Nordic Tales, Byzantine Paths

My novel Leirah and the Wild Man is a coming-of-age saga about kids who run away to join a band of Viking-slaying thieves in monster drag, with cover art by Victorian children's book illustrator Arthur Rackham. So is it suitable for kids to read? The answer depends upon your child's reading and maturity levels. Leirah was written with an adult readership in mind and contains descriptions of violence, sexual activity, and rude language in a time period when the concept of children's innocence hadn't been invented yet. 

So if you have (or are!) a sweet young soul who isn't ready to embark upon that sort of literary adventure but is curious about Leirah's setting, where the Viking and Byzantine worlds flowed together, there is now a fun online exhibit that lets you explore this rich vein of history in a manner that is generally appropriate for elementary-age and up.

Images are provided by the illustrators of a children's graphic novel series called Siri the Viking, about a young girl who sets sail, like Leirah, to tag along on a Viking journey, but without murderous intentions.

The graphic novels and exhibit, while designed for a younger audience, are filled with historical facts presented in an engaging format. 

Further reading for beginners on the Byzantine world:

And for advanced readers: