Catla and the Vikings
by Mary Elizabeth Nelson
Orca Book Publishers, 2012
ISBN 978-1-45980-057-1
$9.95, 192 pp, ages 9 – 15
www.orcabook.com
My favourite character in the story is Catla because she is courageous, smart and she stands up for herself. I also like how I can relate to her.
The story takes place in a small village by the ocean called Covehithe. Catla, a thirteen-year-old Anglo Saxon girl, is the only person who can save her village from the Norse Vikings who have burned her village and captured her people. Scared and confused, she makes her way to the nearest village, Aigber, seeking help. Along the way she meets up with Sven, an older boy from the village. With the help of Sven, she must warn Aigber and get the people from there to save Covehithe from the horrid Vikings.
This story reminds me of one night, while I was playing soccer, I saw a bunch of guys dressed up as Vikings. They were role-playing at the end of the field. Something I liked about this book is that it was set in the past.
Review by Reanna, age 14, grade 9
This review is from Canadian Teacher Magazine’s Nov/Dec 2012 issue.
