Customer Reviews

Viking It And Liking It (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition) (Time Warp Trio (Pb))

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

The author of this book seems to have thought it was funny to include a character named "Bullshik" in the story (no, that's not a typo, it is really B-U-L-L-S-H-I-K). In case you think this was inadvertent, Bullshik's co-star is named Fulluvit, which makes it clear that a pun was intended - a pun with coarse language completely inappropriate for any child.

This is a book targeted at 9-12 year old CHILDREN (as noted on Amazon's site) and read by younger ones as well. I was pretty unhappy when I heard my 8-year-old talking about Bullshik. She had no idea that this word resembled something no child should be saying. Unfortunately, most kids do know such language, and this book makes them think it is funny. Essentially, it is encouraging children to use coarse language.

I'm no prude. Away from my children I use the word they mimic - and plenty more. But in front of my children, I set an example. I expect children's books to stick to certain standards. This work has failed completely.

The Time Warp Trio:
Viking it and Liking it
By: Jon Scieszka
Illustrated by: Adam McCauley

If you like Vikings, then you will really like this book because this book is an "S'wonderful" book. The book " Time Warp Trio: Viking It And Liking It" is about three boys named Sam, Fred, and Joe being warped back into the past by a green mist from a book called "The Book" that Joe got from his uncle, a so called magician, for his birthday. At the end of the adventure, they always have to find "The Book" or they will never return to the present.

This book tells how Joe, Sam, and Fred time warp two thousand years in the past to the Vikings. While they are there, they see how the Vikings live, eat, fight, what they drink out of, and how they travel from place to place. The book also tells how Joe uses one of his tricks to defeat Grim Snake-in-the-Grass [which is Leif Eriksson's cousin] and his Vikings.

What adventure do you think Joe, Sam, and Fred will go next by "The Book." I hope that a lot of kids will read this book and like the book.
This book is for ages 7 and up.

By: Chase

I bought this book to read to one of my boys (6 at the time). Thankfully, I was the one reading it and was able to change the character's name to something other that BULLSHIK. I was SO VERY disappointed in the author and the usage of this word in the book for 3rd to 6th graders! I found this book the other day behind some other books on a shelf. I grabbed and it and decided to write something here. As soon as I'm done typing, I'm going to tear the book up and throw it up in the trash. I have never done that before but I don't want my now 8-year old to read it and I don't want to give it away. So I have no other choice. Goodbye Time Warp Trio - Viking It and Liking It! So long and good riddens!

It's a funny enough book, and it has some great scenes. It's easy to read and very fast. Kids under a second grade reading level can easily manage the vocabulary and length.

And there's the problem. Leif Eriksson's skald (like a minstrel) has the name Bullshik, which is funny in that all his rhymes sort of stretch the truth, but sounds like an absolutely forbidden word. (You show me a second grader who is going to resist saying that one out loud. I'll show you the other twenty-five second graders in the classroom who all got notes sent home for *not* resisting.)

At the end of the book, you get the Viking alphabet (excellent).

Synopsis: The story starts off with Sam, Fred and Joe finding themselves on a cold beach, wondering where they are, and knowing only that a certain Blue Book is responsible for getting them there. Sam remembers last being in Fred's room, playing Fred's older brother's game, NFL Smash. They remember Sam chanting out the word "Thursday" repeatedly, telling them that the word made less sense each time he said it, and while he was doing that, Joe was looking at the game with the Minnesota Vikings in it. They didn't notice a small Blue Book open with green mist spreading around them, till it was too late.

Anyway, at the beach, they spot a long wooden boat headed right for the beach, and realize that an army of Vikings is heading straight for them. Even though the Vikings initially charge at them, the Time Warp Trio soon befriend the Vikings, and realize that they are in North America, which is what the Vikings refer to as Vinland. They ask Bold Leif, (aka Leif Eriksson) the leader of the Vikings, if he has seen a Blue Book. Bold Leif tells them that all the stories live in the sagas that the skalds tell. The Time Warp Trio realize that they are in a period before books were invented, and wonder how they would get back to their own time.

The Trio and the Vikings soon notice that there are other settlers in the land who suddenly start attacking them with arrows. They leave the land with the Vikings at sea, but soon see that another Viking ship is out to battle them. Leif tells them that it is his cousin "Grim Snake in the Grass". Even though Grim and Leif have never gotten along, Grim mentions that he comes in peace, but are his intentions loyal and true?

How will the Time Warp Trio head back to their time if the book has never been invented yet? Do they have a chance of ever getting back to their own time?

Review: I thought this was an excellent story for the "Time Warp Trio" series. It was filled with adventure and suspense, because you never know who the good guys were. Some parts of the book were very interesting to read, like when Joe performs his tricks on the Vikings so that they don't throw them off the ship, or towards the end when the Time Warp Trio plan on saving Bold Leif and his group.

Even though I found the short verses sung by the characters in the group to be hilarious and funny, I did feel that the author did not have to put those character's names as "Bullshik" and "Fulluvit" because young children, on reading this book, would start imitating the names of the characters innocently, and it could be taken into the wrong context where someone might feel like the children are cursing. True, all Time Warp Trio books have a funny name for a character in each book, but I feel like those names are less harmful than names like "Bullshik" and "Fulluvit".

Apart from that one issue, I thought this book was a perfect addition the "Time Warp Trio" series. The illustrations provided by Adam McCauley blended well with the story, and I especially liked the drawings where Sam looks like a zebra having covered himself with Fred's zebra cape, or when Joe proudly defeats the Vikings from lifting him up.

Overall, I really liked this book for the thrilling story and adventurous climax, and I would recommend it to anyone who would like to read a children's adventure story.

This was an enjoyable read for my 9 year old, who is a fan of all the books in the Time Warp Trio series. These books inspire his curiosity about people and events in history. I use them as a fun addition to our homeschool history curriculum.

So many of the stories for young readers have hidden elements of romance these days and my son can't stand that. Even action adventure stories have underlining romances (Harry Potter, Eragon, Lord of the Rings) so it is refreshing that these boys and girls are just out to find the adventure and see the world in all different times. My son is 5 but reads on a much higher level then the books for his age group and so we needed something that didn't bore him into no longer wanting to read. These books have been a great find. Yes I know that some people find the implied language offensive but my son didn't even notice it until his dad pointed it out (thanks dad) so I'm not that worried about it. If you really don't expose your children to offensive language then they don't really know the pun is a "bad word", now do they? I think the stories are exciting for young readers, with smaller chapters they don't overwhelm the early reader and the plot is pretty easy to follow. Yes there have been some words my son didn't know (and no none were the "bad words") but isn't that what learning and reading are all about. He actually took out his dictionary and looked some of them up on his own. I am glad that my son's school isn't one of the ones that banned these titles because of a few words. We are continuing to build our library with these titles and my son continues to reread the ones he already has. If your child is like mine and doesn't want a story bogged down with kisses and mushy stuff these are great.

I would recommend this book to others because it is interesting. The boys have a magic book and they go back to different time periods. Bullshik, the poet made me laugh when I read the book.

It's one thing to name a character "Fulluvit." Get it?
"Full of it" as in "Full of ****?"

But yet another character in this book is named "Bullshik."
That names needs no explanation.

It seems the author is as intent on drawing pre-adolescent sniggers as he is in writing for kids.

We don't need that and our school and public library have been notified to scrutinize his titles.