This book did not keep my attention. I had to keep coming back to it. I loved the idea. Too much crammed into a short book.

This is a delightful book about Vikings that is perfect for reluctant readers (and eager readers, too, of course)! It is entertaining, educational, and even funny at times. My students would love it! I plan to read all the other books in the series. Please write more!

That was such a cute book. I love vikings. I really love the graphic novel format. There were a lot of informations about vikings. Children can learn while reading really enjoyable story. It was great.

Thank you, NetGalley for the preview of this graphic novel.

Stowing Away with the Vikings by Linda Bailey is a cute illustrated book about three siblings who accidentally time-travel to the land of Vikings. It is a super fun read that any kid would enjoy.

Stowing Away with the Vikings

written by Linda Bailey
illustrated by Bill Slavin

Author Linda Bailey takes us back in time to the Age of the Vikings in her graphic novel Stowing Away with the Vikings. The Binkerton children have been avoiding the Good Times Travel Agency ever since their surprise trip to Ancient Egypt, but a hailstorm leads young Libby to shelter near the shop door, owner Julian T. Pettigrew offers a guidebook to the Vikings, and the rest, as they say, is history. Stowing Away with the Vikings is a delightful way to learn things about the Vikings that Hollywood will never tell you. Part fiction (the Binkerton storyline) and part nonfiction (clearly delineated explanations accompanying the storyline), this graphic novel is all fun and fascination. Bill Slavin’s pictures in comic style are perfect for entertaining, moving the story along, and illustrating the facts.

This book will delight children as they immerse themselves in history. Just as children reread comic books until the covers fall off, kids will want to reread this book absorbing the information about a culture that no longer exists but has affected our own. Although the author honestly discusses the violence of the Viking way of life, there is no depiction of murder. The Binkerton storyline contains a lot of humor that children and adults will appreciate. I learned a lot from this graphic novel and had a great time reading it. I recommend it for homes, classrooms, and libraries.

I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Kids Can Press for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 5/5

Category: Children’s Fiction, Comic & Graphic Novel

Notes: Grade level—3-7
Age Range—8-12 years

The Time Travel Guides as a series is being republished by a new publisher. Upcoming books to be released are: On the Run in Ancient China and Game on in Ancient Greece

Publication: October 2, 2018—Kids Can Press

Memorable Lines:

Does it seem a bit smoky in here? Hazy? Dark? Look around. There are no windows—just a hole in the thatched roof to let out the smoke. The only light comes from oil lamps. P.S. I hope you like fishy smells. The oil in those lamps comes from fish or whales.

Viking laws aren’t written down, so somebody has to remember them. That’s why they have the law-speaker, a man who memorizes all the laws and shouts them out loud for everyone to hear.

The word “berserk” means bearskin. Berserkers are the most feared of all Viking warriors. Before going into battle, they get into a fighting rage. They howl like wolves. They leap like dogs. They grind their teeth and bite the edges of their shields…Have you ever heard the expression “going berserk”? Where do you think it came from?

Welcome to the GOOD TIMES TRAVEL AGENCY! The agency that makes it happen. You want to see Ancient Egypt, travel to the Middle Ages or the Ice Age? Visit Ancient Greece or Ancient China? Then you are in the right place. Today’s adventure:

Stowing Away With the Vikings


The Binkerton siblings are not new to these adventures. They are very exciting to go on. So when little Libby, the youngest of them, leans against the travel agency door, it opens right up and Julian Pettigrew, the owner, bestows them with a Vikings travel guide. And before they know it, they are on their way…smack dab into the midst of Scandinavia and the life of the Vikings. As usual, Josh, Emma and Libby experience their stay by getting into the best and worst of troubles. How will they escape this time?

***

This series is great for Kindergartners or elementary students. It is a gentle “get to know new old places” introduction. While following theses siblings and their shenanigans it adds to the thread that keeps kids going without the burden or their realization that they are learning. Most of the pages contain an excerpt of two pages from their travel guide with factual information at the bottom. So the reader can partake in the siblings’ story as well as grab immediate info bites about the situation.

As with any of the other books in the series, the reader is informed about the place and time period traveled too, the way people lived and worked and any significant information with more specifics. In this case Viking raids, games, travel etc. At the end of the book are a few extra pages with further information and sources listed to dig into.

I have previously read two other novels in this series by Linda Bailey and I definitely like them. I have enjoyed reading them to kids and therefore did not hesitate reading STOWING AWAY WITH THE VIKINGS when I saw it on NetGalley. I certainly can warmly recommend these adventures with bits of learning to all parents, educators and kids. Enjoy :)

The Binkerton children are transported through time, via the Good Times Travel Agency, to the land of the Vikings. The story is interesting - to return home, the children have to read through a guide book on the Vikings. Along the way, they experience the people and activities described in the guide book.
A lot of detail in the book about the life and times of the Vikings. Along with very good illustrations, this would be a great book to use to help teach children.
Thank you NetGalley and publisher, Kids Can Press, for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I had not idea this was a series when I requested a copy of this book through Netgalley. This series has the Binkerton children entering the Good Times Travel Agency, in this book, during a storm. Libby, the youngest sibling, is attracted to a model of a Viking Longship. As she reaches out to touch it, the three of them end up traveling back in time and to a new location with a Guide Book. They must work through the guide book in order to return home. This is a graphic novel, with great illustrations that will entice kids. They are detailed, and often have funny jokes thrown in. I liked the format with the graphics at the top of the page and an open page of the guidebook at the bottom with facts about whatever is happening in the story. It is not overwhelming, but quite informative. I appreciate that Linda Bailey differentiates between the fact and fiction in the book and gives further facts at the end. The illustrations do a good job of illustrating some of the information given in a fun way. I thought this was an excellent introduction to Viking lore and history. I will be watching for more in this series. This book would be a great addition to a school, classroom or family library. Reluctant readers would love this series. The publisher, Kids Can Press, generously provided me with a copy of this book to read. The rating, ideas and opinions shared are my own.

Such a cute book. I totally adored the artwork. I really liked the narrative style. I do wish a few things were changed. Like, I felt that the author could have had less of the actual book telling about the Vikings, and more of the children finding out things. For example, when they were learning about the customs, it would have been better if the children actually saw the different customs in action and find it themselves than read it in the guide. They could be talking to a bystander in the Viking Entertainment and by talking to them, find out about the different games, instead of just reading the guide. Other than that, I felt that the book was amazing! Children will love reading such books. I hope more such books are released about different cultures and civilisations. Great book!

I've been eyeballing these books as potential titles for the nonfiction section of the bookstore I work in, so I was excited to see an edition of this one available to read in advance. Having read through it, I'm excited about the possibility of carrying these - the graphic novel format is so popular right now and the artwork is eye-catching. The story is interesting without being too much in the way of facts (for the average kid), and overall I think it's pretty well done.

Thank you for the free review book, Kids Can Press.

This is the 2nd book in the Time Travel Guides Series. Kids who like The Magic Tree will appreciate this book. I love books that use storytelling to help kids learn something new. This book is sort of a hybrid. It's a fictional story, but it includes plenty of historical facts. I appreciate that Bailey differentiates between the fact and fiction in the book and gives further facts at the end. The format of the illustrations also offers a helpful clue for kids to separate fact from fiction. I thought this was an excellent overview of Viking lore and history.

This second book in this series sees the siblings thrown into another adventure, simply by picking up a book at the Good Times Travel Agency. The problem with this, is that if you read the book, you get sucked into the time period being read about, and you must finish the book to get back to your own time.

This is a very cool way of showing all the things about the time period that the kids are in. In this case, it is the time of the Viking raids.

The pictures are detailed, and often have funny jokes thrown in. The information is solid and informative, and the story itself is rather good, as well. Unlike the first adventure, to Ancient Egypt, I did not feel as though I was being taken by the hand, to understand. This second adventure, was more straightforward, and fun.

Pictures of the Viking boats as well as a raid.

<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-791" src="http://www.reyes-sinclair.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Screen-Shot-2018-07-27-at-8.27.09-AM.png" alt="" />

<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-790" src="http://www.reyes-sinclair.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Screen-Shot-2018-07-27-at-8.31.55-AM.png" alt="" />

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

A decent, succinct look at Viking life for the young, with a proper story as well. Three children know their local travel agent has the habit of sending children through time and space to different historical periods, but still get caught and end up living with Vikings. The conceit that keeps them staying will only appeal to the very young, but the rest is fine – they hang around long enough, using the information in their magic guide book, allowing us to see that Viking life was not all raping, robbing and pillaging. The graphic novel elements, with cheesy and almost pointless bits of dialogue, don't work that well, but the edutainment from the bulk of the text is fine. Add in decent illustrations, many double-paged, and I can easily call this a success.