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!