SCHOOLS, CHILDREN'S BOOK GROUPS AND LIBRARIES
Grim Gruesome is an exciting new historical fiction series for boys and girls.
“...lively historical adventure...fast-paced and exciting, rattling along through a series of short, action-packed chapters. This would make it an ideal choice for confident readers in KS2... Boys in particular should respond well to the blend of chases and sword-fights, riddles and insults, magic, surprise and suspense.” - www.writeaway.org.uk
??? FAQs ???
Q? Which ages and reading abilities are the books aimed at?
A. The books are enjoyed by girls and boys aged 7 - 12.
They are ideal for all reading abilities. Less confident readers appreciate the short chapters, well spaced out text and accessible sentence structures. Readers of all abilities are quickly drawn into the fast moving stories and relish the rich descriptions, twisting and turning plots, and colourful characters.
Q? Do you have to read the books in a particular order?
A. No.
The Grim Gruesome books are an ongoing series, but each volume also works perfectly as a ‘stand alone’ novel.
Each story is set in a dramatically different part of the Viking North Lands, with different characters - only Grim Gruesome himself appears in every story - each time in a different disguise! However, children who read the books in the correct order will have the fun of seeing the villain becoming more and more gruesome as the series develops.
Q? Are the stories historically accurate?
A. Yes.
Although Grim Gruesome himself is pure invention and somewhat larger than life, all the background descriptions in the books have been diligently researched through many sources and made as historically accurate as possible.
The supposedly supernatural elements in the stories exist only in the characters’ minds. For example, in The Queen’s Poison, the children have heard rumours (widely recorded as being current in Viking times) that ‘berserk’ warriors can shape-shift. So when Grim Gruesome appears as a berserk, it is natural for them to believe that he really does have shape-shifting powers, and they interpret subsequent events from this perspective.
CHILDREN’S BOOK GROUP FUN WITH GRIM GRUSOME
After your group has read one or more of the Grim Gruesome stories, please take a look at the ‘TEACHING’ downloads and links below. They’re crammed with ideas for using the Grim Gruesome stories creatively with your book group.
Why not dress up as the story characters, Viking-style, and act out one of the dramatic scenes from the book? Don’t forget, the child playing Grim Gruesome must keep his or her face completely hidden!
If your group prefers simple discussions, try these topics with them.
- Grim Gruesome always keeps his face hidden. Why do you think this is? What do you think his face looks like? What do we know about Grim’s appearance from the descriptions in the book?
- What would you do if you met Grim Gruesome? Would you see through his disguise? Would he succeed in trapping you? How could you escape him?
- Who is your favourite character in the stories and why?
- What role does Grim Gruesome’s horse, Haski, play in the stories?
- Do the stories make you wish you had lived in Viking times? Why or why not?
- How much of the book did you read before you realised who Grim Gruesome was?
ENGLISH TEACHING IDEAS WITH GRIM GRUSOME
Whether your class is exploring adventure stories, mystery stories, historical fiction, stories that raise dilemmas and make readers think, or series of stories by significant writers, the Grim Gruesome books have a lot to offer.
“...the tales rattle along with great energy and fun. … These books will be well loved by many children” - School Librarian
“very accessible” - Books for Keeps
“contains a wide range of language usage that helps develop a story with depth and interest...should be in all school libraries” - TES Connect
“the sort of tale you can’t stop reading” - Primary Times
Please click here for some ideas for using the Grim Gruesome books in line with the National Literacy Strategy.
Click on these two links for some excellent classroom teaching English with Grim Gruesome, designed for teachers by literacy experts:
www.theliteracyclub.com (also includes Rosalind Kerven author interview about the Grim Gruesome books)
VIKING HISTORY TEACHING IDEAS WITH GRIM GRUESOME
Do you need more information about life in the Viking Age? Are you looking for some great ideas for teaching about the Vikings? Would you like to put children’s enjoyment of Grim Gruesome to good use?
Whichever Grim Gruesome book you choose to share with your class or book group, the three easy-to-use, downloads below are crammed with carefully researched information, links and ideas to help your class produce excellent project work on the Vikings:
“The characters are painted in strong, bold strokes, through sharp, punchy dialogue and vivid description... brings to life the world of 10th century... full of bustle and noise, striking sights and strong smells, with description that is rich in details, yet never slows the pace of the narrative...a great companion to a class study of the Vikings, offering information about daily life, food, housing, and the place of men and women, children and slaves... a fun, page-turning read in a series that may be as impossible to stop as the Viking Villain himself!” - www.writeaway.org.uk
Inspire children to write a poem in praise of a sword - make a Viking treasure hoard - discover a Viking kingdom - and realise the horror of a Viking raid! For these, and lots more information and teaching ideas featuring houses, ships, runes etc.
Click here to download an easy to use leaflet on VIKING TEACHING IDEAS with The Cursed Sword
Get children to explore a Viking town in England and recreate its market place - introduce them to a real Viking king and queen - compare a Viking palace with a humble dwelling - and experiment with Viking Age technology! For these, and lots more information and teaching ideas featuring place-names, runes, Vikings and Anglo-Saxons etc.
Click here to download an easy to use leaflet on VIKING ENGLAND TEACHING IDEAS with The Queen’s Poison
Explore the Vikings’ power base in Scotland - challenge children with Viking ideas of honour, crime and punishment - enthrall them with buried treasure - and take them aboard a Viking ship! For these, and lots more information and teaching ideas featuring Viking houses, runes, place names etc.
Click here to download an easy to use leaflet on VIKING SCOTLAND TEACHING IDEAS with Trolls’ Treasure
ALSO LOOK OUT FOR AUTHENTIC VIKING PROVERBS
scattered throughout the stories, prefaced by a phrase such as “Remember what Odin All-Father said”
These are taken from Hávamál, (Sayings of the High One) a mystical poem believed to date from the 8th - 10th Centuries, and supposedly recording the words of Odin, the Viking god of magic, wisdom, poetry and warfare.