Zachary HambyBesprekingen

This book is well laid out in terms of the organization. It has comic book like illustrations, which 2nd graders are really captivated by. The wording is similar to what you might read in a non-fiction text and also has similar text features as well such as having a glossary, index, etc. There are 20 short tales in this story relating to Mythology and even a guide explaining the different characters and parts to mythology. The short stories makes it nice to read and come back to so that it wouldn't all necessarily have to be read at one time. This would be a great introduction to mythology for second graders.

Easy to understand ( and delicately worded) explanations of mythology.

I was not impressed overall with this book. The questions after each myth weren't too bad, and the prose description and discussion of the myths was also tolerable. But every time I read one of the "modernized" plays, I just wanted to roll my eyes. Not only do they rely on tired, cringe-worthy stereotypes rather than the usual (though admittedly also cringe-worthy) portrayal of the gods and (especially) goddesses, they're also written in the kind of "adults trying to relate to teens by sounding cool" language that is in itself, again, cringe-worthy.½

i really enjoyed this book. as a future teacher who will work with teen/preteens who is getting a masters in mythology and legends, i thought this was a good book to get a quick glimpse into myths and legends and not delve too into each subject as to confuse kids. i recommend this book to anyone who finds myths enjoyable and would like to dive into the shallow end of the mythology pool. :)

Hamby's version of Greek mythology was thoroughly enjoyable, even to me as an adult. He did an excellent job of distilling the spirit of the original stories, and rendering it into updated form. I can easily envision his scripts becoming the basis of school plays as well as classroom readings.

I have only two criticisms about this book, and they are actually more guidelines for use than actual detriments. Because of the modern language, the ancient Greek flavor is lost. The reworked myths communicate the stories but remove much of the context. Again, this isn't a criticism per se, just a warning of what to expect.

Secondly, Hamby did a very good job in making the language timeless, but in places, I could potentially see it becoming dated in another ten years. He avoids slang, preferring to use casual language rather than make cultural references about the "modern" world that would quickly wear out. Still, I would consider this book to be best used when fresh, and to consider making emendations later on if a particular turn of phrase is no longer current.

Overall, this book would be an excellent resource for getting kids interested in mythology, but should be presented alongside the original material, or with the original available for curious students.

Hamby's book includes jazzed-up-for-teens scripts for some major Greek myths. There are supplementary discussions about themes, in a similar we're-all-cool-here style and some background. It's a solid book, and I like the idea of the reader's theatre approach. The style & level would be appropriate for an advanced Gr. 7 or 8 class, or a more average group of Gr. 9s, or even 10s if you wanted a break.

I only had one little caveat - it's troublesome, having students act out some of this material, even in a simple reading. The women are huffy or dippy stereotypes, mostly, and while this isn't entirely out of spirit for the ancient myth, I got tired of it fast. Also, the dramatization of the story of Zeus & Io was uncomfortable for me - I don't plan to put any student in the position of having to refer to another student's large "udders", and I'd have to think carefully about the whole "you hussy" quickie-in-the-grass dramatic situation. Some groups might be able to handle it maturely, but others... not so much.½

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

Greek Mythology for Teens is a great way to teach today's teens about some of the most popular classical Greek myths. Packed with theme-based stories and activities, Greek Mythology for teens is a great resource for both the home and classroom! Even though I've been studying all things mythology for a few years now, I learned a lot from this guide. It made the less-interesting myths a lot more relate-able by comparing them to situations in a modern teen's everyday life and describing the personality of each god. I really enjoyed the little plays at the beginning of each new section - they could be a great way to get less-interested students to participate and learn the material while still having fun. I recommend this to high school teachers - English teachers especially!

I am a Teen/Young Adult book blogger. When I saw this book was available for the Early Reviewers program I was interested in it because there are a lot of young adult books coming out recently that have stories based on Greek Mythology. There have always been these stories but there is a rather large influx of them out there today. I wanted to freshen up on some Greek Mythology and actually compare how the authors are interpreting some of these stories today to add to my reviews. This book was very helpful to me because it gives very short details of some Gods and Goddesses plus some of the more famous stories. The thing is that throughout history these stories will always find a way to be relevent. The author has found a way to show the subjects in a fun and interesting way. The stories are told in play /theatre form but are short and and updated style of writing that makes it easier to understand.

It also has side notes as a textbook does with questions that get you thinking about the stories, ideas for discussion and writing to help you explore more if you are interested in doing so. I really do think that teachers would find this a helpful tool in the classroom, if anything it is great to help bring out discussions and maybe even comparisions to other ways of learning these same topics. Wisdom vs Intelligence was my favorite section, but Greed and MInd Over Matter appealed to me as well.

I received this book from the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program. This book caught my eye immediately when I saw it on the list of books up for requesting that month; I absolutely love Greek mythology and I have to say I was most definitely not disappointed with this book!

Every time I pulled this book out to read, my fiancé laughed at the title, but that is what this book is: a book on Greek mythology, targeted to teens. This is actually a textbook, complete with assignments and side lessons for students to think about, but don't let that stop you from reading this. Regardless of your age, this is a good book.

The book is arranged by chapters in a theme (for instance "Wisdom vs. Intelligence" and "Greed") and each chapter begins with a play based on a specific myth in the theme (Icarus for "Wisdom vs Intelligence" and King Midas for "Greed"). Following this are more in-depth explanations of specific myths within the theme, some modern-day examples of things related to the myths, and spaced throughout are blurbs about the different beings in Greek mythology. Also included are comic-like drawings of the different characters mentioned in the book, drawn by the author. I think this really added to the book and will appeal to the target audience- and probably anyone, since I liked the drawings, too, and I'm definitely no longer a teen. This book is written in a way that's easy to understand, but still interesting and educational. As I said, I'm a big fan of Greek mythology so I already knew most of these stories, but I still learned from this and I enjoyed hearing how the author put his own spin on the tales, then expanded on each of the themes following that.

I'm going to give this book five stars out of five. It does exactly what it's supposed to do, which is be interesting to younger readers (or at least I think it would be!) and would hopefully get them to seek out the actual myths and stories, but it also will appeal to older audiences, as well, assuming they like their mythology with a side of humor. I know I do!

This is clearly a textbook, with sidebars and discussion questions. It is one of the best textbooks I have ever read from though. The material is presented in a friendly way, with appropriate, fun illustrations. The presentation of each myth as a play actually works very well. My fourteen-year-old daughter picked this up and started reading it when it came in the mail. I think that this is one of the best books about Greek mythology I have ever seen.½

A fascinating and fun dive into Greek mythology. Even for someone like me who's read up on Greeks and myths, this is interesting. I learned things I never knew before, and this book challenges you to really think about what you've read. It gives you other sources as well, movie adaptations, paintings, music, and literature that all either retell a Greek myth or hold mythological elements.

Zachary Hamby's writing is smooth except for a few phrases like "much different" that rub me the wrong way, and his illustrations are fun and clearly presented. Even if you don't get the chance to take an actual class with this as a textbook, I'd recommend reading it on your own. Whether you're an old hand at Greek myths or just getting interested, this is a great book.

My Mythology is back! I am always thrilled with anything that can serve as a good new tool to introduce classical culture to the next generation. Too often these days students are unfamiliar with ancient history, literature, philosophy, mythology, etc. Here we have a welcome addition to our resurgence in classical studies. Greek Mythology for Teens is the second book in his new set on Graeco-Roman mythology.

Using theatrical techniques (another defunded, discouraged area in the educational field), Hamby has found a fun and fascinating way to reinvigorate ancient mythology. Students don't merely read, they act out the myths. This is in fact closer to the original source materials and a great interactive project for the classroom. Besides giving the usual background materials, he also puts ancient tales into modern context and relates them to pop culture and the real life of kids.

This is a great book with a fresh approach which should make many a teacher happy. Students will have fun learning and actually remember what they learn better because they are acting it out for themselves.