Demigods and Monsters: Your Favorite Authors on Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series [Hardcover]

Product Details

• Hardcover: 190 pages
• Publisher: Borders
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0979233143
• ISBN-13: 978-0979233142
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #929,312 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Leah Wilson is Editor-in-Chief of the Smart Pop imprint of Dallas-based publisher BenBella Books. She graduated from Duke University in 2003 with a degree in Culture and Modern Fiction, and lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Fall season premiere schedules make her a little giddy.

(Her author blog is the main blog for Smart Pop's website.)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too, June 21, 2008

By 

TeensReadToo "Eat. Drink. Read. Be Merrier." (All Over the US & Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Demigods and Monsters: Your Favorite Authors on Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series (Hardcover)

Love for Percy Jackson is sweeping readers everywhere -- and not just teens. Other authors love him as well, and they have something to say about him! DEMIGODS AND MONSTERS is a book of essays penned by other authors covering all things Percy Jackson.

Jenny Han gives godly parental report cards and asks if you could pick one parent out of the god realm, who would you choose? Rosemary Clement-Moore writes a lesson in recognizing monsters, for beginners, of course. Ellen Steiber attempts to answer why Dionysus isn't a poor choice for the director of Camp Half Blood. Nigel Rodgers writes a glossary of "Who's Who?" in Greek Mythology.

Cameron Dokey, Paul Collins, Carolyn MacCullough, Elizabeth M. Rees, Sarah Beth Hurst, Elizabeth E. Wein, Kathi Appelt, and Sophie Masson also write essays that are humorous, clever, odd, and just plain great.

Percy Jackson fans will love this book.

Reviewed by: Jennifer Rummel

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Rick Riordan Rocks!, March 22, 2009

By 

M. Moore (Yokosuka, Japan) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Demigods and Monsters: Your Favorite Authors on Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series (Paperback)

We recently bought Demigods and Monsters. It had the author's spin on Greek Gods and monsters as well as other authors' opinions. I liked the essay on grading the parents and parent-gods. It also had a helpful glossary of gods, heroes, myths, and monsters. It is a must-read for followers of the Percy Jackson series. Both the adult and kid in this family thoroughly enjoyed it!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars I enjoyed the life lessons some of the authors discussed., July 11, 2011

By 

A. Hoffenberg "-Smash Attack" (Florida) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Demigods and Monsters: Your Favorite Authors on Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series (Paperback)

The Percy Jackson books are some of the best middle grade fiction I've ever read, and I think Rick Riordan is a god in his own right. He owns that market, and it is well deserved. When SmartPop offered to send me some of their catalog for review, I jumped at the chance to read other authors' thoughts on Percy and friends. Rick Riordan's introduction was very interesting and heartfelt. He created Percy, flaws and all, to validate his son's dyslexia and ADHD. His introduction was the best part of the book, and quite uplifting.

I enjoyed the life lessons some of the authors discussed. Topics included finding your identity while remaining unique and not conforming, as well as embracing and working with your differences and disabilities instead of letting them rule you. Some brought up the message that everyone is flawed, even heroes, and that sometimes disabilities can be advantageous. Good messages all around.

One essay titled Eeny Meeny Miney Mo(m) analyzed what it would be like to have the Greek Gods and Goddesses as parents. That was a pretty fun analysis. One author lectures the reader on how to spot a monster. And for those that need a refresher, the book also has a Glossary of Ancient Greek Myths.

Unlike The Girl Who was on Fire essays, which I found excellent, this set of essays did not win me over as much. I think it was because the essays were less on Percy and the books and more on Greek mythology. Don't get me wrong. I love Greek Mythology. A lot. But I wanted a more direct focus on Percy and gang, and not just comparisons and such. Not that the essays weren't great and interesting, but just not what I expected.