Adventures with the Vikings (Good Times Travel Agency) [Hardcover]

Linda Bailey (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Series: Good Times Travel Agency

The Binkerton twins, Josh and Emma, and their little sister, Libby, unwittingly stumble into the Good Times Travel Agency and are carried off on a trip they'll never forget. First, the kids are stowaways on a Viking longship. Then, the Berserker, the most feared of Norse warriors, drags Josh along on a Viking raid. And Emma makes a plunder blunder that turns the siblings into slaves! Will the Binkertons' latest saga come to an untimely end? Adventures with the Vikings mixes fact and fiction for fast, funny and fascinating romps through the past. Kids will adore the contemporary comic-book look, while parents, teachers and librarians will love the well-researched story lines and solid factual information. (200012)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 3-5-In previous titles, the Binkerton children landed in ancient Egypt and the Middle Ages, thanks to the Good Times Travel Agency. Now, as they are hurrying home from school, they are reluctantly driven into the agency during a hailstorm. The twins, Emma and Josh, want to leave in a hurry, but little Libby grabs hold of a book on the Vikings and opens it. In a flash, the siblings are transported back into the time of the Norsemen. The narrative is presented in comic-book format, with rectangular text boxes to set the scene and dialogue balloons. Once the adventure begins, the worn-looking pages of the "guidebook" appear at the bottom of the spread, with the text the kids have to read to complete their journey. Bailey's humorous presentation of both the Binkertons' adventures and the Viking information is sure to hold young readers' attention and will appeal to reluctant readers. Give the book to your "Magic Tree House" (Random) or "Time Warp Trio" (Viking) series fans and they're sure to gobble it up.

Be Astengo, Alachua County Library, Gainesville, FL

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 3-5. Like Adventures in Ancient Egypt (2000) and other books in the Good Times Travel Agency series, this colorful volume is part fiction and part nonfiction. The framework story follows the three Binkerton children on a time-travel journey back to "the Age of the Vikings." Throughout their adventures, they (and the reader) depend upon their vivid, rather informally written guidebook, Julian T. Pettigrew's Personal Guide to the Vikings, for information. Its pages appear at the bottom of each spread. The detailed illustrations, cartoonlike ink drawings with colorful washes, underscore the humorous tone of the story while detailing the material culture of the Vikings. After the story ends, a final page of text offers a map of exploration and some historical background, rounding out this brief, accessible introduction to the subject. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 48 pages
• Publisher: Kids Can Press (September 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1550745425
• ISBN-13: 978-1550745429
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 8.7 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,671,018 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Informative and FUN, November 17, 2011

By 

A. Hatton - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Adventures with the Vikings (Good Times Travel Agency) (Paperback)

I bought this book as a supplement to our Homeschool studies on the Vikings this year. This was by far the favorite book!! Both my 9yo girl and 7yo boy LOVE it and still read it for fun even though we are now finished with that unit! We read 2-4 pages per day and made a notebook page on each segment of Viking life--the farm, the house, dress, ships, etc. There are funny little pictures and my kids enjoyed the silly storyline of the Binkerton kids traveling back in time. They liked it so much that I ordered "Adventures in the Middle Ages" and my son has been pouring over it for several days since it arrived in the mail! He said last night, "Mom, can you get me the Egypt book? We don't have that one!"

This book is perfect for initial exposure to the era. It is NOT a history book, but rather a picture books that is informative about culture and daily life during the period. The setup is conducive to minimally planned activities and notebooking, since each 2-page spread covers a different aspect of the culture.

We also have Usborne's Time Traveler and the two are similar in some ways. However, I have found that the information in each is unique enough to warrant both books. Additionally, my children think the "Adventure" books are just more fun.

5.0 out of 5 stars mom reviewing for 6,9 & 11, October 28, 2009

By 

J. Mski "J Mski" (Chelms MA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Adventures with the Vikings (Good Times Travel Agency) (Paperback)

I love the Good Times Travel Agency books and my kids reread them. The graphics/comic style is attractive to the kids, and the 'journal' at the bottom of each page is humorous and educational,but can be bypassed if they're looking for a quick read.