Thorfinn the Nicest Viking and the Awful Invasion

Gr 2–4—Harald the Skull-Splitter is a fearsome Viking chief, but his son? That's another story. Thorfinn is very nice indeed, which is the exact opposite of what the Viking villagers want. However, it turns out that Thorfinn's manners and his spirit of friendly competition just might save the day. The first book introduces Thorfinn and explains how he got his Viking name (Thorfinn the Very-Very-Nice-Indeed), while the second book continues Thorfinn's adventures as his Viking village travels to the International Gruesome Game. The juxtaposition of Thorfinn's extreme politeness with his rough-and-tumble Viking surroundings brings plenty of laughs, and black-and-white vignette illustrations add to the humor of the story. Hand these to fans of "How to Train Your Dragon" who aren't quite ready for Cressida Cowell's books.