The Vikings

I just finished reading aloud The Vikings by Elizabeth Janeway.  It is an excellent book!!   The Vikings is the story of Leif Erikson.  It starts when Leif is a young boy and finishes in his manhood.  We learned a great deal of Viking history through this book and yet it was entertaining.  Nearly everyday, Ruben begged for another chapter.  The vocabulary is very rich and included words even I was unsure of.  However, it never felt like a stumbling block.  Riley looked up some of the words as part of the Beautiful Feet Early American History study.  

The Vikings is part of the Landmark series of books.  I've read parts of other Landmark books, but this is the first I've read from cover to cover.  The Vikings is a recommended read on many book lists including TruthQuest and Beautiful Feet.  

I also read aloud Leif the Lucky by Ingi & Edgar Parin D'Aulaire while covering the Norsemen.  The kids preferred The Vikings hands down.  I would recommend the D'Aulaire books for younger children, if you are just starting out with living books, or you just want a great picture book overview.  We are moving on to Marco Polo and then Columbus next.  I do plan to read the D'Aulaire Columbus book.  We've read about Columbus in the past, but I want a quality quick overview and I think the D'Aulaire book will provide that.  

If you are studying the Vikings, don't miss The Vikings by Elizabeth Janeway.  It's a must read!!