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3.64 AVERAGE
3.64 AVERAGE
I picked this up because I love the Greenbergs’ art & storytelling style, and this was no exception.
I’m not a huge Greek mythology geek, although I do enjoy reading about it. This isn't really a retelling or feminist changing of the original stories -- it's more just a straight telling/explaining in simple words that are appropriate for pretty young audiences. Overall, this was an enjoyable quick read.
Thanks to Netgalley and Abrams Kids for the ARC! It's out June 8, 2021.
I’m not a huge Greek mythology geek, although I do enjoy reading about it. This isn't really a retelling or feminist changing of the original stories -- it's more just a straight telling/explaining in simple words that are appropriate for pretty young audiences. Overall, this was an enjoyable quick read.
Thanks to Netgalley and Abrams Kids for the ARC! It's out June 8, 2021.
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Beautiful book, but it's got a really weird bias. The myths have been heavily altered to make Athena some sort of perfect hero. I know this is for kids, but if you're going to sanitise the myths to that level is there even a point to it? The interpretation of the Medusa myth in particular bothered me.
Thank you to #NetGalley and Abrams Kids for allowing me the opportunity to read a digital ARC of Athena: Goddess of Wisdom and War by Imogen and Isabel Greenberg. This middle grades graphic novel will be released in June 2021. All opinions are my own.
This graphic novel focuses on the Greek Goddess, Athena. It begins with the story of her birth which is followed by a series of stories that prominently feature her including the stories of Arachne, Perseus, Paris, and Odysseus. This is a super fun and interesting way to introduce younger readers to Greek mythology. Many MG readers love graphic novels making it the perfect format to introduce these myths in an accessible way. The illustrations are fun and highlight the stories. The book is an odd combination of story and graphic novel. Elements of it are narrated and written like a story only to be interrupted by comic strip panels and larger illustrations. I think this book would be a great way to introduce upper elementary students to mythology.
This graphic novel focuses on the Greek Goddess, Athena. It begins with the story of her birth which is followed by a series of stories that prominently feature her including the stories of Arachne, Perseus, Paris, and Odysseus. This is a super fun and interesting way to introduce younger readers to Greek mythology. Many MG readers love graphic novels making it the perfect format to introduce these myths in an accessible way. The illustrations are fun and highlight the stories. The book is an odd combination of story and graphic novel. Elements of it are narrated and written like a story only to be interrupted by comic strip panels and larger illustrations. I think this book would be a great way to introduce upper elementary students to mythology.
I expected more from this. First of all, it was a weird mix between a graphic novel and a short story and it seems like the author didn't even know which side to choose. I really hoped to learn something new but it was clearly written for a younger audience and just repeated popular myths.
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informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This was a great collection of myths surrounding Athena. It gives the basic myths of Athena, both positive and negative. I think this would be a great starter collection for younger kids who are being introduced to Greek mythology. The illustrations were beautiful...my only dislike was sometimes the comic text was too small. Otherwise, the comics and the blurbs integrated well together.
Rating: 4/5
Synopsis: From the moment she sprung from Zeus’s head, Athena was extraordinary. Even though some doubted her as a young goddess, Athena never backed down from a fight. Follow along through Athena's adventures from when she sprung right out of Zeus' head through her involvement in the great Trojan war.
Where was this book when I was in middle school? This is definitely a book I would have loved to accompany books like Percy Jackson. The only non-fiction book I had access to were those like Edith Hamilton's Mythology, which were too hard for me when I was a kid. This book is really well done (factual but told as a story children will both learn from and enjoy), and a book I would consider having on my bookshelf even now in adulthood. This definitely belongs in elementary and middle school libraries and is a great resource to introduce young learners to Greek myths. I could easily see this being a series that features all of the major Greek gods (and I would get each one)!
Additionally, the illustrations in this book are great and capture the source material well. They are stylized and look like they jumped off a Greek vase. I wish the ARC was in color because I'm sure they look fantastic fully colored. There are some samples of the coloring on the cover pages provided, and what little color is shown in the ARC is really nice.
A few extra things:
1. Since this is aimed for children, I think a pronunciation guide at the opening glossary and an illustrated map of Greece would be helpful for introducing children to these names and words that they might not be familiar with yet.
2. I don't know if it was because of the formatting, but some of the pages were cut off and missing a few sentences between pages, especially in parts V and VI.
3. I believe the download said that this was an uncorrected proof, but there are a few typing set mistakes and grammar mistakes (like the plural of cyclops is cyclopes not cyclopses for example). But hopefully these will be noticed and fixed.
4. I don't know if I would call this a graphic novel. It's more of a picture book with accompanying illustrations and comic pages.
For goodreads- I received this book as a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis: From the moment she sprung from Zeus’s head, Athena was extraordinary. Even though some doubted her as a young goddess, Athena never backed down from a fight. Follow along through Athena's adventures from when she sprung right out of Zeus' head through her involvement in the great Trojan war.
Where was this book when I was in middle school? This is definitely a book I would have loved to accompany books like Percy Jackson. The only non-fiction book I had access to were those like Edith Hamilton's Mythology, which were too hard for me when I was a kid. This book is really well done (factual but told as a story children will both learn from and enjoy), and a book I would consider having on my bookshelf even now in adulthood. This definitely belongs in elementary and middle school libraries and is a great resource to introduce young learners to Greek myths. I could easily see this being a series that features all of the major Greek gods (and I would get each one)!
Additionally, the illustrations in this book are great and capture the source material well. They are stylized and look like they jumped off a Greek vase. I wish the ARC was in color because I'm sure they look fantastic fully colored. There are some samples of the coloring on the cover pages provided, and what little color is shown in the ARC is really nice.
A few extra things:
1. Since this is aimed for children, I think a pronunciation guide at the opening glossary and an illustrated map of Greece would be helpful for introducing children to these names and words that they might not be familiar with yet.
2. I don't know if it was because of the formatting, but some of the pages were cut off and missing a few sentences between pages, especially in parts V and VI.
3. I believe the download said that this was an uncorrected proof, but there are a few typing set mistakes and grammar mistakes (like the plural of cyclops is cyclopes not cyclopses for example). But hopefully these will be noticed and fixed.
4. I don't know if I would call this a graphic novel. It's more of a picture book with accompanying illustrations and comic pages.
For goodreads- I received this book as a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I love Isabel Greenberg's style. Athena is my favorite Greek goddess. I feel certain Greenberg tweeted about this book awhile back and I added it to my "to buy" list immediately.
It's definitely a children's book but the art is a joy to look at so I think anyone can enjoy it. If you know anything about Greek myth it's also kind of fun to consider how someone reinterprets these stories for children since the myths themselves are quite adult. Greenberg throws in a few comic conventions but this is overall a "picture book" in terms of storytelling. I'd love to see it entirely in comic form, though. :)
The combo of Greenberg's amazing art and the topic of Athena will cause me to buy this for all the kids I know but it's worth hunting down for yourself if you're also a Greenberg/Athena fan.
It's definitely a children's book but the art is a joy to look at so I think anyone can enjoy it. If you know anything about Greek myth it's also kind of fun to consider how someone reinterprets these stories for children since the myths themselves are quite adult. Greenberg throws in a few comic conventions but this is overall a "picture book" in terms of storytelling. I'd love to see it entirely in comic form, though. :)
The combo of Greenberg's amazing art and the topic of Athena will cause me to buy this for all the kids I know but it's worth hunting down for yourself if you're also a Greenberg/Athena fan.
This graphic novel adapts a variety of greek myths, especially the ones that heavily feature Athena.
A very easy-to-follow version of the usually confusing Greek Myths. I like that it's centered around Athena, it helps focus the stories a bit rather than making it so overwhelming. The drawings are loose and detailed, which I really like.
A great book for fans of Greek Myths & Athena!
Thanks to NetGalley for providing an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
A very easy-to-follow version of the usually confusing Greek Myths. I like that it's centered around Athena, it helps focus the stories a bit rather than making it so overwhelming. The drawings are loose and detailed, which I really like.
A great book for fans of Greek Myths & Athena!
Thanks to NetGalley for providing an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.