Mary Elizabeth Nelson

This story is for more advanced readers in 4th or 5th grade and is considered rated G so it would be appropriate for elementary school and possibly gifted students. The story portray's Catla who witnesses her village being pillaged by the Vikings. Catla is, fortunately, looking for herbs in the hills above her village when she witnesses the attack of the Vikings from far away. Her family is taken hostage and she is a refugee on the run. She soon meets Sven who is also from her town and they devise a plan to save their people from the Vikings. They must get the help of the nearby villagers called Algber in order to cooperate with each other and protect themselves from the Vikings.
l enjoyed the portrayal of Catla as a heroine and female leader who saves her people. It presents a positive female leader and role model to young children. It also presents the Vikings in a somewhat historically correct way in that they were people too and had their own culture and ways.… (plus d'informations)