The New Kid at School: Dragon Slayers' Academy

Title: The New Kid at School: Dragon Slayers' Academy

Author: Kate McMullan
# of Pages: 112 pages 

Published by: Grosset & Dunlap; Revised/Expanded edition (May 1, 2003)
Age Range: 7-10
Grade Level: 2-5

The main character Wiglaf is treated poorly at home. He has an opportunity to go to a special school that trains heroes. The school consists of odd teachers, strange classes, and fellow students who are bound to become the hero's close friends. Wiglaf wants to become a dragon slayer, but he doesn't want to hurt anything. The violence in this book is kept to a minimum. Wiglaf can't even squish an an ant or kiss a rat. But he does want to get away from home and the minstrel that stayed with his family for the winter predicted that he would become a great hero. Wiglaf decided to go to the Dragon Slaying school where he took classes to learn how to defeat dragons. He learns that every dragon has a different secret. The spells that Wiglaf learns and other unusual and amusing moments throughout the book will be sure to grab students' interest!

This book uses children, magic, and fantasy to expand the minds of its readers. Dragons ar such a popular theme for young students. This book is also apart of the Dragon Slayers' Academiy Series. The setting is one such as a magical school, and the story is internally consistent. The characters are relatable and easy for many students to relate to. The fantasy elements are logical and use magic and dragons to enhance the plot. I really liked this book and this whole series. I think it would be a great chapter book for students to read, especially if they like dragons! 

Classroom activities and lessons include: 

• Chapter questions and literacy activities 
• Dragon activities 
• A fun quiz
• Explore the author's website

Here is a trailer for Dragon Slayers' Academy: