The Young Vikings by James Moloney

I am reading my way through the twenty CBCA Notable titles (Younger Readers) and I keep being surprised.  Here is a book I would probably not have picked up. I'm not really interested in Vikings and the cover doesn't appeal to me.  It is good to know I was wrong. This is a terrific action packed story filled with fierce battles, friendship and, the part I liked best, a hero who uses his intelligence.

"I was desperate to avenge my father's murder. I heard him cry for blood every night in my dreams. I wanted blood on my sword more than anyone. There in front of the young Vikings, I asked Torsten the only question that really mattered. 'Could we take on Bloodtooth's men in Belvor?"

I will use this quote to explain the plot of The Young Vikings.

Agnor Bloodtooth and his men have attacked the village of Moberg. Hauk and his young friends arrive home after a hunting trip and find all the adult males of the village are dead. The boys decided to avenge their fathers. To do this they begin to train with axes and swords but tempers and rivalries hinder their progress.  Hauk can see their plan will not work. He enlists the help of Torsten, a former warrior whose injuries mean he only has one leg. The boys do grow stronger and more skilled and eventually Hauk, himself becomes their leader, but really it will still be a battle of boys against men. Hauk has a better idea. The group should try to reclaim the village longboat - Sea Wolf.  This plan will take courage, problem solving, teamwork and trust.

The final battle scenes are not for the faint hearted but this is a Viking story so I did expect quite a lot of blood to be spilled before the Young Vikings could proclaim their victory.

You can read an interview with James Moloney here. From what I can discover this book may be the first in a series but this installment does have a satisfying ending. James Moloney has other books that I have enjoyed such as Swashbuckler, Buzzard Breath and Brains, and several Aussie Bite and Nibble titles. I especially enjoyed Disappearing Act and his After Dark title - The Pipe. I also recently read one of his YA titles - A Bridge to Wiseman's Cove.

If the topic of Vikings interests you or your readers look for these titles in your library:

For the youngest children I would begin with The Last Viking and The Last Viking Returns by Norman Jorgensen.

Then I would look for this very old book which is great fun:

For older primary students:

You might also look for the Viking Magic series by Anna Ciddor.