Baldur's bones - Mary Arrigan

Fast-paced, chilling ghost story set against the background of Ireland during the Viking age.

Finn, a solitary boy, uncovers a skull near an Cluain na Gall - an ancient Viking burial ground. He is immediately attracted to the skull - partly because he has a macabre sense of humour, but mainly because the skull's owner clearly had the same problems as Finn, goofy teeth. Finn names the skull Baldur. But when the spirit of Baldur haunts Finn, in the nicest possible way, a Viking saga from the 9th century gradually unfolds. Finn is charged by the ghost of Baldur, the find the rest of his bones so that, together with his skull, he can have a proper Viking funeral and go to Valhalla with the spirit of his loved one. However, his bones are guarded by rats which are menacing and dangerous and Finn becomes involved in a race against time to complete Baldur's skeleton and fulfil his wish. Through his actions and his sparky relationship with Baldur's skull, Finn comes to terms with his own problems. Mary Arrigan combines a traditional genre, with lively and contemporary dialogue to appeal to readers from 10 to 14 in this wonderfully original time-slip novel.