Greek Mythology for Teens

November 1, 2011

Gr 7 Up-This follow-up to the author's Mythology for Teens (Prufrock, 2009) takes a unique approach to introducing ancient tales. Ranging from "Orpheus & Eurydice" to "Daedalus and Icarus" to "The Golden Touch," various myths are presented in the form of reader's theater-crisply scripted and ready to act out in the classroom. Nine chapters are organized according to a broad theme (e.g., "The Power of Music," "Wisdom vs. Intelligence," "Greed"). Each one includes a play designed to run between 25 and 40 minutes. In addition, a wealth of background information provides additional insights into the characters and ideas, highlights examples of Greek history and culture, and makes connections to other works of art as well as modern-day perceptions. While the organization works well for exploring thematic units, individuals wanting to know if a specific myth is included will be frustrated as the tales are not listed in the table of contents and there is no index. Hamby also includes quotes from ancient sources-Ovid and Hesiod, for the most part-and summations of related myths, neatly tying the package together and encouraging youngsters to read further. Sidebars offer topics for additional discussion and analysis, writing prompts, ideas for further research, fun facts, and more, all intended to stimulate creativity and active learning. The scripts present adequate retellings of the myths, souped up with touches of contemporary language and eye-rolling humor just right for a teen audience. All in all, a great way to bring these stories to life.-Joy Fleishhacker, School Library Journal

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.