Vikings

So who really discovered America? In Vikings, kids will discover that traces of a Viking settlement in Newfoundland, unearthed in 1963, provide indisputable proof that Vikings preceded Columbus by almost 500 years. And that’s just the first surprise for kids in this issue; they’ll also discover that, aside from plundering villages, Vikings also farmed, hunted, made jewelry, and authored thrilling tales of adventure, called sagas. Kids will have to decide for themselves, after reading this issue, whether the Vikings were just simple savages – or shrewd opportunists who made the most of what they had.

The story of the Vikings, for kids, begins in the 8th century, when they began going “a-viking” (adventuring). They set out from Scandinavia in their famous longships, looting and pillaging villages and cities they encountered along the way. Kids will investigate the most famous invasions, get at good look at Viking fashions, and read a Viking myth starring Thor, the God of Thunder. Over time, Vikings established trading settlements all over Europe, and kids will get a look at life in one of them when they explore Jorvik, a reconstruction of a Viking capital in present-day York, England. Finally, using papier-mâché, they can make a helmet like the one worn by Vikings; for kids set on conquering the world, this project will be a breeze!

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