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15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good, but has the stories wrong., August 15, 2002
This review is from: Adventures of the Greek Heroes (Paperback)
I read this book when I was in middle school and really wanted to read a book about Greek mythology because that was my main interest back then. I read this book and enjoyed it, despite its childish narration(a bit more fit for six year olds). However, I was disappointed when I did further research and discovered that many of the myths were wrong in this book. For one thing, in this book, when man disregarded the gods, the gods took fire from mankind and Prometheus took the fire from the gods to return to men, but as punishment he was chained to a rock. Well, anyone who knows mythology well enough knows that Prometheus actually stole fire to introduce to mankind and was honored, but later punished because he made it so that the gods got the worst of the sacrifice. In addition, the book doesn't say that Hercules performed his labors for the king because of Hera's jealousy. Instead, it makes it seem like the gods sentanced Hercules to work for the king for no reason at all. I was also ticked off by the puny, unecessary dialogue and the fact that the Latin equivalents of the Greek gods were used instead of the real Greek names(such as Minerva instead of Athena). Now, for some postivie info, it does at least have some good illustrations and most of the stories actually were right. I must admit it did a fairly good job at telling the stories of Perseus, Orpheus, and Theseus. I would for sure not recommend this book if you're looking for an introduction to Greek mythology. Instead, I recommend checking out Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia(with plenty of articles on Greek myths) and "D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths". If you'd like to read this book, better to go for the library than to buy it.
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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Perfect For Beginning Third Graders, August 25, 2002
This review is from: Adventures of the Greek Heroes (Paperback)
A resource/reading teacher at the third grade level for almost three decades, I have used Adventures of the Greek Heroes to great effect at the beginning of the year. The book is on a beginning third grade level. The controlled vocabulary will annoy older readers, but suits young readers. A great introduction to the Greek myths, and surprisinly detailed in its accounts of the six or so heroes on which it is mainly focused: Prometheus, Hercules, Perseus, Theseus, Orpheus, Jason. It's about 170 pages and well-illustrated. Adventures of the Greek Heroes is by no means comprehensive. For that you need D'Aulaire's Book of Greek Myths, which is on about a fifth grade level. A wonderful book that is indeed encyclopedic. It begins with the origins of the gods and proceeds roughly chronologically to the Trojan war. Wiseman and McClean's Adventures of the Greek Heroes, nonetheless, is a very valuable introduction for younger readers, eight and nine year olds, particularly for boys, who, as we all know, are less inclined to read. This book motivates third grade boys like few others.
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
I Read This Book As A Child, January 12, 2001
By A Customer
This review is from: Adventures of the Greek Heroes (Paperback)
... The purpose of a children's book on mythology is not tooffer adult versions of the myths in any didactic manner, but topresent the myths in a manner that would interest a child, and Iremember reading this book over and over when I was young and lovingit. The stories are exciting and the drawings very nice, and while Inever really became interested in Greek myths later, I still have mycopy of this book thirty years later. For a child, this is a fine bookof adventure stories, and it need be no more.
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