Vulgar the Viking and the Rock Cake Raiders by Odin Redbeard, illustrated by Sarah Horne

Vulgar the Viking and the Rock Cake Raiders by Odin Redbeard, illustrated by Sarah Horne. Review for Primary Teachers.

This first story in a series of stories about a young Viking, Vulgar, is a book that will appeal to children aged 8+. It would make an ideal addition to a year 3/4 class library, a fun class read to accompany a topic on the Vikings and as it offers so much potential to develop children’s comprehension skills, it would also work well as a guided read.

Vulgar wants to be a Viking, a real Viking, because, unfortunately, his people seem to have renounced their old ways and become a rather boring bunch. Vulgar reminisces fondly upon their history of rampage and pillaging. Vulgar has great hopes to learn more about it on History Day, but when this turns out to be a huge disappointment, Vulgar decides to take matters into his own hands: with the help of best friend Knut and hanger-on Princess Freya, he hatches a plan to do a little bit of looting of their own. Their target: the bakery. Their coveted treasure: rock cakes!

The plot is straightforward and linear in structure. It is organised into seven chapters and follows Vulgar’s quest to become ‘a real Viking’. As such, children could analyse the structure, identifying the ‘ups’ and ‘downs’ and comparing how the plot of this quest is similar to others. The opening is very atmospheric. ‘The cockerel’s cry tore through the early morning air.’

The main character is a hero that will appeal to young readers. He is a bit of a rascal who has a thirst for adventure. These key traits are identified through a mixture of action and dialogue in the first chapter.

The other two main characters in the story are introduced in chapter two. Knut, Vulgar’s best friend, is a foil for Vulgar, providing opportunities for comparison activities. Princess Freya Gold-Hair proves to be an interesting character and it would be good to map the children’s changing views of her. The three friends find themselves in unlikely and comical situations; with a few gross elements such as eating bogeys and juggling elk poo added to the mix.

The story is illustrated throughout with black and white drawings. The illustration of Vulgar’s mum in chapter 1 helps to emphasise the vastness of the figure that Vulgar sees in the corner and the darkness of the room. Likewise, the drawing of the cellar adds to the atmosphere of the scene as the two young Vikings creep down the staircase. The illustrations add to the overall “naughty but funny” atmosphere of the story. They also break the text, making it more manageable for pupils who are fluent readers but need to develop their reading stamina.

Children who have enjoyed listening to Cressida Cowell’s 'How to Train a Dragon' series but who are not quite ready for the density of the text will find this an enjoyable book to read.

After reading the story children might also enjoy making rock cakes. Hopefully, they won’t be as hard as the ones made by Ivar!

Published by: Nosy Crow

Publication Date: 2012

ISBN: 978-0-85763-056-8

Lexile Level: 690L

There's a Dragon in my Backpack by Tom Nicoll and illustrated by SarahHorne

There's a Dragon in my Backpack by Tom Nicoll is a short, action-packed, chapter book illustrated by Sarah Horne. It is ideal for the newly independent reader who is developing reading stamina and making the transition from picture books to chapter books. It is the second story about Eric and his pet dragon, Pan. However, you don't have to read the first story in the series to be able to fully appreciate and enjoy this book as it reads well as a stand-alone story.

It is told in the first person by 9 year old Eric Crisp. Eric has a secret pet: a mini-dragon called Pan. Pan's thirst for adventure gets Eric into all sorts of scrapes and children will enjoy reading about the lengths Eric has to go to in order to keep Pan a secret. He loves his dragon despite this and is willing to put himself in danger in order to rescue Pan.

As a class/group read, teachers can explore characterisation. There are clear contrasts between the good and the bad characters, whilst at the same time some interesting similarities. Both Eric, the loveable protagonist, and Toby, the loathsome neighbour tell lies. Exploring why despite this, we still love Eric but detest Toby, teachers will be able to further children's comprehension skills beyond the simple distinctions between good and evil.

The story structure is a relatively simple one which is chronologically sequenced over the course of two days. This means that children will be able to comprehend the events with ease. However, the comprehension of the characters will require pupils to focus more on their developing skills of inference. Nicoll utilises the writing technique, often referred to as 'show not tell' throughout the book. The three friends, Eric, Jayden and Min all have their own individual character traits which can be explored through an examination of their dialogue. Likewise, later on in the book when the three friends meet Emily from the La-Di-Da school, children will need to use their inference skills to know that she doesn't believe their story about what is in the backpack and also why she doesn't believe it. 

It would also be interesting to focus on Toby as a character. Eric's views of him change as the story progresses. This makes it a good text to use when introducing children to the idea that character traits don't remain static. They are influenced by the events that occur.

Horne's black and white illustrations throughout the book break up the text making it a good transition text from picture books to chapter books. Children won't be daunted by the number of words on the page. Likewise, there are a number of 'notes/factfiles' which Eric has produced that serve the same purpose as well as providing additional information. The illustrations will also support children who still find it difficult to visualise a story or have no prior experience of some of the settings/events in the story. For example, many children will not have had experience of or know anyone who attends a private school and the illustration will help those children visualise the description of Toby's uniform.

Ideal to use as a class/group text to develop children's comprehension skills in particular inference. It would also make a good text to model various writing techniques or as a Talk4Writing stimulus. The book will appeal to both boys and girls alike.  The fact that the protagonist is a boy and there is a great deal of humour and action in the story means in particular that it ticks all the boxes that have been identified in research about motivating boys to read and this age group has proven to be the crucial age group in developing life-long readers.

Publisher: Little Tiger Press

Publication Date: May 2016

ISBN: 978-1-84715-676-1

The Legend of the Worst Boy in the World by Eoin Colfer, illustrated byTony Ross

Eoin Colfer's book The Legend of the Worst Boy in the World is told in the first person from the point of view of Will, a young boy of 9 who has 4 brothers. Unfortunately for Will, having 4 brothers and 3 of them younger than him means that he often doesn't get the attention he feels he needs and deserves from his Mum and Dad. However, he finds the perfect audience to listen to his tales of woe in the form of Grandad. Children in lower Key Stage 2 will love the ensuing competition between Will and Grandad to see who can tell the story with the biggest problem. They will be able to relate to many of Will's 'problems' and will be amused and engaged by Grandad's tales.

The story contains a second story which is cleverly woven into the main narrative. This story is in stark contrast to the main story which is told through gentle humour. Instead, the second story is full of suspense, tension and action as Will's older brother carries out a plan to get rid of 2-year-old Will. This shorter story within the story is ideal for exploring story structure, identifying the problem, build-up and resolution. Through guided reading children could discuss how Colfer builds up the tension. The sentences are short and simple, thereby quickly drawing the reader into the action. This also makes the text accessible for those who have just gained independence in reading. The text is accompanied by black and white illustrations by Tony Ross, which makes it a suitable 'transition' text from picture book to novel.

Colfer's storytelling is so good that at the end of the book he is able to explain to his readers the meaning of 'moral of the story' in such a way that feels natural and integral to the story itself. This would allow teachers to explore 'morals in stories' with their classes and identify other tales which have morals and what those morals are. The title 'the Legend of...' also provides opportunity to investigate and explore other types of tale/story. So, within this one book we have 3 story genres 1) the contemporary familiar setting story 2) the fable and 3) the legend. Pupils could investigate the features of all three and compare and contrast them and collect examples of each.

There is also ample opportunity for language study from the invention of new words to the use of adjectives to create vivid and funny descriptions, to simile to aid visual understanding.

The fact that the story is told in the first person means that the tale will appeal to a wide range of readers in lower key stage 2, including boys and possibly even those who have not yet caught the bug of reading for pleasure. A great book which deserves a place in the class library for independent reading but also one which has the potential for study both with the whole class and small groups.

Publisher: Puffin
Publication Date: 2008

Jake's Cave by Lou Kuenzler, illustrated by Nick Maland

"Your imagination made that cave big enough for a dragon," said Uncle Paul. "A dragon as big as a bus!"

Jake is excited when Uncle Paul offers to take him and his little sister out for the day. Jake wants to go to the big dark cave at the beach – they haven't been there for ages, and he can pretend to be a brave knight and save Princess Pip from the terrifying dragon. Pip is excited too: she'll get to wear her princess costume, and she knows that Sir Jake the Brave will save her! But when they arrive, the cave is much smaller than Jake remembers; he's too big even to fit inside it. Jake is so disappointed. Why can't things just stay the same? He soon realizes, however, that it's your imagination that counts. He'll just have to pretend – for Princess Pip!

Jake's Cave is a well written story, perfect for children who have gained independence in reading and need to build their confidence and stamina. It is one of the 'Walker Story' collection, which is advertised as 'the perfect first step into fiction.' The story is told in 3 short chapters, not three short stories, as stated on the back cover of the book. It is one complete story. The first chapter provides the orientation of the story. The second chapter is the build up leading to the problem and the final chapter explores the problem, provides the climax and finally the resolution.

The language used in the book provides a good quality model for children's own writing. Each of the three characters are developed through the use of dialogue which utilises a range of alternatives for 'said'. Teachers in years 2 and 3 could use extracts from the book for discussion and examples of how to punctuate direct speech and vocabulary development.

There are also some lovely examples of descriptive language, such as 'a shimmer of sea, sparkling bright blue in the sun.' Other examples make use of simile: 'as big as a bus and bright red. As shiny as your new Wellies.' Immersing children in quality fiction which models such language features will have a positive impact on the quality of the children's own writing.

Being a short story, organised into 3 chapters, also makes it ideal for use during guided reading in years 2 and 3. Each chapter could be managed in one guided reading session. Comprehension skills of inference and deduction can be developed through discussion of key aspects of characterisation. For example, in chapter 1, why does Jake think that Pip is likely to have a tantrum? Children will have to draw on their prior knowledge of younger siblings and evidence drawn from other known texts to be able to answer that. Likewise, in chapter 2, why does the walk to the cave seem much shorter than Jake remembered?

The black and white illustrations provide support for those children who are making the transition from picture books to longer chapter books. They also help visualise the different settings encountered during the story: Jake and Pip's home, the town in which they live, the journey through the countryside and finally the beach. These would provide a useful resource for comparing and contrasting the different settings. 

All in all, Jake's Cave is a story that will be enjoyed by both girls and boys aged 6-8. By the end of year 2, many children will probably be able to read the book independently. 

Published: 2010 by Walker Books

ISBN: 978-1-4063-2153-1

   

Oliver Moon and the Potion Commotion by Sue Mongredien

Oliver Moon is the hardest working wizard at Magic School and now he's been nominated for Young Wizard of the Year. But at home, he has to cope with his seriously embarrassing unmagical parents. What will the judges say when they find out that the Moons use a microwave instead of a cauldron and a car instead of a broomstick?

Schools and magic are a winning combination, and Oliver Moon's adventures bring the genre to younger readers who are just gaining their reading independence and developing reading stamina. It is in the form of a chapter book and is ideal for year 2/3 class libraries and would also make an ideal text for guided reading. 

Oliver Moon is the younger reader's 'Harry Potter'. Children will revel in the descriptions of the disgusting living conditions and diet required of all the best wizards, and in the distinctive illustrations! Oliver Moon and the Potion Commotion is the first in a series of books. The story itself has the perfect combination of tension and humour which will keep children wanting to read. The chapters are short enough for those who have just attained reading independence and as such the series would be 'the next step' from books which are anthologies of short stories such as 'Horrid Henry' and 'Dertie Bertie'

Sue Mongredien's writing style provides an excellent model for alliteration. She not only makes use of alliteration for the use of characters' names but also regularly in noun phrases such as 'scorpion stew', 'sausage sandwich' and 'pig-trotter pies'. She also makes use of a wide range of alternative vocabulary for 'said'. In the first chapter you will come across 'pointed out', 'echoed', 'slurped', 'reminded', 'squeaked', 'announced', 'yelped', 'cried' and 'begged'.

The book's underlying message is a valuable one – that we need to work together to achieve, and when we do, it brings satisfaction for all.

Publisher: Usborne

ISBN: 978-0-7460-7306-3