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Who Was . . . ? Series
Who Was Leif Erikson?
Hold on to your Viking helmets as you learn about the first known European to set foot on North America in this exciting addition to the Who Was? series!
Leif Erikson was born to be an explorer. His father, Erik the Red, had established the first European settlement in present-day Greenland, and although he didn't yet know it, Leif was destined to embark on an adventure of his own. The wise and striking Viking landed in the area known as Vinland almost five centuries before Christopher Columbus even set sail! "Leif the Lucky" and the other fierce, sea-fearing pirates were accomplished navigators who raided foreign lands for resources, hunted for their food, and passed down Old Norse myths from one generation to the next. This book gives readers a detailed account of what life was like during the time of the Vikings.
Leif Erikson was born to be an explorer. His father, Erik the Red, had established the first European settlement in present-day Greenland, and although he didn't yet know it, Leif was destined to embark on an adventure of his own. The wise and striking Viking landed in the area known as Vinland almost five centuries before Christopher Columbus even set sail! "Leif the Lucky" and the other fierce, sea-fearing pirates were accomplished navigators who raided foreign lands for resources, hunted for their food, and passed down Old Norse myths from one generation to the next. This book gives readers a detailed account of what life was like during the time of the Vikings.
112 pages, Paperback
First published June 5, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
November 8, 2024
Who Was ...? biography series for middle grade brings Leif Erikson who was the first European to explore the lands of North America.
Leif Erikson was born in Iceland around the year 980 to a Viking family. When his father, Erik the Red, was banished from Iceland, he took his family to Greenland. After settling in Greenland, it became Leif’s dream to explore the unknown western lands. He reached today’s Canada’s Baffin Island. He reached North America 400 years before Columbus. The place they found livable, he named Vineland as they discovered grapes there. After returning to Greenland, he became the chieftain of Greenland for over twenty years. The settlement prospered under his rule. He died around 1025.
Leif never returned to North America but others did, including his two brothers and sister Freydis.
This book doesn’t cover much of Leif’s story. I’m assuming there is little information about him. Nevertheless, he left a mark as a skilled sailor and brave leader. His voyage to North America motivated others to follow in his path.
This book is mostly about Vikings: their life, settlements, traditions, households. They were fierce warriors and sailors from Scandinavia who were brutal in their attacks and known for their tactics. But they also paid attention to the natural world around them, finding guidance in nature. They were also known for their skills in building ships.
Even though, this story doesn’t involve much about Leif Erikson, it is still a fascinating story about Vikings, and interestingly written.
This illustrated biography series for young readers, ages 8-12, is presented in a relatable way, with simple sentences and enriched with insightful inserts.
Leif Erikson was born in Iceland around the year 980 to a Viking family. When his father, Erik the Red, was banished from Iceland, he took his family to Greenland. After settling in Greenland, it became Leif’s dream to explore the unknown western lands. He reached today’s Canada’s Baffin Island. He reached North America 400 years before Columbus. The place they found livable, he named Vineland as they discovered grapes there. After returning to Greenland, he became the chieftain of Greenland for over twenty years. The settlement prospered under his rule. He died around 1025.
Leif never returned to North America but others did, including his two brothers and sister Freydis.
This book doesn’t cover much of Leif’s story. I’m assuming there is little information about him. Nevertheless, he left a mark as a skilled sailor and brave leader. His voyage to North America motivated others to follow in his path.
This book is mostly about Vikings: their life, settlements, traditions, households. They were fierce warriors and sailors from Scandinavia who were brutal in their attacks and known for their tactics. But they also paid attention to the natural world around them, finding guidance in nature. They were also known for their skills in building ships.
Even though, this story doesn’t involve much about Leif Erikson, it is still a fascinating story about Vikings, and interestingly written.
This illustrated biography series for young readers, ages 8-12, is presented in a relatable way, with simple sentences and enriched with insightful inserts.
April 15, 2023
4 Stars for Who Was Leif Erickson (audiobook) by Nico Medina read by Bruce Mann.
It’s fascinating to hear how America was almost settled by Vikings. They made it here hundreds of years before Columbus but the settlements didn’t last.
It’s fascinating to hear how America was almost settled by Vikings. They made it here hundreds of years before Columbus but the settlements didn’t last.
April 11, 2019
My daughter checked out a stack of these Who Was books. This one’s title asked the question: Who Was Leif Erikson? to which I had to answer: I have no idea. So, I read this book, and now I know more about him, his father Eric the Red, and Norse history c. 1000 AD. I don’t think too much about the Vikings, but they were a really important part of European history.
July 2, 2018
I liked it. Its more about vikings then Leif Erikson though.
January 4, 2023
eponymous-ey sentence:
p7: Leif Erikson (say: LEEF AY-rick-sun) was only around twenty years old.
Not as captivating as I thought, but informative, nonetheless.
p7: Leif Erikson (say: LEEF AY-rick-sun) was only around twenty years old.
Not as captivating as I thought, but informative, nonetheless.
March 23, 2020
Informative
Easy to read. Well done, easy and simple book for kids. Very informative and interesting book of Leif Erickson and the Vikings.
Easy to read. Well done, easy and simple book for kids. Very informative and interesting book of Leif Erickson and the Vikings.
August 30, 2024
3 stars from me, 4 1/3 stars from my eight year old, who wanted more about Leif.
March 9, 2020
It was good. I always thought that Christopher Columbus was the first one to find Amarica, before the Indians of course. But I guess I was wrong.
July 31, 2026
I was pleasantly surprised by all the info packed into such a little book!
January 28, 2021
My kids and I read this as part of their American History lesson. Goes into far greater depth than what one would find in a history book, but told in story format with delightful illustrations that kept the children interested.
I’m always on the lookout for great “Living Books” for education, and felt this particular book fit the bill.
I’m always on the lookout for great “Living Books” for education, and felt this particular book fit the bill.
October 22, 2025
This is a simple YA book giving some information on the Age of the Vikings and specifically the adventures of some Vikings from Norway that eventually colonized Greenland and made it to North America (Leif Erikson). The book is easy to read and might inspire a youthful reader to look into the stories -- and sagas -- of the Vikings; for me, completing the book represented a milestone of sorts, since I seem unable to focus on reading these days, and unable usually to finish reading a book. The distractions of the online world seem to overrule concentrating on reading a book.
Actually this book has quite a bit of interesting information about the Vikings, how they lived, their social organization, and politics. It doesn't explain why they embarked on their raiding expeditions, but suggests that the nicer lands such as Ireland and England, to the South, might have attracted the Scandinavians, initially to raid and steal but eventually to settle in the lands they previously raided.
The book is well-illustrated with simple line drawings and maps of the areas where the Vikings roamed, giving a good sense of how it was possible for the Vikings to travel in their long boats from Norway to Iceland, Greenland, and Canada. They used the sun to navigate and their ships were sturdy yet flexible - so they could withstand the wave action of the high seas. They even kept a bird aboard which they would release to find out if they were approaching land: If the bird returned, land was not near; if the bird did not return, they knew land was near.
I would recommend this book for a young adult reader and even an adult reader interested in a quick overview of the Viking era, and specifically of the adventures of Leif Erikson - the Viking explorer and colonizer who, approximately 500 years before Columbus, was the first European to discover America! The Viking colony Leif Erikson founded in Canada did not last, however, which is why Columbus is usually celebrated as the discoverer of America: He not only discovered America, he also seized most of Latin America and many Caribbean islands for the Spanish Crown - putting the stamp of Hispanic culture and the Spanish language on the Latin American world from then on.
Actually this book has quite a bit of interesting information about the Vikings, how they lived, their social organization, and politics. It doesn't explain why they embarked on their raiding expeditions, but suggests that the nicer lands such as Ireland and England, to the South, might have attracted the Scandinavians, initially to raid and steal but eventually to settle in the lands they previously raided.
The book is well-illustrated with simple line drawings and maps of the areas where the Vikings roamed, giving a good sense of how it was possible for the Vikings to travel in their long boats from Norway to Iceland, Greenland, and Canada. They used the sun to navigate and their ships were sturdy yet flexible - so they could withstand the wave action of the high seas. They even kept a bird aboard which they would release to find out if they were approaching land: If the bird returned, land was not near; if the bird did not return, they knew land was near.
I would recommend this book for a young adult reader and even an adult reader interested in a quick overview of the Viking era, and specifically of the adventures of Leif Erikson - the Viking explorer and colonizer who, approximately 500 years before Columbus, was the first European to discover America! The Viking colony Leif Erikson founded in Canada did not last, however, which is why Columbus is usually celebrated as the discoverer of America: He not only discovered America, he also seized most of Latin America and many Caribbean islands for the Spanish Crown - putting the stamp of Hispanic culture and the Spanish language on the Latin American world from then on.
December 2, 2023
This book is a perfect read for children (and adults)! One of my favorite aspects of this book is although some of the names have difficult pronunciations, there is a phonetic guide within the reading. I also appreciate that the Vikings were not just portrayed in a positive way, this text including truths like pillaging, capturing slaves, and even murder. There were positives in this as well though, like that they actually discovered North America more than 400 years before Christopher Columbus. Every time travel is mentioned, there is a map depicted on the same page. This allows the reader to immediately see the distance instead of having to flip to the front or back of the book to find a map. Potentially new vocabulary is defined within the reading making it easily comprehensible for students and/or adults.
Within the classroom this text could be used in various ways. Students could conduct research and compare and contrast how the Viking's and Christopher Columbus's journeys. They could show the different travels on a map. They could explore how landscapes differ depending on the country. You could also do a comparison of boats, for example this text talks about Viking ships and canoes. Each student could choose a different Who Was book and do more research to conduct a project that would be presented where they could dress and/or talk like their person in history. The Who Was series provides endless learning opportunities!
Within the classroom this text could be used in various ways. Students could conduct research and compare and contrast how the Viking's and Christopher Columbus's journeys. They could show the different travels on a map. They could explore how landscapes differ depending on the country. You could also do a comparison of boats, for example this text talks about Viking ships and canoes. Each student could choose a different Who Was book and do more research to conduct a project that would be presented where they could dress and/or talk like their person in history. The Who Was series provides endless learning opportunities!
January 16, 2020
Who Was Leif Erikson by Nico Medina gets directly to the issue of who discovered America (besides the natives that were already here)! Most people may still believe it was Christopher Columbus in 1492 followed by many more Europeans looking for gold and souls to convert as well as to establish permanent settlements in the New World. But this author sets the record straight as he presents facts of visits to North America by Leif Erikson and other Vikings 400-some years before Columbus. They had migrated from Norway to Britain to Iceland to Greenland as they were banished from previous settlements. North America had been sensed by one of their earlier party who didn't go ashore but reported seeing land. Leif Erikson crossed the seas to find it and actually land there. He found some areas unsuitible for establishing a permanent settlement so they returned. But they did try again and stayed over a winter before deciding there were too many hostile indians and other challenges that made it unappealing. He never returned but relics from their visits have been found confirming their presence in Northeastern Canada.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 30, 2018
When I saw Leif Erikson's big head on this book at the library, I realized I knew next to nothing about him so this 107 page children's nonfiction was ideal for learning the basics about him. As some people stated, there was actually more about the Vikings, which can probably be attributed to how little is actually known about Leif Erikson. It was well done, with many drawings, maps and other interesting tidbits such as Norse mythology that might get children intrigued about other subjects.
I still hate the cartoony big head covers. I get why the publishers use that gimmick but I still hate it.
I still hate the cartoony big head covers. I get why the publishers use that gimmick but I still hate it.
January 12, 2023
3.5 stars.
The early history of the Viking nation was well explored and many of the branches of the parentage of Leif Erikson were noted. I did not realize that Erikson became a Christian during his lifetime. This short bio made me want to read more about the early explorer and leader of his country.
the book presented a good balance between the peaceful community of the people and the violent nature of the fighters and the desire of the Vikings to expand and conquer those in foreign lands.
The early history of the Viking nation was well explored and many of the branches of the parentage of Leif Erikson were noted. I did not realize that Erikson became a Christian during his lifetime. This short bio made me want to read more about the early explorer and leader of his country.
the book presented a good balance between the peaceful community of the people and the violent nature of the fighters and the desire of the Vikings to expand and conquer those in foreign lands.
December 28, 2024
This is a good example of the limitations of series nonfiction. There are a set number of pages, a few over a hundred in this series. But the reality is that we do not have a hundred pages worth on info about Leif Erikson. All of a sudden, I’m reading a summary of Norse mythology, with absolutely no introduction or transition from Erikson’s life. The author also included much history of Viking raids into England, Europe, and Russia. It likely would have been better to perhaps just skip the subject of Erikson. He was an important person but not for this series.
Not recommended.
Not recommended.
June 21, 2022
First ‘who is’ book I’ve read and I really enjoyed it! I thought it was well put together and accessible for early nonfiction and chapter book readers! Will definitely be checking others out! I do believe, however, that this should have been named “Who Were the Vikings” rather than “Who Was Leif Erikson” as a lot of the content was based around Viking society.
July 31, 2018
Unfortunately, this book should be titled, Who were the Vikings?. I purchased this book to learn more about Leif Erikson, specifically. It gives lots of good information about Vikings but very little about Leif Erikson, himself.
March 22, 2019
This was a short book but very informative! Leif was a fascinating man and converted to Christianity. Although he had 2 sons, he didn’t live with the mothers of his children. I now have a new holiday to observe- October 9th!!
November 26, 2020
I didn't like this one as much as some of the others. It seemed like this focused mainly on Vikings in general, and not that much on Leif Erikson specifically. I learned a lot of new facts that I hadn't realized before though, so I'm glad I read it.
May 12, 2021
AS few of the many new things that I learned about Vikings in general and specifically Leif Erikson was that they never had horns on their hats and that they established Dublin, Ireland. This was an interesting book full of the great accomplishments of the Vikings. It is well worth the read.
August 1, 2021
I knew nothing about this man's life until reading this book. He truly discovered North America many, many years before Columbus. Despite the book mentioning Leif Erikson Day as official since 1964, Columbus is the only one "celebrated" in the US as having discovered North America.
January 19, 2024
illustrated by Dede Putra
cover art by Nancy Harrisonaout the places they explored and conquered.
Includes a Bibliography Time line
10 short chapters on Leif Erikson and other famous Vikings. Interesting facts Depictions of their daily life includes black and white illustrations.
cover art by Nancy Harrisonaout the places they explored and conquered.
Includes a Bibliography Time line
10 short chapters on Leif Erikson and other famous Vikings. Interesting facts Depictions of their daily life includes black and white illustrations.
June 25, 2018
I liked it.
July 31, 2018
Incredibly informative! I always learn new things from WhoHQ books, but this one especially taught me a lot about early Norse culture that I had never heard of before!
August 21, 2018
I thought this book was very interesting and I learned of a holiday that we have in October of this man.
December 12, 2018
A good book in a strong series, but this is Who Were the Vikings more than it's Who Was Leif Erikson. I'd guess there isn't much info on Leif, but still.
January 21, 2019
Very informative.
February 5, 2019
I'm enjoying these little biographies. They're perfect for buddy reading with my 7 year old!
May 7, 2019
Very good information about Leif, his father, and Vikings in general.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews