Mythology

D’Aulaires’ Book of Norse Myths by Ingri and Edgar Parin d”Aulaire (New York Review Children’s Collection, 2005) is just as good – and as wonderfully illustrated – as the D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths (see above).  Chapters include “Yggdrasil, the World Tree,” “Asgard and the Aesir Gods,” “Odin’s Eight-legged Steed,” “The Theft of Thor’s Hammer,” and 26 more. For ages 8-12.

Heather Alexander’s A Child’s Introduction to Norse Mythology – one of the excellent A Child’s Introduction series – introduces kids to the gods, goddesses, dwarfs, giants, and monsters of the Vikings. For ages 8-12.

Chapters in Mathias Nordvig’s Norse Mythology for Kids (Rockridge Press, 2020) include “Odin, Ruler of the Gods,” “Thor, God of Thunder,” “Jormungand, the Great Sea Serpent,” “Fenrir, the Vengeful Wolf,” and “Sigurd, the Dragon Slayer.” A fascinating collection for ages 9-12.

Donna Jo Napoli’s beautifully illustrated Treasury of Norse Mythology (National Geographic, 2015) – subtitled “Stories of Intrigue, Trickery, Love, and Revenge” – introduces the gods and goddesses of Asgard and their stories. Included is a map of the ancient Norse world and a timeline of Norse history. For ages 9-12.

By master storyteller Padraic Colum, The Children of Odin (Aladdin, 2004) is a collection of wonderfully told tales divided in four parts: “The Dwellers in Asgard,” “Odin the Wanderer,” “The Witch’s Heart,” and “The Sword of the Volsungs and the Twilight of the Gods.” For ages 10 and up.

By Carl Bowen, Michael Dahl, and Louise Simonson, Gods and Thunder (Capstone) is a wonderful graphic-novel version of old Norse myths for ages 9-12.

Neil Gaiman’s Norse Mythology (W.W. Norton & Company, 2018) is described as a Tolkien-like retelling of Norse myths – with a good dose of Gaiman-esque wit –  beginning with the creation of the world and ending with Ragnarok. (“’Today,’ mused Thor, ‘it will probably take me about an hour to break every bone in your body. But I bet that with practice I could get it down to about fifteen minutes.’…’Dwarfs!’ shrieked Loki.”) For ages 10 and up.

Adam Shaughnessy’s The Unbelievable FIB: The Trickster’s Tale (Algonquin Young Readers, 2016), eleven-year-old Pru and friends find themselves dealing with a world of trolls, magic, and battling Norse gods. First of a series for ages 8-12.

In Neil Gaiman’s Odd and the Frost Giants (HarperCollins, 2016), young Odd – along with a bear, an eagle, and a fox, all Norse gods who have been trapped in animal form by a frost giant – sets out to retrieve Thor’s hammer and save Asgard. For ages 8-12.

In Diana Wynne Jones’s Eight Days of Luke (HarperCollins, 2000), David’s extraordinary adventures with the Norse gods begin when – while attempting to curse his awful guardians – he inadvertently releases the god Loki, in the form of red-headed Luke, from magic imprisonment. For ages 9-12.

In Rick Riordan’s Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard: The Sword of Summer (Disney-Hyperion, 2017), Magnus – son of a Norse god – is off to prevent Ragnarok, with the help of a diverse cast of characters including a hearing-impaired elf, a Muslim Valkyrie, and a black dwarf. First of an exciting series for ages 9-12.

By K.L. Armstrong and Melissa Marr, Loki’s Wolves (Little, Brown, 2014) stars thirteen-year-old Matt Thorsen – who just happens to be the son of Thor. As it turns out, many of the inhabitants of Blackwell, North Dakota, are descendants of Thor or Loki – and now Matt and friends have to find Thor’s hammer and prevent Ragnarok. Subsequent titles are Odin’s Ravens and Thor’s Serpents. For ages 9-12.

Nancy Farmer’s The Sea of Trolls (Atheneum, 2006), set in the 8^th century, begins when young Jack and his sister Lucy are kidnapped by Viking berserkers. Rich in excitement, adventure, and Norse traditions, this is the first of a trilogy: subsequent titles are The Islands of the Blessed and The Land of Silver Apples. For ages 12 and up.

From the BBC, Viking Sagas is a collection of animated Norse myths for ages 7-11. Scripts are available to download and print.

See Mr. Donn’s The Vikings: Gods and Myths.

In the board game Yggdrasil Chronicles, players take on the roles of Norse gods as they work together to save the world tree, Yggdrasil, from destruction. For ages 14 and up.

Directed by Kenneth Branagh, in the movie Thor (2011), Thor is cast out of Asgard by Odin and sent to Earth to live among humans. There he struggles to regain his powers and to battle Loki and the Frost Giants, who have taken over Asgard. Rated PG-13.

Check out Walter Simonson’s multi-series Marvel classics on Thor – plus his cameo role in the movie’s final banquet.