Madsi the true, p.18
Madsi the True, page 18
Gjenganger (plural: gjengangere)—
Literally meaning “again-walking,” this undead being awakens when a spirit reenters its deceased body and climbs out of its grave. These monsters often have unfinished business in the land of the living—usually unpleasant unfinished business. Avoid!
Goeksegh—
Meaning “the light you can hear,” goeksegh is the name for the northern lights in the South Sámi language. Across Northern Europe, the northern lights are considered dangerous! Never draw their attention. In fact, when the lights are shining, don’t go outside at all, or they might hurt you or snatch you away into the sky. After all, something so unusual and mysterious can’t be trusted… right?
Huldra (plural: huldre)—
She’d look like any other beautiful woman… except for the cow’s tail at her back. Legends warn that dangerous huldre lure men into the forest with promises of kisses and romance… and the men are never seen again. But could those stories come from people simply fearing bold and confident women?
Jötunn (plural: jötnar)—
More commonly known as frost giants, these beings from Norse mythology are not necessarily larger in size than ordinary humans. But they do possess immense powers that could rival the Old Norse gods. Unless you are Thor, stay away!
Risse-gubbe (plural: risse-gubber)—
This troll lives in the deep forest. Stories usually say that trolls are dull-witted and easy to fool… but don’t underestimate the ways fresh forest air can enliven even a monster’s mind.
Staaloe (plural: Staaloeh)—
This terrifying giant from Sámi lore—known as a Staaloe, Stállo, Stalo, or Stállu to different Sámi groups—has immense strength, but not a lot of smarts. These monsters hunt the Sámi people’s reindeer and will even eat humans. The only way to win in a fight against them is to outthink them. So as Torin would say, “Skjerp deg!” Sharpen yourself up!
Acknowledgments
This is a story about stories—the tales other people tell us, the tales we tell others, and the tales we tell ourselves: about our world, our fellow humans, and our own identities. Some stories have a tough journey to reach the audience who needs them most. Too many are forgotten. Others have to fight to be heard in the first place. Many need revisions to speak to life’s deepest truths. I hope Madsi’s tale encourages readers to keep searching for new stories so we can better understand this world we live in—and ourselves as we move through it.
And though it’s my name on the cover, this book is hardly the work of a single person. I am forever grateful to those who help me tell my own stories.
This book is grounded in Norwegian folklore, so thanks are due to the people who have gathered the tales, particularly Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe, whose collection was first published in 1841 and has been preserved through various editions. Thanks also to Eric Stavney’s Nordic on Tap podcast and Anna Bridgland’s Tales from the North YouTube series, whose retellings of Nordic lore were instrumental to the early development of this book.
Allison Hellegers from Stimola Literary Studio championed this story from her first look at the pages. Thank you, Alli, for guiding this book through the submission process and finding it the perfect home at Atheneum—as well as for steering me toward both the title (!!!) and the idea that became the truths heading each chapter. Thanks as well to my editors, Sophia Jimenez and Kristie Choi, and the whole Atheneum team for taking on this story with such enthusiasm. Sophia, your suggestions and ideas throughout the editing process were spot-on and helped refine this manuscript into a book I’m proud to share with the world. Working with you has been a delight!
Of course, this book may never have caught an editor’s attention without help from my earliest readers. Thanks to Lyla Lawless and Kimberly Mach for putting up with so many of my early drafts. Your insight helped shape my ideas into a narrative worthy to show editors. Without you in my corner, my writing would be a lot poorer! Thanks also to Kate Bustillos, who offered an array of stunning feedback, including one suggestion that was so incredible, I’m still mad that I didn’t think of it first.
A big round of thanks to Ylva Maria Pavval for her keen feedback on my presentation of Sámi culture, characters, and folklore in this story. Any remaining inaccuracies are my own.
Thanks to Debra Sfetsios-Conover for the cover design and Jen Bricking for the jaw-droppingly gorgeous art. (Still can’t believe my book is now part of your stellar lineup!) And thanks to my copy editor, Marinda Valenti, for polishing my prose until it shone like the northern lights themselves.
Thanks to my Glastonbury writing group—Cherish, Deb, Kim, and Cindy—for cheering me on through every high point on this wild publishing ride and supporting me through gut-wrenching lows. Thanks also to writer pals such as Beth Kander, Rachel Horowitz, and Raidah Shah Idil. I’m glad to have folks like you to chat with about all things writing, all things publishing, and all things life. Bookish people are truly some of the best.
Thanks to my family for celebrating with and supporting me along the way, especially Steve, North, and Oak. Hope you’re enjoying the house full of books!
Finally, thanks to the ones who got me writing middle grade. I wasn’t sure the category was for me until I read an early version of what became Nicole Lesperance’s The Nightmare Thief. This heartful and humorous tale opened my mind to what was possible in storytelling for a middle-grade audience. I also spent time studying Donna Barba Higuera’s The Last Cuentista—a beautiful example of weaving classic folklore into modern fiction for young readers.
And though it’s weird to say, thanks to 2020. You threw more at me than I thought a single year could contain. Writing has long been my solace during difficult times, but as the year kept on… giving… I turned to middle grade in the hope that it would push me to be more whimsical in my work. And it did. And I loved it. Middle grade has become a balm for my soul, healing whenever the world gets heavy. So, 2020, thanks (I guess) for leading me to discover a set of stories I never knew I had in me. Without you, this book might not exist.
About the Author
Photo by Sarah Cruz Photography
S. J. TAYLOR writes stories steeped in folklore and magic, where young protagonists tackle big adventures and bigger questions. Although she grew up in Arizona’s desert, her heart yearns for the Nordic lands. When she’s not writing, she can often be found knitting yet another sweater (sweater weather us the best weather). She lives with her family in Connecticut. Visit her at sjtaylorbooks.com
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Atheneum Book for Young Readers
Simon & Schuster, New York
ATHENEUM BOOKS FOR YOUNG READERS
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This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Text © 2024 by S. J. Taylor
Jacket illustration © 2024 by Jen Bricking
Jacket design by Debra Sfetsios-Conover
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Taylor, S. J., 1986-author.
Title: Madsi the True / S. J. Taylor.
Description: First edition. | New York : Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2024. | Audience: Ages 8–12. | Audience: Grades 4–6. | Summary: In 1750 Norway, twelve-year-old Madsi sets out to discover the truth behind her sister’s abduction by the Northern Lights, fighting Norse monsters, and meeting new friends along the way.
Identifiers: LCCN 2023041696 (print) | LCCN 2023041697 (ebook) | ISBN 9781665938822 (hardcover) | ISBN 9781665938846 (ebook)
Subjects: CYAC: Auroras—Fiction. | Kidnapping—Fiction. | Sisters—Fiction. | Mythology, Norse—Fiction. | Norway—History—1660–1814—Fiction. | Fantasy. | LCGFT: Fantasy fiction. | Novels.
Classification: LCC PZ7.1.T3937 Mad 2024 (print) | LCC PZ7.1.T3937 (ebook) | DDC [Fic]—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2023041696
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2023041697
S. J. Taylor, Madsi the True
