They Came on Viking Ships facts for kids
First edition
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| Author | Jackie French |
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| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's historical novel |
| Publisher | HarperCollins |
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Publication date
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30 March 2005 |
| Pages | 288 pp |
| ISBN | 978-0-207-20011-3 |
| OCLC | 224273471 |
They Came on Viking Ships is an exciting historical novel for young readers. It was written by Jackie French. The book was first published in Australia in 2005. Later, it was released in other countries with different titles. In Britain, it was called Slave Girl in 2007. In the United States, it was known as Rover.
Contents
What is They Came on Viking Ships About?
This story follows a brave 12-year-old girl named Hekja. She lives with her mother in a small village by the sea. Hekja has lost her father and two brothers.
Hekja Meets Snarf
One day, Hekja finds a small puppy on the beach. A seagull had attacked the puppy. Hekja takes the injured puppy to Tikka, the village's wise woman. Tikka helps to heal animals and people.
The puppy belonged to the village chief. It was considered weak and not very useful. The chief gave the puppy to Hekja. She named him Riki Snarfari, which means "Mighty Rover." Hekja soon started calling him Snarf. Tikka taught Hekja how to care for Snarf.
Snarf Becomes Stronger
Snarf slowly got better and stronger. His injured leg hardly limped anymore. Soon, it was time for Hekja to go to the mountain for the summer. This was a village tradition for girls her age.
The girls would stay on the mountain to look after cows. They would also make cheese. Women from the village brought them supplies regularly. At first, some of the other girls were not kind to Hekja or Snarf. Only Branna, Hekja's best friend, was nice to them.
A Heroic Fight
One foggy day on the mountain, Hekja heard a howl. She went to investigate, and Snarf followed her. Hekja found a wolf. She knew she had to protect the calves from it. The other girls wanted her to let the wolf take a calf. But Hekja was determined.
Snarf stayed right by Hekja's side. The wolf appeared, and Snarf bravely attacked it. He bit the wolf's neck, near its windpipe. The wolf bit Snarf's leg, but Snarf's bite was fatal. The wolf died quickly.
Snarf became a hero for saving the calves. Everyone treated him with respect. Hekja also became a hero because Snarf was her dog. The other girls became friends with Hekja. They discovered she had a beautiful singing voice. They even asked her to make songs about them.
A New Journey Begins
While still on the mountain, Hekja saw strange ships. They were approaching from the distance. She ran back to her village despite the other girls' protests. But it was too late.
Viking raiders were attacking her village. Hekja saw her mother and a boy she liked, Bran, among the villagers. She tried to escape but was captured. A woman named Freydis took Hekja as a slave. Hekja was then taken away from her home.
Life as a Slave
Hekja hated the Norse people. She refused to sing for them, even though her singing could make her life easier. She told one Norseman, Snorri, that she didn't want them to take her singing away too. Hekja was very strong-willed.
Her determination led her to join Freydis's journey to Vinland. Vinland was a new land across the sea. Hekja became friends with Hikki, who was also a slave. He was the only person she would sing for. They developed a strong friendship.
Arriving in Vinland
When they arrived in Vinland, it seemed like a beautiful place. The winters there were mild. Cattle could stay outside all year. Freydis and other women in the group were pregnant.
Hikki asked Hekja to marry him. Hekja was surprised. She told him to wait until she finished serving Freydis in two years. She did not love him in the same way. Freydis also adopted Hekja, becoming like a new mother to her.
New Beginnings
Another person was also interested in Hekja: a mysterious man named Snorri the Skald. He seemed to like Hekja but kept his feelings hidden. Sadly, Hikki died during a Viking raid against the Skraelings (native people). Snorri was wounded in the same raid.
About two months later, Hekja married Snorri the Skald. They were very happy together.
Awards and Recognition
They Came on Viking Ships has won and been nominated for several awards:
- Won - West Australian Young Readers' Book Award: Younger Readers (2007)
- Shortlisted - Essex Book Award (UK)
- Shortlisted - NSW Premier's History Awards: The Young People's History Prize (2006)
