Hercules (Heroes)
Grade 5-8–Part of a quartet of novellas about mythological Greek heroes, this volume does a creditable job of making Hercules a dimensional character whose struggles against fate and the vindictiveness of the gods arouse readers' sympathy. Despite his strength and considerable cunning, he is powerless to determine the course of his own life. After his stepfather goads him into tasting wine, Hercules kills his family in a drunken stupor. As punishment, he becomes a slave to his wicked cousin, who compels him to perform impossible tasks during his 12 years of servitude. McCaughrean enlivens the familiar story with arresting imagery, as when she writes of Hippolyta, queen of the Amazons, The smell of her oiled and corded hair was strange as the scent of the black orchid. And she lends majesty and pathos to the hero's ultimate fate as part of the night sky: Over the centuries, the constellation would seem to be failing, falling apart, disbanding….But do not be deceived….One day, a million million years from now, the sun's small family of planets will lose itself among the seven stars, and we shall be cradled in Hercules' arms. Such vivid writing will hold the attention of anyone already interested in these ageless legends, and teachers could well ignite students' appetites for the tales by reading passages aloud. A strong addition to the series.–Miriam Lang Budin, Chappaqua Public Library, NYCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.