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Viking Adventure
Sigurd, a Viking boy, cannot see the value of learning to read and write. All he can think of is adventure. But then he has an adventure that he cannot help but tell. And to do that, he decides, he must learn to write. A fine story for young readers.
117 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1963
16 people are currently reading
376 people want to read
About the author
Clyde Robert Bulla
108 books103 followersBorn to be a Writer
Almost as far back as he can remember, Clyde Robert Bulla wanted to write. Born on a farm in a small town in Missouri, Mr. Bulla's first school was a one-room country schoolhouse. One day his teacher asked each first grade student what he or she would do with a thousand dollars. Young Clyde answered that he would buy a table. His classmates laughed heartily, and his teacher was puzzled. “What I really meant,” says Mr. Bulla, “is a desk or other flat surface on which to write my stories!”
First Stories
Mr. Bulla's first piece of writing was titled, “How Planets Were Born.” The ambitious opening sentence was, “One night old Mother Moon had a million babies.” All through school, Mr. Bulla continued to write stories mostly, but plays and poetry, too. After years of gathering editor's rejection slips, Mr. Bulla sold a magazine story, then several more. Soon after, Mr. Bulla wrote a novel and a publisher accepted it.
The Difficult Years
In the excitement of publishing a novel, Mr. Bulla wrote two more books. Unfortunately, no one wanted to publish them. His luck took a turn for the worse when the publisher of his first book went bankrupt. For several years, he worked at a local weekly newspaper where he struggled with linotype, kept books, collected bills, and wrote a weekly column.
Success!
A couple of Mr. Bulla's weekly columns caught the attention of a well-known author and illustrator of children's books. She wrote to Mr. Bulla, suggesting that he try writing a children's book. He immediately sent her a manuscript for a children's book he'd written a year before. Within one week, an editor of a New York publisher read the manuscript,and it was accepted. The book was The Donkey Cart, published in 1946. Since then, Mr. Bulla has written over twenty books for children, as well as the music for several children's song books.
About The Chalk Box Kid
“When I was young,” explains Mr. Bulla, “I sometimes found it hard to cope in new surroundings, and I was apt to get off on the wrong foot. This is the story of a boy who got off on the wrong foot in a new school and how he tried to cope.” In describing the chalk garden, Mr. Bulla says, “I gave Gregory something I've always wished for: a big, blank wall that I could cover with my own drawings.”
Almost as far back as he can remember, Clyde Robert Bulla wanted to write. Born on a farm in a small town in Missouri, Mr. Bulla's first school was a one-room country schoolhouse. One day his teacher asked each first grade student what he or she would do with a thousand dollars. Young Clyde answered that he would buy a table. His classmates laughed heartily, and his teacher was puzzled. “What I really meant,” says Mr. Bulla, “is a desk or other flat surface on which to write my stories!”
First Stories
Mr. Bulla's first piece of writing was titled, “How Planets Were Born.” The ambitious opening sentence was, “One night old Mother Moon had a million babies.” All through school, Mr. Bulla continued to write stories mostly, but plays and poetry, too. After years of gathering editor's rejection slips, Mr. Bulla sold a magazine story, then several more. Soon after, Mr. Bulla wrote a novel and a publisher accepted it.
The Difficult Years
In the excitement of publishing a novel, Mr. Bulla wrote two more books. Unfortunately, no one wanted to publish them. His luck took a turn for the worse when the publisher of his first book went bankrupt. For several years, he worked at a local weekly newspaper where he struggled with linotype, kept books, collected bills, and wrote a weekly column.
Success!
A couple of Mr. Bulla's weekly columns caught the attention of a well-known author and illustrator of children's books. She wrote to Mr. Bulla, suggesting that he try writing a children's book. He immediately sent her a manuscript for a children's book he'd written a year before. Within one week, an editor of a New York publisher read the manuscript,and it was accepted. The book was The Donkey Cart, published in 1946. Since then, Mr. Bulla has written over twenty books for children, as well as the music for several children's song books.
About The Chalk Box Kid
“When I was young,” explains Mr. Bulla, “I sometimes found it hard to cope in new surroundings, and I was apt to get off on the wrong foot. This is the story of a boy who got off on the wrong foot in a new school and how he tried to cope.” In describing the chalk garden, Mr. Bulla says, “I gave Gregory something I've always wished for: a big, blank wall that I could cover with my own drawings.”
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews
July 5, 2013
I really enjoyed reading this one with my daughter. As advertised in the title, there was a great deal of adventure, with plenty of Vikings. :)
Seriously, it was a fun book, and never got boring. Lots of intrigue and some very interesting themes presented, deep characterization and a lot of intrigue. My daughter was very sad that it ended and immediately asked if there was more. Sadly there isn't and we'll have to get our Viking fix elsewhere.
I'll have to admit, I was a little sad when it was over as well.
Highly recommended. If you're homeschooilng and your child has this book assigned to read, do yourself a favor and enjoy it yourself as well.
Seriously, it was a fun book, and never got boring. Lots of intrigue and some very interesting themes presented, deep characterization and a lot of intrigue. My daughter was very sad that it ended and immediately asked if there was more. Sadly there isn't and we'll have to get our Viking fix elsewhere.
I'll have to admit, I was a little sad when it was over as well.
Highly recommended. If you're homeschooilng and your child has this book assigned to read, do yourself a favor and enjoy it yourself as well.
Read
July 24, 2025Grayson read this to himself and then asked me to read it. This is a bittersweet story, but also has the fun adventure aspect most Bulla books include.
June 11, 2020
A children’s adventure of exploration, sailing, mutiny, escape and shipwreck. Viking Adventure by Clyde Robert Bulla was the only Viking novel I read as a young child, and it was the reason I fell in love with Vikings. That love only intensified in my preteen and teenage years.
Reading Viking Adventure as a child, I was captivated and thrilled despite the dry, simple writing. I read it over and over. It took my imagination to great heights and made me feel like I was there with the young main character, escaping from vengeful enemies, sailing the high seas, and discovering new lands. After learning about Vikings in history, my siblings and I played make-believe games of Vikings for hours--and I'm sure my interest in history was sparked by this novel, as it always has been by historical fiction.
I reread Viking Adventure this week, for the first time in many, many years. I was afraid I would ruin the magic and find that it was flat and boring, or not well-written, or that I no longer loved the story. But I was so pleased that none of that happened.
Instead, I was engaged by the adventure and characters, even though I wasn't as captivated, riveted, and inspired as my childhood self. The simplicity of the book is deceptive--the characters and plot are complex and intense, despite the understated feel. The adventure truly is exciting and intense, especially for my younger self--I can see why I was so caught up in it as a child, and why it sparked my imagination.
As a child, I felt the danger and excitement as I read the book. I was fascinated by the characters--friend and enemy alike--and feared for the main character's life. I wished I could sail on a Viking ship, even if it meant danger. As an adult, the exploration of personalities and relationships made me think, and I understood the story and its value and depth in a way I never could have as a child. It was so fascinating to see a realistically evil, cowardly man strike down a good man--and drag others into his own folly and downfall.
I would have liked more depth and detail, such as the tone of the characters' spoken dialogue. However, the story is adequate as it is. The author did tell how the main character felt, showed the expressions on the other characters' faces, and conveyed each character's personality vividly through the right details--a mark of good writing.
The writing was simple, yes, but partly in a good way--it was effective and direct. The simple words conveyed the story just as well as larger ones, and I appreciate how it's easy to understand even for a young child reading on their own. I can't think of any other author who wrote children's adventure novels at a reading level accessible to all, and that is a valuable thing. I've loved exciting, deep adventure novels since I was very small, but this was probably one of the only ones I had access to when I was a very young reader. That's why Clyde Robert Bulla is a good author, I realize now, and it's why I enjoyed his books all the way through older childhood, before I abandoned them for more detailed writing.
Reading Viking Adventure as a child, I was captivated and thrilled despite the dry, simple writing. I read it over and over. It took my imagination to great heights and made me feel like I was there with the young main character, escaping from vengeful enemies, sailing the high seas, and discovering new lands. After learning about Vikings in history, my siblings and I played make-believe games of Vikings for hours--and I'm sure my interest in history was sparked by this novel, as it always has been by historical fiction.
I reread Viking Adventure this week, for the first time in many, many years. I was afraid I would ruin the magic and find that it was flat and boring, or not well-written, or that I no longer loved the story. But I was so pleased that none of that happened.
Instead, I was engaged by the adventure and characters, even though I wasn't as captivated, riveted, and inspired as my childhood self. The simplicity of the book is deceptive--the characters and plot are complex and intense, despite the understated feel. The adventure truly is exciting and intense, especially for my younger self--I can see why I was so caught up in it as a child, and why it sparked my imagination.
As a child, I felt the danger and excitement as I read the book. I was fascinated by the characters--friend and enemy alike--and feared for the main character's life. I wished I could sail on a Viking ship, even if it meant danger. As an adult, the exploration of personalities and relationships made me think, and I understood the story and its value and depth in a way I never could have as a child. It was so fascinating to see a realistically evil, cowardly man strike down a good man--and drag others into his own folly and downfall.
I would have liked more depth and detail, such as the tone of the characters' spoken dialogue. However, the story is adequate as it is. The author did tell how the main character felt, showed the expressions on the other characters' faces, and conveyed each character's personality vividly through the right details--a mark of good writing.
The writing was simple, yes, but partly in a good way--it was effective and direct. The simple words conveyed the story just as well as larger ones, and I appreciate how it's easy to understand even for a young child reading on their own. I can't think of any other author who wrote children's adventure novels at a reading level accessible to all, and that is a valuable thing. I've loved exciting, deep adventure novels since I was very small, but this was probably one of the only ones I had access to when I was a very young reader. That's why Clyde Robert Bulla is a good author, I realize now, and it's why I enjoyed his books all the way through older childhood, before I abandoned them for more detailed writing.
March 2, 2020
The vocabulary isn't rich enough to make this a good family read-aloud, nor are there any complex sentences. However, it would be good to use as reading practice for a young reader that is mature enough to handle reading about death.
Note: a sailor drowns at sea. A man is secretly murdered. The boy is threatened by the murderer because he knows the secret. A ship is wrecked with no survivors. The boy receives news that his father has died. (There is nothing graphic about these scenarios.)
Note: a sailor drowns at sea. A man is secretly murdered. The boy is threatened by the murderer because he knows the secret. A ship is wrecked with no survivors. The boy receives news that his father has died. (There is nothing graphic about these scenarios.)
August 6, 2025
If you like Viking Tales by Jeanie Hall then this is the perfect book for you.
Placed thousands of year after the discovery of Wineland, it tells of Sigurd, a boy who becomes a man on his journey to Wineland. He travels with his father’s friend Gorm, and makes a friend named Aron on the ship. He makes an enemy as well, but all is well (if not bittersweet) in the end.
The writting is on a lower level, but that did not stop me from enjoying this book. In fact, I finished the book rather quickly because of the lower reading level.
I have read books by Clyde Robert Bulla before, and I enjoyed the writting style of his books: plain and simple. Great for reading slumps and those who want to give their brain a break from higher level books.
Placed thousands of year after the discovery of Wineland, it tells of Sigurd, a boy who becomes a man on his journey to Wineland. He travels with his father’s friend Gorm, and makes a friend named Aron on the ship. He makes an enemy as well, but all is well (if not bittersweet) in the end.
The writting is on a lower level, but that did not stop me from enjoying this book. In fact, I finished the book rather quickly because of the lower reading level.
I have read books by Clyde Robert Bulla before, and I enjoyed the writting style of his books: plain and simple. Great for reading slumps and those who want to give their brain a break from higher level books.
December 29, 2023
This book has more story and adventure than I expected. The story drew me in, and even surprised me at times. The writing is a little simple. As a read-aloud, the “Sigurd said, Gorm said, Halfred asked” got tiresome. We read this in line with our Middle Ages SOTW. I look forward to more texts by the author as they line up with our studies.
November 6, 2019
This was an enjoyable little adventure featuring a young Viking lad. Interesting and well developed characters.
January 27, 2023
I enjoyed this book and thought it was really cool. I love that it’s all about a little boy who goes on an adventure. There were great details about all the things the main character experienced. -E (10 years old)
April 26, 2023
Independent Reading- rating by 7 year old
September 10, 2024
This was a history read aloud with my daughter and we loved it.
November 13, 2024
Another great first chapter book, this one even better than The Sword in the Tree
August 14, 2021
This was way more violent than my kids were expecting—I know, it’s Vikings, they are not typically gentle stories—but they did not like. We loved The Secret Valley but his other books have been misses for us.
August 20, 2021
This was a delightful little story in very simple language appropriate to children - a boy named Sigurd from Norway joins a friend of his father's on an expedition to try to find the "Wineland" allegedly found by Leif Eriksson. When he uncovers a murder among the crew of his ship, he barely escapes becoming another victim on the way back to Norway . . .
August 19, 2008
This is a wonderful book! The hero is a young boy, but my daughters loved it. It's set during the time of the Vikings and was a great read-along with our Leif Erickson study.
January 31, 2013
Luke's Review:
This is book about a young 13 year old Viking who went out on an adventure to a far away land. He learns a lesson from a cousin. It was really exciting to read.
This is book about a young 13 year old Viking who went out on an adventure to a far away land. He learns a lesson from a cousin. It was really exciting to read.
August 19, 2018
This is the story of a Viking boy who starts out on an adventure his father was never able to complete, a journey to find "Wineland," which no one seemed to believe existed. While the story was a little predictable, I thought it still had enough life to it to be engaging. At one point I thought to myself, "Oh-no, (this) is going to happen next!" And then when that thing happened (no spoilers), as much as I wasn't shocked, it was still a dramatic moment.
The style of the story was in such a way that I could almost imagine an author listening to Sigurd tell the story, and then they simply wrote it down and added things like direct quotes. The flow of the story was such that I can easily put it into a storytelling frame of mind, which made the story enjoyable. I think I would have preferred it in more of a storytelling format, but this was okay too.
One of the things I really loved about the book was the description of actual historic ideas, even if the description of the boat itself didn't sit fantastically with me. I've never read about a Viking ship with a below deck area, nor with sleeping quarters for the captain. However, they do talk about the boats with the shields mounted at the edge, and the use of men to row when the winds were low.
On a side note, after having seen the show Vikings, I couldn't help but overlay the voices, accents, and inflections of some of the characters over some of the phrases that were said. The style of writing paralleled with the show so well that it seemed an almost intuitive leap in my mind. I guess that was part of what made the story for me.
The style of the story was in such a way that I could almost imagine an author listening to Sigurd tell the story, and then they simply wrote it down and added things like direct quotes. The flow of the story was such that I can easily put it into a storytelling frame of mind, which made the story enjoyable. I think I would have preferred it in more of a storytelling format, but this was okay too.
One of the things I really loved about the book was the description of actual historic ideas, even if the description of the boat itself didn't sit fantastically with me. I've never read about a Viking ship with a below deck area, nor with sleeping quarters for the captain. However, they do talk about the boats with the shields mounted at the edge, and the use of men to row when the winds were low.
On a side note, after having seen the show Vikings, I couldn't help but overlay the voices, accents, and inflections of some of the characters over some of the phrases that were said. The style of writing paralleled with the show so well that it seemed an almost intuitive leap in my mind. I guess that was part of what made the story for me.
August 18, 2025
Clyde Robert Bulla books are quick wins for us in these elementary years—even though we're definitely growing out of them. We're studying the Middle Ages this year, so I thought this would be a fun read to ease into the school year. I like Bulla's books because they're uncomplicated and finishable in just a few days.
As always, Bulla presents a young, historical protagonist. This time, it's Sigurd, son of a Viking in Norway. We follow him from birth to manhood. His father teaches him to be strong and unafraid. Sigurd is enchanted by the idea of Wineland—the land that Lief Ericson found over 100 years ago by sailing west past Greenland. Most everyone thinks that Wineland is a myth, but one day, he gets the chance to join a sailing crew headed for those fabled shores.
What I love about Bulla books is that they are loaded with conflict. The young protagonists are always faced with interesting dilemmas. But, Bulla doesn't overcomplicate things. It's a great opportunity for discussion—What would you do? Do you think he did the right thing? Who is right, character A or character B?
Of course, these books are meant as early readers, not necessarily read-alouds. There are a number of Bulla books that I will happily assign as independent reading, but I wouldn't read aloud because I save those precious read-aloud spots for "harder" and longer books, but every now and then, I make an exception.
As always, Bulla presents a young, historical protagonist. This time, it's Sigurd, son of a Viking in Norway. We follow him from birth to manhood. His father teaches him to be strong and unafraid. Sigurd is enchanted by the idea of Wineland—the land that Lief Ericson found over 100 years ago by sailing west past Greenland. Most everyone thinks that Wineland is a myth, but one day, he gets the chance to join a sailing crew headed for those fabled shores.
What I love about Bulla books is that they are loaded with conflict. The young protagonists are always faced with interesting dilemmas. But, Bulla doesn't overcomplicate things. It's a great opportunity for discussion—What would you do? Do you think he did the right thing? Who is right, character A or character B?
Of course, these books are meant as early readers, not necessarily read-alouds. There are a number of Bulla books that I will happily assign as independent reading, but I wouldn't read aloud because I save those precious read-aloud spots for "harder" and longer books, but every now and then, I make an exception.
May 20, 2020
Viking Adventure is something of a reader for younger children, possibly as young as 2nd or 3rd Grade. It was originally written by Clyde Robert Bulla (1914-2007), author of over 50 children's books. The illustrator was Douglas W. Gorsline (1913-1985), who was an accomplished artist in his own right. The volume is not only a reader, but enjoyable material for parents and grandparents to read to their little ones.
The story-line follows Sigurd, who takes up his father's dream of finding Wineland. We move along from Sigurd's early childhood and regimen meant to prepare him for the rigors and hardships of war and sailing. Two old friends of his father come to Sigurd's home at just the right time. One of them has been made captain of a ship to seek out Wineland. The young man wins his way onto the ship, makes a friend, experiences adventures and betrayal's, ends up a castaway, and finally returns home to find...Well, one will simply have to read the book.
I have recorded my reading of this book for my grandchildren who live far away. You can find those readings by looking for my channel on YouTube. It was quite the pleasure, and I highly recommend the book.
The story-line follows Sigurd, who takes up his father's dream of finding Wineland. We move along from Sigurd's early childhood and regimen meant to prepare him for the rigors and hardships of war and sailing. Two old friends of his father come to Sigurd's home at just the right time. One of them has been made captain of a ship to seek out Wineland. The young man wins his way onto the ship, makes a friend, experiences adventures and betrayal's, ends up a castaway, and finally returns home to find...Well, one will simply have to read the book.
I have recorded my reading of this book for my grandchildren who live far away. You can find those readings by looking for my channel on YouTube. It was quite the pleasure, and I highly recommend the book.
September 13, 2022
The kids all gave this one 5 stars. We read it to go with our studies of explorers and of Norway. I really liked how it gave a picture of what life was like at home for this type of family. It felt very realistic. Sigurd's cousin didn't really want to be friends, but was more of a competitor. Sigurd was treated very differently in the family as a boy than his sisters. Even the layout of the farm compound was interesting. We liked hearing about Sigurd's grit and resilience. Once he got on the voyage, things got dicey with the threat of mutiny and power struggles between Gorm and the ship's owner, Halfred. We could feel the tenseness of the events that followed, and it made for some very exciting reading. Especially pleased with the subtle but important lesson on written story, and why someone like Sigurd - an adventurer with no use for literacy - would want to learn to read and write.
October 22, 2022
I really enjoyed reading this book with my 10 year old, where we took turns reading it to one another. Sigurd is a viking boy, is trained in fighting, and hears of adventures his father has gone on. When his father's old friend comes to visit and asks his father if he will come on the trip, his father replies He can't, due to an injury that still hurts him. Sigurd asks if he can go instead and the adventure begins. I like the character of Sigurd: how he interacts with the other characters, his life, adventures, and the friendships he makes. You see signs of loyalty and sacrifice within the story. It is nicely written I love that it shows how Vikings were trying to find Wineland, what travel might have been like, and their interaction with the natives. This has brought us into more research about the vikings to get a fuller picture of all that was going on.
May 18, 2021
Pretty depressing for a kids book. A Viking boy goes on a voyage from Norway to “Wineland” (probably Canada). Once there, the villain kills a friendly native and then the captain. Since the boy saw, the villain vows to kill him. When they’re nearly home he escapes the ship, and later finds out the ship was wrecked with no survivors. When he comes home his father is dead, and no one believes his tale. He decides to learn to read and write so he can write his story.
December 10, 2021
A very easy, quick, younger-than-middle grade book about a Viking boy who goes on a voyage to Newfoundland (what they called Wineland). I actually had no idea Vikings voyaged as far as North America, and my homeschooling 3rd grader is loving learning about them. I disliked how one man treated the natives there, and he then ended up being the reason the voyage fell to ruin. The young main character learns very quickly about deceit, loyalty, and courage. Good discussions to have with my son!
November 11, 2025
"I loved it, but I wish that the person that helped him was still alive." DD 6yo 👍
I read this as a history book with my first grader. The chapters were short and well written making it a perfect first story for her to narrate by herself (as opposed to our family studies where her older sister narrates as well). I was very impressed by the quality of her earliest narrations and the book certainly had a great part in that.
I read this as a history book with my first grader. The chapters were short and well written making it a perfect first story for her to narrate by herself (as opposed to our family studies where her older sister narrates as well). I was very impressed by the quality of her earliest narrations and the book certainly had a great part in that.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 11, 2021
My girls (age 9 & 12) were hesitant about this book at first and didn't really want to read it. By the time I finished reading it to them (took about a week reading it at night), they had rated it 5 stars. I thought it was an interesting read...really brings you back to what that time of life might have been like.
September 21, 2023
My 6 year old daughter and I read this for homeschool this year (TruthQuest History). We both loved it and she would beg for more. I like to keep our lessons short, so I set a timer for our subjects. She secretly added a half hour to our reading time! 🤣 As others have said, it is not the richest literature of all time, but it was still an exciting story, and we were sad when it ended!
March 1, 2020
Wow, what a thriller of a juvenile historic fiction chapter book! There was lots of useful period information packed into this little read. My just-turned-7-year old was interested in what happened next and we couldn't hold ourselves to just one chapter a day like our curriculum suggested.
January 8, 2021
Read aloud for history with my 8 yr old. It was an interesting story and exciting to start but then once they are on their trip it just started getting so sad with Halfred's treachery. It kind of made the end of the book really sad and unbalanced to the beginning feeling.
October 9, 2021
I read this book to my 10 year old for school. The storyline was simple but interesting enough to capture my attention. My son enjoyed the read and thought it was a well done story. I appreciated how the plot picked up and got more interesting as the story continued.
October 25, 2021
Both kids read it to themselves today and had a jolly good time. My husband flipped through the book and observed to #1 that Sigurd had to work hard even when he didn’t know what he was preparing for, so that he could be ready when the adventures came. :)
April 5, 2024
It's a short story about Sigurd, son of Olaf, a boy viking--almost a man, who sails to Wineland. The story of his adventures and their perils and his coming home to tell his story so that others may someday follow.
CC: murder
CC: murder
Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews