Model longships, swords, shields, helmets, costumes, picture book illustration Stories from Norse mythology, picture book writing Viking life, trade routes, exploration, Viking influence on Western culture The Last Viking and The Last Viking Returns relate to several areas of the curriculum. Josh’s story follows the ‘ Hero’s Journey‘, an archetypal story pattern found in many ancient myths and legends (as well as contemporary stories such as The Matrix, Star Wars and Spiderman). Our young hero, Josh, must go on a journey to discover and recover his courage and sense of power. It’s also about the responsibility that comes with being an eldest sibling, and how sometimes you want to throttle as well as protect your younger siblings all at once. The Last Viking Returns is about brothers and sisters, and learning to get along. In the words of Orison Swett Marden (1850 – 1924), an American writer and philosopher: “All men who have achieved great things have been great dreamers. The power of imagination to pull us out of the everyday and change our lives for the better. In the words of Nelson Mandela- “The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear”. The need for courage in the face of adversity. Josh is picked on for his unusual Viking dress sense, and needs to learn assertiveness in order to stand up to the bullies. The Last Viking is most obviously a story about bullying.
They think they’re invincible, and that spells trouble! When Pop takes the family to Viking World, Josh finds out just how far he’ll go to keep them safe.
But the two littlest Vikings are going berserk. Josh is still as brave as a Viking warrior, and not much can scare a Viking. The Last Viking Returns starts after the birth of Josh’s little brother and sister. Lucky for him, the Norse gods (Odin, Thor and the rest) have been watching, and are willing to protect their newest follower.
But when Josh comes face-to-face with real-life trouble, he begins to find out how brave he really is. In The Last Viking, Josh is introduced to the world of vikings. The Last Viking (2011) and The Last Viking Returns (2014) are about the adventures of a boy called Josh. THE LAST VIKING RETURNS – teachers’ notes with ACARA hyperlinks (pdf).THE LAST VIKING – teachers’ notes (pdf).
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