Favorite Norse Myths holds children entranced from start to finish.
Learning the myths of ancient cultures is a must for all children. In myths, children learn the origins of words and sayings that we use in today's world. Myths also set the groundwork for learning about ancient cultures as well as customs from around the world. For young adults who enjoyed the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, they will learn the source of Tolkien's literary inspiration.
Favorite Norse Myths (Scholastic Inc., ISBN 0-590-48047-2), retold by Mary Pope Osborne, is written for children in grades 4-7 (ages 9-12). It contains all the classic Norse myths such as: Creation (creation of the nine worlds), Odin's Three Quests (wisdom, runes, and poetry), The Magic Stallion (Sleipnir), How Thor Got His Hammer, Loki's Children, The Giant's Bride, The Golden Apples, The Fairest Feet, Spell of the Giant King, Marriage of the Ice Maiden, The Giant's Cauldron, Thor and the Clay Giant, The Death of Balder, and Twilight of the Gods.
Just as important, Favorite Norse Myths also has an appendix that gives the correct pronunciation for many of the Norse words. For example, Yggdrasill (the World Tree) is pronounced EGG-drah-sil.
As to word origins, many of us already know that most of the days of the week are named after Norse deities: Tuesday is named after Tyr (god of war and personal sacrifice), Wednesday is named after Odin or Woden in the German language (leader of all the gods), Thursday is named after Thor (mighty god of thunder), and Friday is named after Freya (fertility goddess). However, did you also know that the cardinal directions are named after four dwarves in Norse mythology? They are Nordri (North), Sudri (South), Austri (East), and Vestri (West).
Mary Pope Osborne, author of the Magic Tree House series, has done an excellent job retelling the classic Norse myths in a language that captures the wonder of ancient times. At the same time, she teaches children about the culture from which the Norsemen sprung and the magical wonder of the world.
