Thorfinn and the Awful Invasion

Thorfinn #1

by David MacPhail

Prepare yourself for the wrath of the Norsemen! That is, if you don't mind and it's not too inconvenient... Everyone knows Vikings are ruthless barbarians whose idea of a good time involves pillaging, plundering and feasting. But Thorfinn is no ordinary Viking! He is always polite and happily offers to wash the dirty dishes. Too bad his dad is Harald the Skull-Splitter, Village Chief and the roughest and toughest Viking of them all. Tired of Thorfinn and his too-nice ways getting them into trouble, his dad decides it's time for Thorfinn to earn his gruesome Viking name. Stuck on a longboat with a ragtag bunch of adventurers who'd like to throw him overboard, how will the Nicest Viking cope with a dangerous voyage to Scotland? Thorfinn the Nicest Viking is a funny, illustrated, action-packed series for young readers which bridges the gap between Horrid Henry and Diary of a Wimpy Kid , set in a world where manners mean nothing and politeness is pointless!"

Genres: Fiction, Childrens

136 pages, Paperback

First published August 20, 2015

Reviews

[Fer ִֶָ☾ ࣪⋆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

بامزه و عالی
یه پسر وایکینگ که ناناز و مهربون و باهوشه

[Mills · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars which I'm rounding up to the four I would doubtless have given it were I twenty years younger. Gentle humour about a really very nice young viking who turns everything you thought you knew about vikings on its head and saves the day through intelligence, politeness, and cream teas with lots of jam. Oh, and my viking name is Astrid the Shield Breaker, so you know. I think I'd rather the cream tea than the shields, personally.

[Adele Broadbent · Rating 3 out of 5]

Harald the Skull-Splitter is worried about his son. Thorfinn has lovely manners, is thoughtful, caring and friendly – the opposite of what a good Viking should be! When Harald gets home from a voyage to find Thorfinn washing the dishes so his mum could have a rest, Harald knows he has to do something.

He announces a voyage to Scotland, to raid villages, steal their stuff and generally be the Vikings they are meant to be. Thorfinn will go too, and Harald will be able to teach him how to be a proper Viking.
There is another family in the village who aren’t happy that Thorfinn is going, when their son Olaf (sone of Erik the Ear-Masher) hasn’t been invited. So Olaf is invited too. Olaf and Thorfinn are at the age where they are given their proper Viking names and Harald despairs what Thorfinn will end up with. Thorfinn the tea maker? Thorfinn the too nice?

But being nice isn't all bad, and Thorfinn soon proves that to the ship's crew and his father. His manners and friendly helpful nature save the ship more than once and he is given his new name. Thorfinn the very very nice indeed!

But Olaf and his dad Erik the Ear Masher aren't happy and are plotting their revenge....

This is the first in a series of funny stories for young readers. It would make a great read aloud for 6-7 year olds and also has Viking puzzles and activities at the back of the book. A teaser from the next book in the series encourages readers to read more of Thorfinn's adventures.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute story about Thorfin, who is the nicest Viking ever - keeps offering people scones and cups of tea, and doesn't want to do any pillaging.

Large print (serif font), well spaced. Frequent pictures but not enough or clear enough to support the text.

Some complex sentences "You see, my dear, you are the nicest Viking ...", "And if I can't see Iceland ..."

Confident younger reader, who perhaps isn't ready for Harry Potter, but beyond Beastquest.

[Adriel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really Funny, a great book to put in the hands of a reluctant reader who likes funny books. A story of a gentle and polite viking boy saving the day is a win!

[Soham Keyal · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nice and nice Vikings in the end in the starting like normal Vikings so I liked it

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thorfinn is simply too polite and agreeable to be a Viking, and his father decides to toughen him up on a sea voyage. The other Vikings are not very happy when he serves tea and scones to Ragnar, another fierce Viking who boards their ship on their way to Scotland. But Thorfinn tames that savage beast by teaching him how to write his name. Thorfinn earns his Viking name with his acts of kindness: Thorfinn the Very-Very-Nice-Indeed. I laughed my way through the book while appreciating its message about being true to oneself and one's innate nature. I can only imagine what life must have been like for someone like Thorfinn during those wilder times. This one will appeal to late elementary readers.

[Gemma MacDonald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book

The book is hilarious and every body should read it. Its basically an opposite Viking

You even get to find out your Viking name at the end of the book

[Tiffany Noelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun, witty read! I enjoyed this book with my son (coincidentally named Finn) and even though I started reading it for him, by the time the story was over, I was reading it for myself just as much as for my son! Highly recommend for kids/parents reading together.