The Curious Viking loves to play outside and learn all about nature. He finds the best way to learn about something is to ask a "why" question--the more the better. While visiting Lake Estes in Rocky Mountain National Park with his family, he plays with three different kinds of boats in the shallow water. What he observes is that wood, paper, and plastic boats float. This gives him a question to ask, "Why Do Things Float?" He asks his mother many questions about flotation. He observes his own boats floating in the lake to learn how different materials float in water. Learning about nature and asking lots of "why" questions are his very favorite activities.

Author Biography

Patricia Martin grew up in Boulder, CO. As the eldest daughter of a book-devouring mother, she loved reading from an early age. "I vividly remember my mother used books as a means to escape; she read for hours and later I did too." After traveling for several years, she earned her BA in Literature and History in 1997, then completed the MA in Writing and Communication in 2007, and the MEd in Educational Leadership in 2014. Having spent her career teaching high school language arts and social studies, she valued how the written word can affect people. "Education is one of the only ways that we can improve ourselves at a low cost." Ms. Martin is the author of three series of children's books: Princess Adventure-stories to teach preschoolers safety lessons; The Curious Viking-stories that put science topics within reach of youngsters; & a Spanish-English language series which is a collaboration project with Denver artist Colleen Hennessy. Ms. Martin also authors instructional books to assist readers and writers. She is an avid hiker and loves living in the Boulder area with her family. Her webpage can be accessed at: http: //patriciamartinauthor.com/