They Came on Viking Ships – Jackie French
I know it’s Saturday, but Friday came and went. Just pretend it’s Friday while you’re reading this.
I tried medieval history as an undergrad and I just didn’t get it. Medievalists are a special sort of person, they love 
all things medieval and don’t really care about modern history.I’m the opposite.
But I do like Vikings. A lot.
Blame it on my ancestry. My fair skin and well above average height betray northern European origins. In keeping with my interest in Vikings I really liked this book by Jackie French. French is Australian, and a prolific author. G1 has read several of her books and enjoyed them.
The main characters are a girl, Hekja, and her dog, Snarf. They are captured by Vikings, one of whom is the daughter of Eric the Red. The story follows Hekja life as a Viking slave, which includes some great adventures.
This book has a Christian component to it as the Greenlanders that Hekja is captured by have recently converted to Christianity. The Christianity is syncretistic, the Vikings have merged some of their pre-Christian beliefs with Christianity. This is particularly evident when some one is given a Christian burial service, but is buried with grave goods. This could be used to talk about the spread of early Christianity. In fact the whole book is a really good introduction to Viking life.
Another point about this book is it is a challenging read, but there is nothing in it I wouldn’t want a 10 year old to read. This makes it a great for those children whose reading age is higher than their chronological age.
I think this book would need a reading age of 12+ and could be enjoyed by older children (or adults). Although the main character is a girl there is plenty of fighting, something Vikings were famous for. Because of this I think boys would enjoy this as well. Both G1 and I really liked this book. We got our copy form the young adults section of the public library.
Filed under Book reviews - Children's books | Comment (0)Judy Moody by Megan MacDonald
Look it’s Friday, and I’ve done a book review!
Do you have an 7-8 year old girl? Then go to the library and get her a Judy Moody book.
I really like Judy and so did my girls. Children like Judy’s zaniness, parents will appreciate that Judy is a pretty normal kid, with a normal home life.
The plot lines revolve around the kind of things that middle primary school children can understand. Making new friends, and what happens to the old ones. When your teacher goes on a long break and you get a substitute. This happened to G2 last year, and the scenario that Megan McDonald writes reflected her experience.
From a Christian perspective these books are neutral. There are no Christian characters but neither is Christianity portrayed in a negative way. Book 4, ‘Judy Moody Predicts the Future’, sparked some good conversations about who knew the future (God!) and why people like to know what is in the future.
These books are readily available. The age range is 7+, G1 is 10 and she still likes Judy. They have a few pictures, making them an ideal transition book for those children moving into chapter books. I think Judy Moody will appeal to girls. McDonald has also written books from the perspective of Judy’s younger brother, Stink. Try those if you have a boy.
Filed under Book reviews - Children's books | Comments (2)The Rainbow Magic Fairies by Daisy Meadows
Last week we had our fortnightly library trip. G2 got out about 10 books, all of them were Rainbow Magic Fairy books. I tolerate this because G2 is a 7 year old girl.
The first thing I want to say about these books is Daisy Meadows is not a real person, it is a pseudonym for a group of writers. This does not effect my opinions of these books, but it points to their purpose. They are not great literature, they are based on a formula to sell books.
The writing style is good, the words age appropriate, grammar correct. Their length and format is suitable for that age where children are ready to move on to chapter books but find books with out pictures daunting. I would have placed these as books for 7-8 year old girls who are emergent readers. The publishers website gives the age guide of 9-12.
It is the subject matter that leaves me non-pulsed. They all follow the same plot and there are now 77 books in the series. Basically there are two girls who have entry to the fairy world. They help the fairies defeat Jack Frost. The fairies always win, Jack Frost and his goblins, who are always stupid, loose.
I know some Christians don’t like books about magic and fairies. I not super keen, not because I think they will lead my children into doctrinal error but because I think the subject matter is silly. I do, however, remind the girls that these books are imaginary, that fairies do not exist and that there really are spiritual powers in the world that are evil.
They have had two benefits for our children. They have served as scaffolding books, both girls gained reading confidence from them. Secondly they have enable discussions about what the spiritual realm is really like.
I know these will be a passing fad in our household. G2 said to me last night that she thought the books were all the same. I take this as an indication that she will be moving on soon.
I think reading these books is a matter of Christian freedom. I would not think less of anyone who banned them from their house. If you’re not sure grab a couple to read first. They are not long, an adult could knock one off in an evening.
I must also place a disclaimer here. I don’t really like fantasy books. I’ve read Harry Potter and also thought it was stupid, anyone else agree? When I’ve said this in public people have treated me as though I was deranged. This aversion to fantasy books could have two effects. I could be under playing the potential effect or I could be missing the great literary significance of the Rainbow Magic Fairy Books.
Filed under Book reviews - Children's books | Comments (2)Chinatown Girl by Eva Wong Ng
This weeks book review is a little late due to good weather, I’ve been outside gardening!
Chinatown Girl is part of the Scholastic ‘My Story’ series. I thought about reviewing the series as a whole but decided not to. Partly because the books are written by different authors and partly because this book deserves its own review.
The idea behind the ‘My Story’ books is to bring history to life for children by using a diary format. The diaries are written by children, aged around 12, and usually cover a year. In ‘Chinatown Girl’ the diary writer is Silvey Chan and the year is 1942.
The thing I liked best about this book is that it covers NZ history from a perspective not often considered, that of Chinese NZers. Silvey lives with her family above her parents shop in Grey’s Avenue, in Auckland’s ‘Chinatown’. The book is rich with descriptions of the life the Chinese families lead and the difficulties they face. It is also set during the middle of World War Two and this adds another dimension. Food shortages, the Japanese invasion of China, and Chinese-American GI’s are some of the themes.
Scholastic have teachers notes posted here. You could use these if you were home schooling.
The copy I read came from our school library. Our public library has 4 copies, all of which are in the young adults section! Possibly the reading level is around age 11, but there is nothing in the content that would prevent it being an excellent book for a competent girl reader aged 8+.
There is no image with the post because I couldn’t find one on the internet. I took more time searching than I did writing.
Filed under Book reviews - Children's books | Comment (0)The Roman Mysteries by Caroline Lawrence
The Roman Mysteries are a series of books written by Caroline Lawrence, an American living in London. Lawrence has degrees in classical history and has taught classic history to children. These skills are evident in her writing.
The basic theme is very ‘famous five’. Four children, not a lot of adult supervision and a mystery to solve. What makes these book special is Lawrence’s ability to bring Roman life alive. Each book has a theme in which she sets out to teach about an aspect of Roman life. They are not boring or preachy but interesting, so much so that you are hardly aware that these books are teaching you.
Children from Christian homes should read these books. Not only do they make the ancient world come alive but Lawrence deals with the history of Christianity. One of the characters, Jonathan, comes from a Jewish family that has converted to Christianity. This enables Lawrence to weave in the sacking of Jerusalem and persecution of Christians. I don’t know if Lawrence is a Christian but she gives an excellent portrayal of the Christian message and how it is different to the gods of Rome. This is particularly strong in book 5, ‘The Dolphins of Laurentum’ and book 13 ‘The Slave Girl From Jerusalem’. Both these books deal with the Christian message of forgiveness and life after death.
I can recommend all the books in the series except for book 11 ‘The Sirens of Surrentum’. The theme of this book is sex and decadence. The author recommends it for children over 10, I would say 13. The book could be missed out without loosing the continuity of the series. Apart from this exception these books could be read by children aged 9+ or a competent 8 year old reader. I think these books would appeal to both genders, there is a good mix of boys and girls voices.
If you would like more information there is a web site. Our public library has good numbers of the books up to 14. We are patiently waiting for book 15 ‘The Scribes from Alexandria’ which was published earlier in the year. The topic for book 16, ‘The Prophet from Ephesus’, is the early church in Asia Minor. I can’t wait to read it.
Filed under Book reviews - Children's books | Comment (1)Book Review – When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit
Judith Kerr is a British author best known for her children’s picture books. She is the author/illustrator of the Mog books and ‘The Tiger who Came to Tea’. I like these books a lot.
Kerr was not born in Britain. She is German and her Jewish father was an outspoken critic of Hitler. In 1933 her father was longsighted enough to flee Germany and her family became refugees. Kerr was 9.
‘When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit’ is a semi-fictionalised account of Kerr’s experience as her family travels from Switzerland, to France, and then to Britain. It is told through the eyes of a child,called Anna, who sees all of the moving as exciting. Underlying this are the problems her parents have adjusting and her father struggles to find work. The once prosperous family is now poor.
This is a delightful book. It covers an interesting time in history from the perspective of a child. G1, aged 9 loved it and it sparked some great conversations about Hitler and what happened in Germany in the 1930s. From a Christian perspective it is fairly neutral. It could be used to remind children that some Christians suffer for their beliefs in the same way Anna’s family did.
The copy I read came from our public library. It was first published in 1971, but it has had several reprints, so it is still widely available. I think any girl from 10+ would like this, an advanced 9 year old would also enjoy it. I don’t have a boy to test run it on. It is told from a girls perspective, but it is not excessively ‘girlie’.
If you are going to the library this weekend get a copy. If you have pre-schoolers or early readers get Mog instead!
Filed under Book reviews - Children's books | Comment (0)