Thor Speaks!

by Vicky Alvear Shecter, J. E. Larson (Illustrator)

Overview

One day in the distant future, Thor, the Norse god of thunder, is destined to battle the giant snake that threatens to devour the world. Until then, mortals of Middle Earth look to Thor and his magic hammer for protection from evil. In this third volume of the Secrets of the Ancient Gods series, Thor takes time from his duties to lead readers through the mythological Norse realms, those mysterious worlds that are home to gods, giants, elves, and monsters. He also delves into the age of the Vikings and reveals how they lived and what they believed. Using Thor as her humorous narrator, author Vicky Alvear Shecter provides a well-researched and unconventional nonfiction introduction to Norse mythology. Includes a glossary, bibliography, and index.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781620915998
Publisher:	Astra Publishing House
Publication date:	09/29/2015
Series:	Secrets of the Ancient Gods Series
Pages:	128
Product dimensions:	5.56(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.56(d)
Lexile:	870L (what's this?)
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

About the Author

Vicky Alvear Shecter is the author of Hades Speaks! A Guide to the Underworld by the Greek God of the Dead; Anubis Speaks! A Guide to the Afterlife by the Egyptian God of the Dead; Cleopatra Rules! The Amazing Life of the Original Teen Queen; Cleopatra's Moon; Curses and Smoke: A Novel of Pompeii; and Alexander the Great Rocks the World. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia. vickyalvearshecter.com

J. E. Larson is the illustrator of Hades Speaks! A Guide to the Underworld by the Greek God of the Dead. His work embraces the phantasmagorical and reflects his love of Victorian nonsense, German expressionism, and monster movies. He lives in Rochester, Minnesota.

Read an Excerpt

"In this third entry in the Secrets of the Ancient Gods series… Shecter assumes the rough-and-tumble voice of “everyone’s ‘good-buddy’ god,” Thor, introducing more than a dozen myths and the gods central to them…. Larson’s delicately etched pen-and-ink illustrations have a creepy, Goreyesque edge… Extensive character descriptions, source notes, and a glossary round out this entertainingly informal introduction to Norse legends." —Publishers Weekly

Editorial Reviews

08/17/2015
In this third entry in the Secrets of the Ancient Gods series (following Anubis Speaks! and Hades Speaks!), Shecter assumes the rough-and-tumble voice of “everyone’s ‘good-buddy’ god,” Thor, introducing more than a dozen myths and the gods central to them. Thor’s unfussy perspective is just right for recapping myths that can be unpleasant in the details (“Ymir the ice-giant began to sweat, and from his stinky armpit emerged two giants”). Larson’s delicately etched pen-and-ink illustrations have a creepy, Goreyesque edge as he pictures Odin and Thor visiting Mímir’s well, and the god of thunder doing battle against the great serpent Jörungandr during Ragnarök. Extensive character descriptions, source notes, and a glossary round out this entertainingly informal introduction to Norse legends. Ages 9–12. Agent: Courtney Miller-Callahan, Sanford J. Greenburger Associates. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

"Mortals, do you dare follow the god of "strength and weather and mighty muscles" on a tour through Norse mythology?...Larson's dark, operatic tableaux of melodramatically posed figures clad in outsized headgear and geometrically patterned cloaks add a comically Wagnerian tone... Return trips are definitely in the offing." —Kirkus Reviews

"In this third entry in the Secrets of the Ancient Gods series... Shecter assumes the rough-and-tumble voice of 'everyone's 'good-buddy' god,' Thor, introducing more than a dozen myths and the gods central to them.... Larson's delicately etched pen-and-ink illustrations have a creepy, Goreyesque edge... Extensive character descriptions, source notes, and a glossary round out this entertainingly informal introduction to Norse legends." —Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

2015-05-06
Mortals, do you dare follow the god of "strength and weather and mighty muscles" on a tour through Norse mythology? Warning that "if you don't like blood, you might want to close this book and read stories about pixies and fairies instead" (as if), the hammer-wielding guide begins with an introduction to the Vikings and their way of, literally, cutting out the middleman to get to the plunder. He then goes on to describe the creation of the giants from the "sweaty armpit" of Ymir and subsequent battles with "Odin's team of good-guy gods." He then conducts a tour up Yggdrasill with stopovers at Niflheim, Midgard, and Asgard, then concludes with a jolly preview of the slaughter of Ragnarök, the "end of times" (but not really). The itinerary also includes a quick visit to Valhalla—"an endless zombie slumber party" for warriors who die in battle—among other stops. Prefaced by a proper caution that Norse myths and legends are, like all such, subject to regional and other variations, the genial guide's patter includes references to other prominent figures and tales. Larson's dark, operatic tableaux of melodramatically posed figures clad in outsized headgear and geometrically patterned cloaks add a comically Wagnerian tone. Showing uncommon foresight, Thor bids adieu with a "See ya next time, kid!" Return trips are definitely in the offing. (list of gods and monsters, glossary, sources, map, index) (Mythology. 10-13)

Kirkus Reviews