The Vikings

School Library Journal

While useful for reports, these books never engage readers in the drama that animated each of these civilizations. In Incas and Aztecs , the tragic events of the Spanish conquest are virtually ignored. The Inca system of roads and bridges, perhaps the most spectacular engineering feat of any pre-Columbian people, is alluded to only briefly. Most puzzling of all is the omission of any reference to the earlier civilizations that provided the basis for many Aztec and Incan accomplishments. The books are abundantly illustrated, but there are not enough maps; those that do appear are not always located next to the appropriate text. One would never know from reading The Israelites that charismatic personalities such as Samson, David, Saul, and Elijah dominated the history of Israel. The details of daily life are factually presented but in such a colorless way that few readers will tackle the entire book. Vikings attempts to describe the activities of daily life in a larger historical perspective. The most daring voyages--to Greenland and North America--are unfortunately given little space. In sum, the people and events that are most likely to find responsive young readers are missing from all of these books. --David N. Pauli, Missoula Public Library, MT