Sticks across the Chimney: a story of Denmark

by Nora Burglon, Fritz Eichenberg (Illustrator)

This popular tale is set in rural Denmark at the end of 19th century and captures the mood, customs and beliefs of that time - as well as delving into ancient Viking culture. When young Siri and Erik and their widowed mother buy a deserted farm with an ancient Viking grave mound on the land, they have no idea of the challenges and adventures that await them. First they must use their wits and humor to survive without money, as well as deal with suspicious townspeople. Later they participate in the mysterious and exciting events that lead to the opening of the mound and the discovery of a rich hoard of ancient Viking treasure.

"Sticks across the Chimney" was written out of Nora Burglon's deep personal knowledge of Scandinavia, and is perfectly complemented by her Swedish tale "The Gate swings In."

Genres: Childrens, Historical Fiction, Fiction, School, 2nd Grade, Geography, Chapter Books

164 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1938

Reviews

[Emma Filbrun · Rating 5 out of 5]

We have spent a few enjoyable weeks reading Sticks Across the Chimney together. Over and over, I was begged for more after I finished reading the passage scheduled for the day, and over and over I said no, we were going to stick to the schedule and not read extra! Well, yesterday I decided we’d read the last two chapters, rather than wait till after the weekend, and we’ve finally finished this lovely story.

Read my full review here.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quotes I liked:

"Don't be foolish," their mother warned. "Try to remember the old law: selfishness begets evil and generosity begets good."

"The only people who can really be called poor," Siri flashed back at him, "are those lacking in ideas."


'It's difficult losing anything without gaining something in return."

"No. Men and women who wish to become great kings and queens, and boys and girls who wish to become great men and women must go to bed early so their minds and bodies will have a chance to grow as they should."

"When we get that crop harvested and under the roof, the winter winds can blow and howl all they want," said Erik

"Mother shook her head. "No," she said. "Men would no doubt make bad mistakes in such matters, but animals are guided by an instinct that doesn't make mistakes."

"Try not to think unkindly of Herr Adel," Mother urged. Remember, very often our enemies help us get further than our friends."

"But it does seem like some people can't see the value in something, until it's become valuable to somebody else."

"To think a small fall of rain could have created such a miracle." she beamed."

"Because the people who rented this place in the past took all they could get from the soil and gave nothing in return. The earth is like everything else that is governed by the laws of life. In order to give, it must also receive."

"My gosh, but there is a lot in the world that is interesting:"

"It is poor economy to save one's possessions and lose one's honor," said Mother," and no one can have honor who owes a debt."

"A debt merely becomes heavier the longer it stands unpaid."

"Mother shook her head."That wouldn't do any good. We can't run away from problems."

"Yes, it's a good thing you were brave enough to give up King Christian when you felt it was your duty." said Mother, "Otherwise you'd never have met the farm wife at the market and been able to clear the duck's name."

"People should nether lend nor borrow anything unless it's necessary," she said. "I've seen too many broken friendships as the result of borrowing."

"Experience is the best teacher," was her mother's reply.

"Oh, yes, it was," the foreman said. "But even if they hadn't been the best, you would've gotten the business, because there is a law in life that good begets good."

"Few people take the time to study God's laws, but that's the way they work." said the foreman. "So go home and be glad you have a mother who has learned something of them early in life."

"Oh, yes," said Mother. "Some people seem to go through their whole lives led by others' thinking."

""As a man thinketh, so is he, says the Bible, so I think the kind of world I want to live in. For that reason it's a world of beauty and wonder and endless vigor."

" I eat at mealtimes- no other. Then I take sour milk, hard bread, and whatever vegetables are in season."

"Parents fault! Youngsters get what they think they want, instead of what they should have. The result is that they fill their heads with trash. How can they be expected to create anything worthwhile out of that? Man lives only a hundred years. Some don't even live that. If the first twenty-five are filled with emptiness, there are only seventy five left; and that's not much."

"Let those people crawl who don't know where they're going. I know where I'm going, so I can gallop."

"Everybody has some particular work to do in life, Siri; that's why we came here on earth. It's the work of some people to raise little children so that there may be people in the world. It's the work of others to sing and make people happy. It's the work of still others to write books and paint pictures. My particular work is to find and gather these important articles of another age so that we can learn how people lived long ago, and , from them, how we can improve our own art and our own way of living. The money that I've earned and saved has been for this purpose."
"How did you know this was your work? Siri persisted.
"Everyone knows what his work is." said Grandfather, "providing he'll search long enough to find the answer. What's required of us is written on our hearts when we're born."



"

[Valerie Hochstetler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a Sonlight Curriculum book. I love their book list! This is a great read aloud for elementary age children to understand archeology and the Viking culture. It also gives some historical Denmark culture.

[Christy Whitsell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LOVED this book. The adventures were charming. The downside of the book for me was that it occasionally felt like the author had a factoid about the Vikings or Danish history that she wanted to put in, so she just plunked it awkwardly into the dialogue.

[Sticky Note Book Recs Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this aloud to my daughter, and we all fell in love with it. This book is another example of a book I would have never picked up if it wasn't for being a part of the homeschool curriculum we use. It was delightful to step back in time to a different country and see what it was like to live as a child at the end of the 19th century. Siri and Erik were such great little kids to get to know, full of zest, compassion, integrity, cleverness, and diligence. And it was a joy to experience the excitement of uncovering Viking treasures with their family!

[Casey Clarke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book with my kids as a part of our homeschool read-alouds curriculum and I loved every second of it! We all did! I cannot wait to read this again when my youngest is old enough, we laughed and at certain points I had tears in my eyes at others! A great read for kids of all ages! ♥️

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The kids and I really enjoyed this one. Lots of good information about Vikings, as well as several instances of kids having a can do problem solving attitude.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the history lessons that came out of this book. I also really enjoyed the life lessons as well. All around good book!

[Michael Fitzgerald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Denmark

I was deceived by the ordinary title. I expected foreign mundane vignettes - like The Wheel on the School, and there is some of that. But then it turned into something exciting - more like No Boats on Bannermere. And then it became educational, with Viking history, art, archaeology, and more. None of this seemed tacked-on or forced. There were also some moments of serious and philosophical reflection. And then it would be funny, almost slapstick!

But this book is from 1938! Way before those others. It doesn't seem as old as some other books from this time: Seredy, Enright, Brink, Bianco, Sawyer, et al. And the Eichenberg illustrations also make it seem newer - like a 1960s book with Krush drawings.

There is a plot that develops over the entire course of the book; there are conflicts and antagonists. It's quite well thought-out. I'll be interested to read more by Burglon, who has a half-dozen similar books for other countries.

The only thing I found disappointing was the subtle support for eugenics: "In Viking times people were not allowed to marry unless they had enough property to feed themselves and a family. Now anyone may marry, criminals, half-wits, and paupers." (p.86) This is how Planned Parenthood started: gotta sterilize those subhumans and clean up the gene pool. Hopefully (but maybe not, judging by the blind support for PP that exists today), were this published a little bit later than 1938, the atrocities of the Nazis would make a writer and publisher reconsider including this statement.

[Lydia Goddard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved reading this with the kids while learning about the Vikings in history.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

My 9 year old was very drawn into this story and didn't want it to end!

[Brittany Larkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a wonderful read-aloud book for young elementary students! Easy to read and comprehend, enjoyable plot. Beautifully written.

[Amanda Reynolds · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing book. We read this aloud for our unit on Vikings. Even though the book’s setting is modern times, we learned a lot about the rich Viking culture of Denmark.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

“𝑵𝒊𝒍𝒔 𝒊𝒔𝒏’𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒓 𝒐𝒍𝒅,” 𝑺𝒊𝒓𝒊 𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆𝒅. “𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒉𝒆, 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏?”
“𝑯𝒆’𝒔 𝒂 𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒇𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒊𝒎𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒉𝒊𝒎𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒊𝒎𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏. 𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒕’𝒔 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒔, 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒔𝒆𝒆 𝒗𝒂𝒍𝒖𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒂𝒓𝒆,” 𝑴𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒏𝒔𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒅.

Though it would be wonderful to spare oneself all the consequence and pain of never losing oneself, there is a beautiful truth to this quote. Once 𝑙𝑜𝑠𝑡, one certainly understands truth more profoundly when he or she is 𝑓𝑜���𝑛𝑑. And clings to it.

𝑆𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑘𝑠 𝐴𝑐𝑟𝑜𝑠𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐶ℎ𝑖𝑚𝑛𝑒𝑦 is a children’s fiction book that takes place in Denmark. Siri’s and Erik’s widowed mother purchases a deserted farm that includes an old Viking burial mound. No one else but them will live there for fear of the spirit of the mound. There is an intriguing mystery and Viking history and charming children who love their mother well 💗. I read this book aloud and my children loved it.

It’s interesting that superstition and fear are pitted against faith and science in this book. Many today try to claim that faith in God is superstition, as if belief is a talisman we use to protect us from the trials in this life. It seems something has been twisted along the way. There is no room for superstition in the life of faith. We have faith in Jesus not for safety, health, or wealth, but because as author of the universe and life itself, He is worthy.

4⭐️ I really liked it.
𝑆𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑘𝑠 𝐴𝑐𝑟𝑜𝑠𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐶ℎ𝑖𝑚𝑛𝑒𝑦
by Nora Burglon
Published by Whole Spirit Press
Children’s Fiction
Independent reading age: 9-12
Read-aloud age 7+

[Jennifer Ritchie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has many charming and interesting parts, and I would have given it four stars if it weren’t for some pro-eugenics opinions expressed by the main characters’ mother. She is portrayed throughout the book as a good mother and wise Christian woman, but at one point she tells the children that the ancient Viking practice of exposing small or weak infants was not cruel as “our civilization has made it seem” and had the positive effect of making the Vikings superior to other peoples physically. She goes on to complain about “lax marriage laws” that allow “criminals, half-wits, and paupers” to get married, which has caused the people of Denmark to lose their physical prowess. This book was published in 1938, and knowledge that the horrors of the Holocaust, the natural consequence of those ideas, came so soon afterward cast a dark shadow for me over an otherwise enjoyable book.

[Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a read-aloud with my kids and it was good! It started off a little dry, but by the end we had come to really love all of the characters and they were very vivid within the story.

Definitely something to read for a kid that likes Vikings or is interested in them. This book brings up lots of little details that would be worth more study and in-depth research. The book is a good start of a lot of different rabbit-trails and historical "squirrels."

I did not love how the mother seemed to know it all, and had everything so neatly explained all the time, but it doesn't ruin the overall effect of the story's progression, it was likely just my own sensitivity to pontificating showing up. 🙂

[Kieron Roberson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I went into "Stick Across the Chimney" with no expectations and came out with a new favorite.
The story follows siblings Erik and Siri as they explore the world around them. The book starts out fairly episodic showing Erik and Siri finding their way to a local fair and selling homemade wood figures to pay for their lunch and purchase some chickens and a duck. The story them jumps forward a little at a time with each chapter showing a new adventure and revealing a bit more about the family's past.
Along the way we learn the Erik and Siri moved to their current home fairly recently after their father passed away. The father's business partner pushed their mom out of the pottery business that had been supporting them and ran it into the ground leaving the kids and their mom with very little.
Their mother sold everything she could and purchased this new home which she was able to afford because there is a viking burial mound on the property which all of the locals are afraid of disturbing.
As the book goes on, the story becomes less about the individual adventures of the kids and more about how Erik, Siri, and their mother make a community around themselves and begin to move forwards and thrive in their new home.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story was surprising. I enjoyed it far more than I expected and my 8 year old son enjoyed it much more as he was begging for me to continue. Touches on Vikings and Danish village life with a compelling plot. The story centers around a brother/ sister pair that are the precocious new kids on the block. Their cleverness comes in handy several times to help get them out of minor and not so minor scrapes. And in the midst of the story, the author sneaks in a little Viking history. Highly enjoyable read aloud.

[Jamey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of two children in Denmark- Erik and Siri, and their mother. They have been a poor family ever since the children’s father passed away. They bought a piece of land above a Viking burial because it was very cheap- the villagers were superstitious about the Mound on the property, and no one would buy it before this poor family did. The book narrates the various ways the three work together to put food on the table, their affection for their animals and the people they meet, and the mysterious green lights that dance above the Mound at night. This is a good and interesting book for kids (and adults). It teaches morals, shows a good respect for God, and the mother often talks to her kids about Viking legends and Denmark culture. I am glad it showed up on our reading list, as it was a very enjoyable book.

[Avery Watkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read aloud with Emma. Life in Denmark where you live near an old Viking grave mound can sure be interesting! This book was a fabulous companion to our non-fiction books about Vikings. We learned about archeology and the Vikings while the family dug up the mound. Also, it was interesting to learn about what two children in Denmark did with their time and more about their culture.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun story that we enjoyed reading aloud at dinnertime. Grandfather "Bedstefar" is quite the character, and the inclusion of some fun animal pets and a mystery of "ghosts" keeps even the youngest listener enthralled. It lost a star for format: some of the 10 chapters are quite long, so we had to create our own stopping points.

[Michele The Bookish Tea Room · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute book to read with the kids. We all loved reading about the adventures of Eric and Siri in Denmark. They kept birds as pets and fiercely protected their widowed mother and the poor little house they lived in. It went well with our history until about Vikings, and it was an enjoyable read-aloud.

[Shaila · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful story about two siblings and what they find on their farm in Denmark. Siri and Erik have had to move to the country with their mother after the death of their father. Although they have very little money, they use their creativity to bring small pleasures to their family, including a family of chicks and a duckling. The backwards townspeople say their farm is haunted, as there is a Viking burial mound there, but they find some things that convince their grandfather, an archaeologist, to come and investigate. Along the way, they meet some new friends who are more accepting of the investigation.

I was nervous this was going to be another old-fashioned slow mover, but it turned out quite adventurous, with a great pace, quirky characters, , humorous anecdotes, surprising discoveries, and little lessons to be learned along the way. We learned about Vikings, Denmark, and archaeology, but the bigger theme of open-mindedness and creativity was far more valuable.

[Tammie Groeneman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fun book to read aloud to kids. Vikings, archaeological digs, small seaside danish village life, as well as fun animals and a *scary* mystery all round this book out. It was great to end our study of Vikings but even if we hadn’t been studying that, it still would have been an enjoyable family read aloud.

[Jenelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was cute, and I liked the unexpected twist at the end!

Not my favorite read-aloud ever, there were things about the writing style that made the story feel like it was constantly holding me at arm's length, but my boys (7 and 10) enjoyed it, and we learned a lot about Vikings and life in a different part of the world and in a different time period than us, so that was cool.

[Whitney · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was one of the read-alouds for the kids' school. It was a good story with lots of (sometimes inaccurate) history, and that mother had opinions I stopped reading to verbally disagree with. The whole Viking mound excavation was cool, and led us to some interesting Youtube videos.

[Bethany B · Rating 5 out of 5]

F age 8 five stars. K age 10 Five stars. We read this aloud and they never wanted me to stop. It was a fun read aloud that went with Viking history and legends in Denmark. It was definitely a fun one.

[Tiffany · Rating 3 out of 5]

We read this as part of our homeschool curriculum. It was definitely dry at times and I found it difficult to keep the attention of my kids. At other times however, they enjoyed the story and the way that all the details came together.

[Lauren Griffith]

Longest book ever 😂 took us awhile to get through bc the chapters are super long and we would often have to stop in between the chapter but the kids really enjoyed the story. We loved learning more about what the Vikings were buried with and loved the characters ♥️

[Johnny Bennett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sticks across the Chimney is a good story where each chapter has a challenge that gets resolved in the same chapter or perhaps the next. The overall story also stitches together quite well, though the pacing can be a bit plodding for our current short attention spans.