I hope all of you are enjoying summer and can you believe this is Week 10 of our Book-Jumper Summer Reading Series??!! What fun it has been!
I can share with you that I’m up to my eyeballs in Norse Mythology. The ever-talented Roscoe Welply and I are working on a new book from Audrey Press all about the Norse Gods. Some of you might not know this about me but my family comes from the Island of Gotland in the Baltic sea. There on this magical island is buried Thor,the hammer god himself. So I guess I can technically say that Thor is a part of my geneology.
Runemarks by Joanne Harris is one of my son’s favorite reads. He has read it several times and has continued on with the series as well. He highly recommends it with five golden stars and thumbs up.
All of us know about the ancient Greek and Roman Gods. We read about their magical world both in school and for pleasure. But now a new realm of Gods has been introduced—the Norse Gods.
Maddy Smith is a unique, chaotic girl in a plain, orderly world. The age of the Æsir—Odin, Frigga, Thor, Tyr—is long gone. 500 years gone to be exact, after Ragnorak, the changing of the worlds. Now the Order rules, under the guidance of the Nameless, and anything seen as demonic or different is cleansed.
But in Maddy’s little town of Malbry she is no more than hated by the rest of her simple villagers. Until One Eye comes along. This mysterious traveller tells her stories of the old age and confirms that she does in fact have powers, powers of the Gods. But old One Eye only tells Maddy half-truths, only trains her in what she needs to know. She does not understand what is going on beneath the Middle World or what is happening at the End of the World where the Order congregates.
Life changes drastically for Maddy when One Eye sends her on a wild goose chase for something called “The Whisperer.” All she has to go on is that it will call to her and that it is very important that she trusts no one and bring the whisperer back to Maddy.
But forces are at work against Maddy and her old friend. The Order has now become suspicious of the town of Malbry and the paranormal activity occurring there. And One Eye’s old friend, Lucky, isn’t quite as dead as One Eye hoped he’d be.
In her journey through the tunnels of the underworld, Maddy uncovers the truth about her birth, her friends, and what is truly going on in the nine worlds. The Æsir are rising, but the Nameless has other plans for the nine worlds. After hearing the first prophecy in five hundred years, Maddy must figure out how to save her friend, herself, and the Nine Worlds from the Chaos that rests in the bottom of the world.
I know this summary is quite vague, but I do not want to give anything away. All the surprises that were around the corner in this book were so exciting to me that I’d hate to deprive you of such a feeling.
We have read books upon books upon books about the Greek and Roman gods and goddesses. Well, Joanne Harris’s Runemarks is the start to the rise of the Norse gods. Well read in classical language and mythology, Runemarks is full of Norse history, but is also an exciting new tale to the old Gods. Her exciting tale of a nearly unknown world summits interest from the very beginning—from the curious Runemarks, to the alternative use of the word faerie, to these new, powerful Gods that we will soon get to know as well as we know Athena and Zeus. May the Greek Gods rest in peace, and may we welcome the Norse Gods with open arms! Be sure to finish out the series with Runelight and The Gospel of Loki.
Something to Do
1. Check out this complete list of Norse runes and their meanings HERE.
Interested in learning more about Norse mythology? Go HERE.
2. Even though in Runemarks, Thor has lost his hammer, we still know it exists. And he’ll need it back eventually so lets help him out by making our own Thor Hammer!
3. Idun is the goddess of healing. She heals the sick, wounded and dying, with her dried apples—the food of the gods. Make your own healing fruit!
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It’s the End of Summer Audrey Press Book Sale!!
Summer is slowly winding down and thoughts are turning to the upcoming school year and reads that will take us into (and through) the colder months ahead. Instead of being sad to see summer go, I choose to Celebrate! And what better way to do it than with an End of Summer Audrey Press Book Sale. For two weeks only readers can get a great deal on two of my most popular books. But don’t delay; this super special sale ends August 14, 2015.!
First up The Waldorf Homeschool Handbook: The Simple Step-by-Step guide to creating a Waldorf-inspired #homeschool. And for a limited time, this best-selling book by Donna Ashton, The Waldorf #Homeschool Handbook is now only $17.95 until August 14th, 2015 !
Enjoy more month-by-month activities based on the classic children’s tale, The Secret Garden! A Year in the Secret Garden is a delightful children’s book with over 120 pages, with 150 original color illustrations and 48 activities for your family and friends to enjoy, learn, discover and play with together. AND, it’s on sale until August 14th ! Grab your copy ASAP and “meet me in the garden!” http://amzn.to/1DTVnuX
Two great children’s books-Your choice, $17.95 each!
The post Book-Jumper Summer Reading Series: Exploring Norse Runemarks appeared first on Jump Into A Book.
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