Fantasy Fiction Book About A Group Of Viking Boys, One Of Which Was Nearsighted
By Heron_Patient2507
Sorry if this looks weird—I don’t really post much anywhere, but this book’s been sticking in my head in a frustrating way. I read it back in middle school, and I seriously can’t remember anything useful like the title, cover, author, or even most of the character names. But I remember a bunch of specific scenes. The main character was a really smart teenage boy (I think) who ends up leading a smaller group of Viking boys. The whole sailing/ship stuff was a big deal, and I can’t believe I still know what port and starboard mean because of it. One thing I remember super clearly: there was a near-sighted boy who was huge and really strong, like the muscle of the group. At one point he nearly clocks someone in the face with a club by accident because he can’t see. The main character figures out what’s going on, and then somehow gets the idea to drill holes in a turtle shell so the kid can wear glasses—so the poor guy looks kind of like a skull with “no eyes.” The main character even talks to an older shopkeeper about getting the shells and making sure they fit right. There’s also a scene where the near-sighted kid says he can always tell when the main character is coming because of how he walks—like he’s always rushing with this big stride or whatever. I also remember smaller stuff, like the main character saying hats help keep heat since heat rises (or something along those lines). And near the start, there’s a moment where a sword or axe is placed in a Viking’s hand when he dies so he can take it to Valhalla—I’m not 100% on the exact details, but that’s the vibe. I don’t know why I remember that near-sighted kid the most, but I can’t remember the actual book info at all.