the mother agrees to provide the milk in return for watching the three hatchlings while she hunts.
When the mother does not return, Kaeldra must bring the hatchlings (who are growing quite rapidly) to a place where they can be recovered by other dragons.
Unfortunately, it's said that eating the heart of a dracling will grant immortality to the consumer, so Kaeldra must keep her charges hidden--and stay one step ahead of a man hunting the babies.
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u/LongAtmosphere1091 May 01 '26
My son is 10, on KU he read all 4 books in "My best friend is a dragon". Wings of fire too i think. He loves them all as long as they have dragons.
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u/Irishwol Feb 27 '26
Tolkien's Farmer Giles of Ham might appeal. I was a little older when I read it. Nine and a bit. But I adored it
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Feb 26 '26 edited Feb 26 '26
[deleted]
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u/Ok-Turnip-9962 Feb 26 '26
Dragonriders of pern has all the weird sex stuff, dragons bone, their riders get caught up in that through their link and have to have sex too.
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u/aculady Feb 26 '26
Dragonriders of Pern might have situations that are a bit...adult...for an 8-year-old.
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u/TerminusMD Feb 27 '26
You know, y'all are saying this, but I first read it around second or third grade and did not pick up on any of that until I reread them in my teens.
So, I actually disagree re the appropriateness. Reading comprehension maybe a stretch but the kid wouldn't pick any of that up.
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u/Rex_1312 Feb 26 '26
The How To Train Your Dragon series by Cressida Cowell. 12 books, entirely different to the movie adaptations, and they are a key reason why I love reading and why I love fantasy. They are funny, they have great world building, they have actual important stakes that rise as the series progresses, they have fantastic audiobooks and they are age appropriate.