Title: Tales of the Greek Heroes

Author: Roger Lancelyn Green

Publisher: Puffin Classics 2009

Genre: Mythology

Pages: 272

Rating:  5 / 5 stars

Reading Challenges: May Read and Review

After the boys and I finished reading the Percy Jackson series, we wanted to take a break from a series and read a standalone book.  So we turned to Rudyard Kipling and then to Roger Lancelyn Green.  The boys showed an interest in Greek mythology.  I picked this up to be a companion to the Percy series.  And it was definitely a hit with the boys.  N especially loved making the connections between the original stories and the Percy versions.  Every few pages I would have to stop and help them work through the connections.  They would get this little spark of recognition that I absolutely adore.  They're learning mythology and enjoying reading at the same time.  A perfect combination.  I hope this interest continues into our next book.  We haven't chosen it yet, but we have tons of possibilities lying around the room.

I would definitely recommend this volume to elementary age children, although I enjoyed it also.  Green takes the Greek myths and strings them together into more of a history of Greece.  He helps the reader see the continuity and connections throughout the mythology.  He even explains certain ones just to help you out.  However, I never felt like this was just a children's book.  The vocabulary was challenged for elementary age without being overwhelming.  Great little book of stories!