Books

Arctic Circle, Lingonberries, Sauna — this exciting new children’s picturebook is a colorful A-to-Z tour of all the Nordic countries. Page by page and letter by letter another generation will be introduced to Scandinavian history, culture and traditions. By Kathy-jo Wargin; Renee Graef, illustrator. 

This smaller version of the immensely popular Swedish calendar (#6440) or Sverigealmanackan, features pictures of 12 different Swedish scenes by Erkers Marie Persson. Typical folk costumes and interesting information about the province and the scene depicted also are included. Swedish Name Days are listed. The text is in Swedish, English and German. The days of the week are arranged European-style, with the week beginning on Monday and ending with Sunday.

Born into poverty, Carl Larsson (Swedish, 1853–1919) earned a scholarship to study art and succeeded in supporting himself as an illustrator of books and periodicals. He lived in Paris for several years before moving in 1882 to the Scandinavian artists’ colony of Grèz-sur-Loing. There he met artist Karin Bergöö, who encouraged Larsson’s transition from large-scale allegorical oil painting to light-infused watercolor—the medium for which he would become best known. Under her influence, Larsson began to produce the light, bright paintings, modest in scale and subject, that set him apart as one of Sweden’s most beloved artists. The two married and moved into a cozy cottage called Lilla Hyttnäs in rural Sundborn, Sweden, where they started a family, producing eight children. In Sundborn, Larsson found his artistic voice, documenting his home, family, friends and neighbors in charming detail, as these images attest.

Size: 12"x13"; opens to 12"x26".

A new centenary gift edition of the much-loved collection of folk and fairy tales from Sweden, illustrated by acclaimed artist John Bauer.

From good natured Scandinavian trolls through giants, tomtes, shepherd boys and princesses, the twenty-three classic stories by well-known authors such as Elsa Beskow and Anna Wahlenberg are delightfully told, full of adventure and magic with clever, resourceful children outwitting fairytale villains.

John Bauer's art – renowned for its detail, character and subtle humor – has never looked more luminous and evocative than in this gorgeously produced edition. Twenty extra pictures have been added along with a wonderful illustrated biography of Bauer, celebrating his work and life one hundred years after his premature death. The book has a foiled cover and ribbon marker, perfect for gifting.

This treasury will be cherished for generations to come.

256 pages. Hardcover.

Trolls haunt snowy forests, and terrifying monsters roam the open sea.
A young woman journeys to the end of the world, and a boy proves he knows no fear.
This collection of 16 traditional tales transports readers to the enchanting world of Nordic folklore. Translated and transcribed by folklorists in the 19th century and presented here unabridged, the stories are by turns magical, hilarious, cozy and chilling. They offer a fascinating view into Nordic culture and a comforting wintertime read. Ulla Thynell's glowing contemporary illustrations accompany each tale, conjuring dragons, princesses and the Northern Lights. This special gift edition features an embossed, textured case and a ribbon marker. Hardcover. 168 pages.

Peek inside the busy Svensson house in Sweden, where Sofie, Louise and Carl are getting ready for Lucia Day, December 13. Follow their adventures through the day and learn how to create your own Lucia Day celebration. Written by Ewa Rydaker. Illustrations by Carina Stahlberg. 36 pages. Paperback. Recipes, songs and patterns for Lucia gown and Starboy outfits included.

A beautiful alphabet book for everyone who loves Elsa Beskow's classic picture books. Journey through the world of Elsa Beskow, from Accordian to Zzz, with everything in between: Cow and Elephant, Flowers and Igloo, and even Jack Frost and Queen. This beautifully presented gift book gathers illustrations from Elsa Beskow’s lesser-known and most-loved work, including The Flowers’ Festival, The Sun Egg, Pelle’s New Suit, and Woody, Hazel, and Little Pip.

Size: 6.25" x 6.5" 176 pages. Hardcover.

A charming, humorous tale of six children living on three farms in the Swedish countryside. It’s a delightful look at simpler times, with lessons about Swedish traditions, too. Of interest to kids ages 4 and older, and for young readers ages 8 to 12.  Written by beloved Swedish author Astrid Lindgren.

Pippi, the girl with the upside-down braids and no parents to tell her what to do, delights children around the world. This is the third book in the series of three. Of interest to kids age 4 and older, and for young readers ages 8 to 12. By beloved Swedish author, Astrid Lindgren.

Pippi, the girl with the upside-down braids and no parents to tell her what to do, delights children around the world. This is the second book in the series of three. Of interest to kids ages 4 and older, and for young readers ages 8 to 12. By beloved Swedish author, Astrid Lindgren. 

Pippi, the girl with the upside-down braids and no parents to tell her what to do, delights children around the world. This is the first book in the series (of three), and introduces us to Pippi and her crazy household, and Tommy and Annika, the kids next door. Of interest to kids ages 4 and older, and for young readers ages 8 to 12. By beloved Swedish author, Astrid Lindgren. 

Da vait is over!

Everyone can use a good laugh once in a while and this collection of Ole & Lena jokes are just the ticket! Quaint and well-meaning, Ole & Lena jokes celebrate the quirky folk humor of the Scandinavian immigrant community. You’ll laugh ’til your socks fall down!

Paperback (5" x 7"). 48 pages, b&w illustrations. By Mike & Else Sevig.

Maud is an irascible 88-year-old Swedish woman with no family, no friends, and…no qualms about a little murder. This funny, irreverent story collection by Helene Tursten, author of the Irene Huss investigations, features two-never-before translated stories that will keep you laughing all the way to the retirement home.

Ever since her darling father’s untimely death when she was only eighteen, Maud has lived in the family’s spacious apartment in downtown Gothenburg rent-free, thanks to a minor clause in a hastily negotiated contract. That was how Maud learned that good things can come from tragedy. Now in her late eighties, Maud contents herself with traveling the world and surfing the net from the comfort of her father’s ancient armchair. It’s a solitary existence, and she likes it that way.

Over the course of her adventures—or misadventures—this little bold lady will handle a crisis with a local celebrity who has her eyes on Maud’s apartment, foil the engagement of her long-ago lover, and dispose of some pesky neighbors. But when the local authorities are called to investigate a dead body found in Maud’s apartment, will Maud finally become a suspect?

Sweeping adventure, breathtaking twists of fate, and immersive worlds based in Norse mythology are woven into this first volume of the Runestone Saga, from the New York Times bestselling author Cinda Williams Chima.

Ever since Ragnarok—the great war between the gods and the forces of chaos--the human realm of the Midlands has become a dangerous place, bereft of magic, where most lead lives of desperation.

Sixteen-year-old Eiric Halvorsen is among the luckier ones. Between fishing, going vikingr, and working his modir’s farm, the family has remained prosperous. But Eiric stands to lose everything when he’s convicted by a rigged jury of murdering his modir and stepfadir. Also at risk is his half-systir, Liv, whose interest in seidr, or magic, has made her a figure of suspicion. Then a powerful jarl steps in: He will pay the blood price if Eiric will lead a mission to the fabled Temple at the Grove—the rich stronghold of the wyrdspinners, the last practitioners of sorcery.

Spellsinger, musician, and runecaster Reginn Eiklund has spent her life traveling from town to town, performing at alehouses all for the benefit of her master, Asger, the fire demon she is desperate to escape. Then after one performance that amazes even Reginn herself, two wyrdspinners in the audience make her an irresistible offer: return with them to the temple to be trained in seidr, forever free of Asger.

Eiric, Liv, and Reginn’s journeys converge in New Jotunheim, the site of the Temple at the Grove, a paradise fueled by magic. They soon realize that a great evil lurks beneath the dazzling surface, and that old betrayals and long-held grudges may fuel another cataclysmic war. It will require every gift and weapon at their command to prevent it.

560 pages. Hardcover.

Young Adult Fiction / Fantasy / Epic

From smörgåsbord and St. Lucia processions to Christmas Eve gatherings with family and friends, Swedish Americans are linked through the generations by a legacy of meatballs and lutfisk.

Traditional food and cooking in 25 authentic dishes. Discover the distinctive delights of Scandinavian cuisine with recipes featuring cured salmon and pickled herring, rich earthy mushrooms, lingonberry and cloudberry conserves, and wild game meats from venison to reindeer. By Anna Mosesson. Hardback. 64 pages. 

Every month of this Sverigealmanackan (Swedish Calendar) presents a colorful provincial countryside, village, or farm scene by Swedish artist Erkers Marie Persson. Typical folk costumes and interesting information about the province and the scene depicted also are included. Swedish Name Days are listed. The text is in Swedish, English and German. The days of the week arranged European-style, with the week beginning on Monday and ending with Sunday.

Over 100 recipes divided into mouthwatering categories. You'll find everything from thumbprint cookies, sandwich cookies, holiday twists perfect for a cookie swap, chocolate decadence and everything in between. With tried-and-tested recipes and beautiful photography as your guide, explore the glorious world of holiday baking from your home kitchen.

256 pages. Hardcover.

Let Brontë Aurell of The ScandiKitchen Café show you how to celebrate your Christmas Scandi-style by sharing her delicious recipes and family traditions with you.

Anyone who has ever been in Scandinavian in December will know that Scandinavians really love Christmas. From huddling up in candlelit snowed-in cottages to consuming glögg at every opportunity, Christmas is peak-hygge season all over Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. Everything reverts back to tradition once Advent Sunday has come along.

From saffron scented bakes to “gingerbread spice in everything!”, Christmas is the time to break the never-ending darkness with edible treats and joyful feelings. Scandinavians visit friends and families taking along something home baked to share. They have Jul-Smörgåsbord parties where old and young celebrate with a spread of traditional dishes and delicacies. Everything they do for Jul is centered around food, tradition, and home comforts.

Join Brontë and feel the warmth, even when it’s cold outside!

Brontë Aurell is a Danish cook, author, entrepreneur, and restaurateur. She runs two ScandiKitchen Cafés in Central London and is owner of ScandiKitchen food imports (supplying food businesses across the UK). Brontë has been published widely in national magazines and newspapers, including The Guardian, The Times, and Olive. Brontë and her food have also featured on BBC Radio, Channel 4, and Danish TV.

160 pages.  Hardcover.

Growing up with Swedish and Norwegian grandparents with a dash of Danish thrown in for balance, Eric Dregni thought Scandinavians were perfectly normal. Who doesn’t enjoy a good, healthy salad (Jell-O packed with canned fruit, colored marshmallows, and pretzels) or perhaps some cod soaked in drain cleaner as the highlights of Christmas? Only later did it dawn on him that perhaps this was just a little strange, but by then it was far too late: he was hooked and a dyed-in-the-wool Scandinavian himself.

What does it actually mean to grow up Scandinavian-American or to live with these Norwegians, Swedes, Finns, Danes, and Icelanders among us? Dregni tracks down and explores the significant–and quite often bizarre–tales and traditions of Scandinavians in the Midwest with insight and humor.

For all the tales his grandparents told him, Dregni quickly discovers there are quite a few they neglected to mention, such as Swedish egg coffee, which includes the eggshell, and Lutheran latte, which is Swedish coffee with ice cream. Vikings in the Attic goes beyond the lefse, lutefisk, and lusekofter (lice jacket) sweaters to reveal the little-known tales that lie beneath the surface of Nordic America. Ultimately, Dregni ends up proving by example why generations of Scandinavian-Americans have come to love and cherish these tales and traditions so dearly. Well, almost all of them.  

Paperback. 288 pages.

The definitive history of the Vikings -- from arts and culture to politics and cosmology -- by a distinguished archaeologist with decades of expertise.
 
The Viking Age -- from 750 to 1050 -- saw an unprecedented expansion of the Scandinavian peoples into the wider world. As traders and raiders, explorers and colonists, they ranged from eastern North America to the Asian steppe. This is a deeply researched history that completely reimagines the way the Vikings lived and their impact on the world. From Eirík Bloodaxe, who fought his way to a kingdom, to Gudrid Thorbjarnardóttir, the most traveled woman in the world, Children of Ash and Elm is the definitive history of the Vikings and their time. Neil Price does a tremendous job of capturing the richness and sophistication of Viking culture.

Neil Price is distinguished professor and chair of archaeology at Uppsala University, Sweden. He has been researching, teaching, and writing on the Vikings for nearly thirty-five years and is the author of several books on the history of the Viking Age. He lives in Sweden. He served as an historical consultant and lead presenter for the History Channel's series, Real Vikings, and consultant for The Vikings Begin exhibit at the American Swedish Institute in Minneapolis.

640 pages.  Paperback.

This lyrical runaway Swedish hit follows a reclusive, elderly couple who cross paths with a pair of twentysomething newcomers in a small mountain town, revealing an unexpected, shared history and the reclamation of a nearly extinct culture.

Meet Máriddja: eccentric, eighty-five years old, and facing a cancer diagnosis. She’s determined to keep the truth about her illness from her husband Biera, while also finding someone who can take care of him once she’s gone.

Meet Kaj: a new transplant to the village, recently engaged to Mimmi, and mourning the death of his mother. One day, when Kaj unexpectedly finds a box of Sámi—the indigenous people of Scandinavia—handicrafts belonging to his mother, he unlocks something he never anticipated, something that will change his life for years to come.

A “brilliant debut” (Aftonbladet Söndag, Sweden) full of humor and heartbreak, The Secrets of Snow movingly grapples with grief, love, and the power of history.

Tina Harnesk is a writer of Sámi descent born in northern Sweden. She works as a library assistant and lives on a mountain outside Arvidsjaur, Sweden, with her husband and children. The Secret of Snow is her debut novel.

Alice Menzies holds an MA in translation theory and practice from University College London, specializing in the Scandinavian languages. She has translated, among other works, And Every Day the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer by Fredrik Backman. She lives in London.

Hardcover. 304 pages.

When thirteen-year-old Matt Thorsen and Fen and Laurie Brekke, modern-day descendants of Thor and Loki, discovered they were fated to take the places of the Norse Gods in a battle against the apocalypse, they thought they knew how things would play out. Gather the other descendants, defeat a giant serpent, and save the world. No problem, right?

Wrong. The descendants' journey grinds to a halt when their friend Baldwin is poisoned and Matt, Fen, and Laurie must travel to the Underworld in hopes of saving him. From there, they'll have to reunite the challengers, find Thor's hammer, and save humanity - that is, if they can survive a journey filled with enough monstrous beasts and godly enemies to make Matt and his friends legends in their own right.
Young Adult fiction.  Ages 8-12.  368 pages.  Paperback. 

Join Lars-Henrik Ottoson on an incredible journey. Meet chieftains and presidents, world celebrities and notables, in shackles, shrines and palaces; in the halls of power and the backwoods.