Perseus and Medusa (Graphic Revolve: Common Core Editions)

Description

A prophecy states that the king of Argos will be defeated by his infant grandson Perseus, so the king throws Perseus, and his mother, into the sea. They are rescued by a fisherman, and young Perseus grows up, unaware of his royal birth. Before he can claim his heritage, the hero is ordered to slay a hideous monster named Medusa, whose gaze turns men into solid stone. How can the youth fight an enemy he cannot even look at? He will need the wisdom and the weapons of the gods themselves. These reader-favorite tiles are now updated for enhanced Common Core State Standards support, including discussion and writing prompts developed by a Common Core expert, an expanded introduction, bolded glossary words and dynamic new covers.

cz Blake A. Hoena grew up in central Wisconsin, where he wrote stories about robots conquering the moon and trolls lumbering around the woods behind his parents house. He now lives in Minnesota and enjoys writing about fun things like history, space aliens, and superheroes. Blake has written more than fifty chapter books and dozens of graphic novels for children. Daniel Perez was born in Monterrey, Mexico, in 1977. For more than a decade, Perez has worked as a colorist and an illustrator for comic book publishers such as Marvel, Image, and Dark Horse. He currently works for Protobunker Studio while also developing his first graphic novel. Blake A. Hoena grew up in central Wisconsin, where he wrote stories about robots conquering the moon and trolls lumbering around the woods behind his parents house. He now lives in Minnesota and continues to write about fun things like space aliens and superheroes. Blake has written more than 100 chapter books and graphic novels for children.

This full-color graphic novel is an adaptation of the Greek myth of the hero half-god Perseus. A king demands that Perseus retrieve Medusa's head. Thus the first trial of this hero begins. The goddess Athena helps him along the way. The graphic novel details his assistance from the nymphs and Hermes, Perseus' trickery with the Gray Witches to gain Medusa's address, and his ultimate fight with Medusa. His trip home fulfills a destiny that had been decreed before his birth--his grandfather dying by Perseus' own hand. Information about monsters in the myths, discussion questions and writing prompts are also included. As one of the four hero myth tales being retold by Stone Arch's Graphic Revolve series, this adaptation succeeds fairly well. The story does not feel shortened drastically at any given point. The pacing flows nicely from one part of the adventure to the next. As with the others in the series, the text is written at a third grade level encouraging a wider audience for this title. The artwork has many memorable panels; in particular, Medusa's stone garden was both horrific and wonderfully detailed. The character designs would be at home in a role playing fantasy video game. Upper elementary and junior high readers who enjoy mythology or the recent Percy Jackson and the Olympians series will eagerly grab this graphic novel.-- "VOYA" This retelling of the famous Greek myth is quite complete in its details including parts of the story not always included in children's versions such as the Gorgons which frequently get dropped. But I was most impressed with the inclusion of the sidestory of Perseus's return journey home including his saving of Andromeda before he returns to court with the head of Medusa. A very true retelling, keeping it suitable for children. There is a bit of violence, Medusa does get her head chopped off after all, and with that a few drops of blood are shown here and there over a few pages. Nothing I wouldn't deem suitable for an 8yo of my own. The illustrations are gorgeous! I always say this when I review a Stone Arch book but they always use top-notch artists for their books. Perez has worked for Marvel and Dark Horse comics and his illustrations beautifully bring the story alive. A must read for mythology fans! 5/5-- "Back to Books Blog" This 26-title set features dynamic comic-style art and abridged retellings of both myths and literature classics. Titles include The Jungle Book, The Wizard of Oz, Pinocchio, and Alice in Wonderland (all 2010), among others.-- "Book Links" Young Perseus grows up unaware of his royal birth. Before he can claim his heritage, the hero is ordered to slay a hideous monster named Medusa, whose gaze turns men into solid stone. How can he fight an enemy he cannot even look at? Review: A great retelling of the famous myth in graphic novel format. This is a Stone Arch publication so it has all the extra goodies teachers and librarians want to see at the back as well - more about the myth, discussion questions, writing prompts, and a glossary! Definitely a fun story for kids to read about and a great way to learn about mythology. And did I mention it was a graphic novel? *loves graphic novels* Recommended for 3rd grade and up. http: //www.bookworminginthe21stcentury.com/2010/01/perseus-and-medusa-graphic-novel.html-- "Bookworming in the 21st Century Blog"