Trail of the Viking — Jeffrey E. Poehlmann

"Trail of the Viking" is the first series of stories about Those Amazing Dogs. It includes the complete text from books one through five, including "African River Adventure," "In the Viking Volcano," "At the Arctic Circle," "At the Pirate Bay," and "On the Coral Island." This exciting story follows Max, Molly and Oddie (a Lhasa Apso, a Yorkshire Terrier and a Pit Bull) on their journeys with archaeological adventurers Felix and Erica Strong. From the rain forests of central Africa, through the frozen Arctic, down through Mexico and across the ocean to a mysterious island in the South Pacific, this group follows clues and seeks to uncover the links between lost civilizations and a seemingly impossible map discovered among 1000 year old Viking artifacts. Along the way, the dogs rely on their ability to make unlikely friendships wherever they go to rescue their human companions - and occasionally each other - from traps hidden in ancient ruins, natural disasters, sinking ships, and many other exciting and dangerous situations. The stories are crafted to inspire kids and adults alike with the imaginative characters and a broad historical foundation. Inside the fantastic tale there is much to learn about ancient cultures and modern societies, as well as bits of science, sociology, eco-awareness, and of course exotic animals from around the world. The dogs and their human companions learn through their adventures that not only is our planet a small and connected place, but that there is also much in common between the past and present. With the spirit of "Indiana Jones" and other classic cliff-hangers, the dogs find themselves hot on the heels of their archaeologist companions in one perilous situation after another. Max, the Lhasa Apso, is the oldest and considers himself the team leader. The puppy of the group, a Yorkshire Terrier named Molly, is always a bit too eager to jump right into whatever situation they find themselves in. She is constantly watched over by Oddie, the young Pit Bull, who is the muscle of the group whose size and strength is matched by his sweetly innocent view of the world. Individually, these dogs all have their own unique abilities, but it is as a team that they are the biggest success. Working together is not always easy, but they discover that having friends is quite possibly the best treasure of all.