Module 8: Fantasy and Science Fiction

By far, fantasy is my favorite genre of youth literature. This week, I chose a book in which the gods come to life and one where there is a secret world under New York City.

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan: Percy Jackson has problems. It's not that he keeps getting kicked out of school or that's he's dyslexic and has ADHD or that his stepfather is a world-class jerk. His real problem is that his real name is Perseus, his father is Poseidon, and the gods want to kill him, not in the least because Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades are constantly feuding. Percy meets other kids like him at Camp Half-Blood and goes on a quest to recover Zeus's lightning bolt and be acknowledged by his father.

I enjoyed the book for its detail into Greek mythology, which Riordan modernized. Although it does feel a little slow while Percy is at Camp Half-Blood, it picks up when he goes on his quest.

"At the outset of this fast-paced tale by Rick Riordan (Hyperion/Miramax, 2005), it would seem that Percy Jackson is just another New York kid diagnosed with ADHD, who has good intentions, a nasty stepfather, and a long line of schools that have rejected him. The revelation of his status as half-blood offspring of one of the Greek gods is nicely packaged, and it's easy to believe that Mount Olympus, in modern times, has migrated to the 600th floor of the Empire State Building (the center of Western civilization) while the door to Hades can be found at DOA Recording Studio, somewhere in LA. With his new friends, a disguised satyr, and the half-blood daughter of Athena, Percy sets out across the country to rectify a feud between Zeus, Hades, and Poseidon. Along the way they must cope with the Furies, Medusa, motorcycle thug Aires, and various other immortals. Although some of Jesse Bernstein's accents fail (the monster from Georgia, for instance, has no Southern trace in her voice), he does a fine job of keeping the main characters' tones and accents distinguishable. He convincingly portrays Percy, voicing just the right amount of prepubescent confusion, ironic wit, and the ebbing and waning of concern for himself and those around him. Mythology fans will love this take and kids who haven't been inculcated with the Classical canon will learn aspects of it here while having no trouble following a rollicking good–and modern–adventure." -- School Library Journal

"The escapades of the Greek gods and heroes get a fresh spin in the first book in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, about a contemporary 12-year-old New Yorker who learns he's a demigod. Perseus, aka Percy Jackson, thinks he has big problems. His father left before he was born, he's been kicked out of six schools in six years, he's dyslexic, and he has ADHD. What a surprise when he finds out that that's only the tip of the iceberg: he vaporizes his pre-algebra teacher, learns his best friend is a satyr, and is almost killed by a minotaur before his mother manages to get him to the safety of Camp Half-Blood--where he discovers that Poseidon is his father. But that's a problem, too. Poseidon has been accused of stealing Zeus' lightning bolt, and unless Percy can return the bolt, humankind is doomed. Riordan's fast-paced adventure is fresh, dangerous, and funny. Percy is an appealing, but reluctant hero, the modernized gods are hilarious, and the parallels to Harry Potter are frequent and obvious. Because Riordan is faithful to the original myths, librarians should be prepared for a rush of readers wanting the classic stories." -- Booklist

I would display Riordan's series along with books that tell the classic mythological tales. I would use this display to lead up to showing the movie, which is coming out soon. If possible, I would work with the adult library to create a mythology program that included adults as well, with books based on Greek mythology and a movie like The Odyssey (1997) or even O Brother, Where Art Thou?.

Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins: Gregor knows what sacrifice is. He has almost full responsibility for his younger sisters because his father is missing, his mother works herself to the bone just so they don't starve, and his grandmother is sick. Then his youngest sister Boots disappears down an air chute, and Gregor's problems get worse. In an underground world where the creepy crawlies are bigger than the people, Gregor has to undertake a quest that will save the underground people and bring back the one he loves.

The book is fast paced, and it almost doesn't have enough descriptive detail of the underground world. Despite that, the characters are developed to where you start to feel for them, and you'll want to know what happens in the end.

"Plot threads unwind smoothly, and the pace of the book is just right. Exciting scenes and cliff-hanger chapters are balanced by decisions and interactions that drive the action. Gregor is not the most compelling figure at first, but as the story progresses he becomes more interesting, maturing through the challenges he faces. Supporting characters are generally engaging, particularly the enigmatic warrior rat that claims to support the protagonist's mission. This is an engrossing adventure for fantasy fans and for those new to the genre." -- School Library Journal

"Gregor's luminous, supremely absorbing quest takes place in a strange underground land of giant cockroaches, rideable bats, and violet-eyed humans. When his two-year-old sister Boots tumbles into an air duct in his building's laundry room, Gregor leaps after her and they fall, à la Alice, into another world. Gregor wants desperately to get home-until he hears that his father, who left Gregor heavy-hearted by disappearing two years ago, may be in Underland himself, kept prisoner by enormous, war-hungry rats. A coalition of creatures and royal humans is formed to rescue him, modeled after an ancient prophetic poem that has foretold Gregor's arrival and calls him the Overland Warrior. The abiding ache of Gregor's sadness is matched by his tender care for Boots. Creature depictions are soulful and the plot is riveting; Underland's dark, cavernous atmosphere is palpable. Explanation and subtlety balance perfectly. Wonderful." -- Kirkus Reviews

I would book talk Gregor the Overlander with an art extension. Either individually or in groups, I would have kids draw or paint their overland world and what they think the underground world looks like. If done as a group, this would make a good mural to display.