Land of the lost mammoths

the long version

Until the late nineteenth century, it was widely believed that an ancient Viking colony had survived on the unexplored and ice-locked coast of southeast Greenland. The Danish discovery of the isolated Inuit culture of the Ammassalick Fiord in 1884 did not fully dispel the myth. Now jump to present-day Greenland: four teenaged scientists, winners of United Nations scholarships, are excited to spend their summer counting reindeer for the celebrated Professor Dansgaard at his Artic wildlife research station. But when they discover some mysterious bones in Dansgaard's lab, they suddenly find themselves on an expedition to the mysterious Valley of the Runes. Battling screaming ice, marooned Vikings, a sorcerer named Halldor, an Arctic hurricane, and a collapsing cave, the adventurers must learn the deep meaning of friendship and nonviolence if they are to survive. Mike Davis's tale of teenage teamwork and discovery is filled with scientific wonder, coming-of-age intrigue, and potent lessons on the fruits of collaboration and friendship.