Connor, George.
Zeus : king of the gods. New York London: First Second, 2010. Print.
ISBN: 9781596434318
Audience: Ages 9-13, Grade 4-7
Summary:
The story of the creation of the
Olympians starting from nothing but Gaea, Mother Earth, and her husband
Ouranos, the sky. Their son Zeus is born and hidden from his father Kronos
until grows to be a lightning bolt throwing hero. At the end, he defeats his
father in an exciting battle. This book is the beginning of a series of graphic
novels on Greek gods.
Strengths:
The book is extremely true to the author’s extensive research on the original
Greek myths, even using the more literal “Greek” translations of the
characters’ names rather than the familiar Latinized versions. The
illustrations are outstanding, and the subject matter is high interest for many
students. It could lead readers into learning much more about mythology.
Weaknesses:
The vocabulary and themes are
very advanced and would be difficult for many readers. I would definitely
recommend this book more for the older portion of the suggested age range.
Uses: The
vocabulary is advanced (CCSS ELA:L.4 Grades 3-5) and the writing style is
unique (CCSS ELA:W.3 Grades K-6). Graphic novels are excellent for inferring,
since the reader must “read” the illustrations in order to follow the narrative
(CCSS ELA: RL.1 Grades 4-7). Art teachers could use the illustrations to talk
about graphic design and line drawings. This
book is perfectly suited to put in the hands of reluctant readers, especially
boys, and would be high interest for many students. For TN 6th grade
Social Studies teachers, it would also be an introduction to Greek mythology.
Read-alikes:
·
Olympians series – George
O’Connor (the continuation of the same series)
·
Percy Jackson
& the Olympians – Rick Riordan (series of novels about a boy who discovers he is
a descendent of the god Poseidon)
·
Demeter and
Persephone: Spring Held Hostage- Justine Fontes (Beginning of a series of
graphic novels about Greek myths)
·
Oh My Gods!: A
Look-It-Up Guide to the Gods of Mythology (Mythlopedia) – Megan Bryant
(Reference book about the Greek gods, part of the Mythlopedia series)
·
D’Aulaires Book
of Greek Myths- Ingri
d’Aulaire (Classic retellings of famous myths)
Other:
Starred review in Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
Resources for Librarians & Teachers:
Teacher’s Guide:
No comments:
Post a Comment