Viking

School Library Journal

Gr 4-6-These welcome additions to the popular series combine wonderful photography with informative texts that are succinct and easy to read. They provide adequate introductions to their respective subjects and should encourage further exploration. Castle looks at European fortifications, Byzantine and Muslim-influenced constructions of the Crusades, and Japanese strongholds and defense strategies through photographs of architectural features, designs, and weapons. Everyday life is also documented with pictures of artifacts and people in period costumes. Beth Smith's Castles (Watts, 1988) is a good source for more extensive reading, including some tidbits about haunted castles. Viking presents an overview of this culture from music to mealtime, social hierarchy, to the more violent aspects of their explorations and expansions into new territories. Fascinating photographs of ships, weapons, and artifacts will attract reluctant readers. Hazel Mary Martell's The Vikings (New Discovery, 1992) is one of the more recent titles that can be used for further study.-Cynthia M. Sturgis, Ledding Library, Milwaukee, OR