Cressida Cowell is the number one bestselling author-illustrator of the How to Train Your Dragon and The Wizards of Once book series. It brings together every adventure Hiccup and his friends have had, as well as reintroducing old characters and tying up loose ends. Common Sense is the nation's leading nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of all kids and families by providing the trustworthy information, education, and independent voice they need to thrive in the 21st century. It's all so thrilling and by now we know the characters so well that we're terribly proud of them and worried for them.

it is by turns grim, poignant, philosophical and terrifying, woven through with Cowell's slapstick humour. So I had plenty of real beliefs like that about witches that I could tap into and use to then create my scary witches in the books. Cressida Cowell grew up in London and on a small, uninhabited island off the west coast of Scotland. its characters, Xar the wizard who has no magic, and Wish the warrior princess, who happens to have a magic spoon, are irresistible.This is the final instalment in the How to Train Your Dragon series and it packs an emotional punch. We caught up with her to find out how she ended up writing her books and where she gets her inspiration from. This is the story of a young boy Wizard and a young girl Warrior who have been taught since birth to hate each other like poison; and the thrilling tale of what happens when their two worlds collide.

Fans of How To Train Your Dragon who have been waiting for Cressida Cowell's new series will not be disappointed. Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III was an incredible sword-fighter, dragon-whisperer and the greatest Viking hero who ever lived.

Packed with Cowell's own quirky illustrations and as imaginative, funny and warm-hearted as the Dragon books. There are "giant heads hanging in the main hall, dead as doornails," and Wish finds other severed heads in the dungeon. Ideas I had about Vikings and dragons during summer holidays when I was 9 years old became 12 books, and a film and TV series. Fresh, vivid metaphors and similes throughout: "her face turned to a diamond stiffness," a knot comes undone "like a small snake uncoiling," a room shakes in the wind "as if a lunatic were rocking a baby's cradle. The illustrations by the author are an outstanding feature of the book - they really convey the atmosphere and propel the reader into this fantastical world.

If you're struggling to find illustrated books for older children, then try some of these: all brilliant stories that are brilliantly illustrated.It's so brilliantly entertaining, exciting and scary, you'll be desperate to get your hands on the sequel. When the two young protagonists sneak out of their respective royal residences and meet, their fates become intertwined. I particularly love it when I get children excited about reading because I love books and I want children to read books with as much excitement as I read them when I was a kid.