Here There be Dragons.

Three friends named John, Jack and Charles come together when the death of Johns professor/teacher is mysteriously killed in his house.  The three friends then are encountered by a short man with a huge hat and clothes made out of books named bert finds them and tells them about the Imaginarium Geographica and tells John that the Professor before he died said that John will be the new keeper of the book.  Then the three friends and bert are attacked and chased by evil werewolf like creatures wielding ancient weaponry.  Bert then shows the three friends his ship called the indigo Dragon.  The three friends and bert then climb on board the ship and evade death from the evil creatures.  Over-All i think that here there be dragons is a very amazing book that I would recommend to everyone i know.