Book Review - Hera: The Goddess And Her Glory

Author/Illustrator: George O'Connor
Publisher: First Second (July 19, 2011)
Audience: Young Adult
Source: Copy for Review
Graphic Novel * Mythology * Upper Middle Grade * YA

Description from GoodReads:

The story of Hera, Queen of the Gods, and the heroes who won her favor. 

Volume 3 of Olympians, Hera: The Goddess and Her Glory, introduces readers to the Queen of the Gods and Goddesses in the Pantheon. This volume tells the tales of the many heroes who sought and won Hera’s patronage, most notably Hercules.


In Olympians, O’Connor draws from primary documents to reconstruct and retell classic Greek myths. But these stories aren’t sedate, scholarly works. They’re action-packed, fast-paced, high-drama adventures with monsters, romance, and not a few huge explosions.


O’Connor’s vibrant, kinetic art brings ancient tales to undeniable life, in a perfect fusion of super-hero aesthetics and ancient Greek mythology.

Today I was talking with the Director of a local art center.  We got on the topic of graphic novels and he looked at me and bluntly said "You don't seem like someone who reads graphic novels".  I smiled.  I wasn't insulted by his comment.  There was a point when it would have been true.  I had little interest in something that seemed like glorified comics.  However, as an educator who desperately wants students to read and enjoy reading, I learned to stretch myself and to explore the world of graphic novels and manga.  And guess what?  I fell in love with graphic novels.  I have learned to appreciate both the art and the form of storytelling that comes within the pages of a good graphic novel.  Additionally, it has helped me to hook readers that might not otherwise be interested in a book.

In my journey to discover quality graphic novels to share with students, I discovered the Olympians Series by George O'Connor.  The series begins with Zeus which I felt was good.  However, personally, I thought the second release -  Athena was even better.  This may have had something to do with my personal preference (Athena vs. Zeus), but I also think it may be that O'Connor is growing as an artist and storyteller with each installment.

This brings me to Hera: The Goddess And Her Glory.  I have never been much of a personal fan of Hera.  She just seemed cruel and revengeful on some level.  However, O'Connor has managed to win me over.  Well, I still personally like Athena but with this installment, he has won me over enough to actually feel like this installment is the best in the series. 

O'Connor packs a lot into the 80 pages of this graphic novel.  In addition to the story, he provides an Olympian Family Tree, author notes, facts about key characters, recommendations, and my favorite - The Geek (Greek with the r crossed out) Notes.  Don't miss the Geek Notes.  I can't wait to get back to school and pull out my copies of Zeus and Athena and look up some of the things that O'Connor ties together between the three books.  Hmmmm...I can already imagine how I can turn this into a fun activity to do with kids.

So, sure all these little things are fun, but what is so special about the story you might be asking?  With Hera, O'Connor masterfully chose to focus on two critical parts of Hera's life.  He juxtaposed her life to both Zeus and Heracles (Hercules).  I never really thought of how Hera was in many ways the perfect partner for Zeus (who was no prize of a husband).  She was his equal.  Also, mostly I would have said that she just had it out for Heracles, but O'Connor chose to pull together lesser known stories that when woven together seem to emphasize more the ways that Hera's challenge prepared Heracles to ascend to Olympus.

This is part of O'Connor's brilliance as a storyteller.  The selection of facts/tales that when melded together challenge the reader to see with new eyes.  Will children or teens appreciate it?  Maybe not.  They will likely enjoy O'Connor's humor and wit much more.  However, adult readers will certainly "get it".

Teachers and librarians - Hera: The Goddess And Her Glory is a must have if you loved the previous books.  For those new to the Olympians, you are in for a pleasant surprise.  Also the Olympians are a perfect tie in for fans of Riordan's Percy Jackson Series. 

The Official Olympians Website: http://olympiansrule.com/
Note: Teachers - there are lots of good resources on this      site.

The Official Website for George O'Connor: http://geooco.blogspot.com/

Interview with Pam Allyn, Author & Global Literacy Advocate

I want to take a moment to welcome Pam Allyn, Author and Global Literacy Advocate to Kid Lit Frenzy.  Pam took time from her busy schedule to tell us a little more about LitWorld and how we can promote literacy, too.  Thanks Pam for stopping by and sharing your passion with us.

Can you share with readers how you developed LitWorld and what was one or two things you have learned about Global Literacy that most surprised you?

I visited a school for HIV/AIDS orphans in Kenya to do teacher training work and saw most profoundly how much children themselves so believe in the power of education not only to change their lives but to save them. They are hungry to learn, so hungry. When I came back home, I started to think about how in this new era literacy is going to be the one way every child can open every door for his or her dreams and how we can best make that happen.

I stated LitWorld three years ago to campaign for this dream.  One of the most surprising things I've learned is that while I love schools, they cannot be the only solution. We have to cultivate all families and everyone in the community as literacy leaders too. I think there are going to be lots and lots of ways we can imagine to help all people learn to read and write, whether it's via a mobile phone or by a roving LitWorld Ambassador. Although school was designed to give kids a chance, around the world I too often see kids piling into schools but nothing much is happening there. We cannot rely on schools alone.  I want LitWorld to be about learning to read transformationally.

The other surprising thing I learned is that the numbers of illiterate people worldwide are staggering, even more so than I had ever imagined.  The official number is 774 million, which is huge to begin with, but I have traveled a great deal in these past three years and both here and everywhere I meet hundreds of people who may be able to decode the aplphabet but are still not reading anywhere near what it would take for them to use reading as a powerful force for change in their own lives.  The numbers are unacceptable.  We can change this problem, if we all join together and see this as the Human Rights issue of our time. 

What advice would you give to teachers and librarians who would like to develop joint community literacy initiatives or activities?

I love this; collaboration is the key in this new era.  The internet is powerful but can also be confusing.  Please visit us at Litworld.org and we can help you organize for joint community initiatives.  Our World Read Aloud Day is in its third year and we need your support for that one!

In a day and age of scripted Language Arts programs and high-stakes testing, some teachers and administrators are hesitant to branch out or deviate from what has been given to them. Yet, for many urban schools, improvement in reading scores are still slow. Where would you advise a teacher or school to begin in supplementing required reading programs in order to support children in developing personal reading habits at school and at home?

The main problem is that children are never given an opportunity to actually read and to build stamina, fluency and enjoyment. They are constantly asked to do activities and responses to reading, which does not improve stamina, probably the key and most underdiscussed aspect of a personal reading life. Teachers simply must give kids more time to read in school.  It's actually that simple, truly.  Even ten minutes a day of independent reading levels in books they really love, about topics that matter to them, is going to improve test scores, and best of all, give them the idea that having a reading life matters. 

With decreasing/disappearing funding for school libraries and librarians - and even public libraries - the classroom library is becoming even more essential. What suggestions or tips would you have for a teacher in creating a basic functional classroom library that can grow over time and address the diversity of his/her students?

Invite your students to help you build the library.  Ask them what motivates them as readers and build baskets, bins and on-line resources around those passions.  Also, I co-authored a book The Great Eight (Scholastic) that has tons of really cool photos of classroom libraries.  These should help in setting up your own!  I believe the classroom library is truly essential and should change over the course of the year to reflect our students as growing readers. Access to powerful texts that inspire us as readers and writers is so crucial.  

For more information about Pam Allyn, check out the following websites -

Her official website: http://pamallyn.com/
Or her LitWorld page: http://litworld.org/
Or her LitLife page: http://litlifeinfo.com/

Friend her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pamallyn

Follow her on Twitter: @pamallyn

From July 1-7, 2011, you also have a chance to win a copy of Pam Allyn's Best Books for Boys. For details, click here.

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday - When Life Gives You O.J.

Author: Erica Perl
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers (June 14, 2011)
Audience: Ages 8 to 11 years old
Source:  Personal Copy
Realistic Fiction * Family Realtionships * Middle Grade

Description from GoodReads:

For years, 10-year-old Zelly Fried has tried to convince her parents to let her have a dog. After all, practically everyone in Vermont owns a dog, and it sure could go a long way helping Zelly fit in since moving there from Brooklyn. But when her eccentric grandfather Ace hatches a ridiculous plan involving a "practice dog" named OJ, Zelly's not so sure how far she's willing to go to win a dog of her own. Is Ace's plan so crazy it just might work . . . or is it just plain crazy?

Erica S. Perl weaves an affectionate and hilarious tale that captures the enduring bond between grandparents and grandchildren.  Even when they're driving each other nuts.

If anyone tells you that middle grade fiction is just silly or filled with a lot of fluff, hand them a copy of When Life Gives You O.J. by Erica Perl.  Prior to reading this book, I was most familiar with Perl's picture books, especially her Chicken Butt series.  It doesn't take much to know that if you put chicken & butt in the same title you will likely get something hysterical.  So, though I didn't know much about When Life Gives You OJ, one look at the title and cover gave me the idea that maybe I was in for more of Perl's humor.  And humor, I did get.  But I got much, much more than humor.   


Zelly is a 10 year old transplant to Vermont.  Due to life circumstances, Zelly and her family have moved from Brooklyn to Vermont to share a home with her grandfather, Ace.  Right from the beginning, you get to meet Zelly's eccentric grandfather who prefers to be called Ace and who chooses to call Zelly - Kid.  From a crazy note secured to an empty OJ container with a rubber band, you discover something about Ace and Zelly.  Ace knows that Zelly wants a dog more than anything.  His plan - have Zelly show that she is ready for the responsibility of taking care of a dog by practicing on a "practice dog" which just happens to be in the shape of a plastic orange juice jug.  Will the plan work or will Zelly just die of utter embarrassment?  

Just this part of the story alone, would have made for a hilarious read.  However, this really isn't a dog book.  Behind this quirky, fun cover, Perl has disguised this amazingly rich and insightful story about family dynamics and a relationship between a child and a grandparent.  There is definitely an aspect of humor to Perl's story, but if that is all you walk away with, then you haven't really read the book.

Right from the beginning, I appreciated that Perl worked to capture the awkwardness of leaving everything behind for a new and radically different place.  (Just to note - It is true - you could have lived your entire life in Vermont but if you weren't born there you aren't a native.)  This aspect of childhood (moving and fitting in) is one that many children can relate to and Perl connects with her readers with both humor and insight.  The struggle with making friends, dealing with the class bully, having a friend go away to camp while you stay behind, the arrival of another new-comer (this time a boy) are all significant milestones in the development of the majority of school-age children.  

On top of this, there are all kind of family dynamics at play that most children face at some point in their life.  What happens after the loss of one grandparent (who just happened to be your favorite)? Or what insight do you learn about your own parent when you learn about her own relationship with her father? 


In some ways, there are truly deep concepts going on in this small book which makes it powerful in its own way and one that should be shared with as many children as possible.  When I finished reading Perl's book, I immediately knew that this would be on my read-aloud list for the 2011-2012 school year and would be one of the book I recommend widely.  

If you haven't heard of When Life Gives You OJ, definitely check it out. It just may end up on one of your lists.  

Check out the official book trailer for When Life Gives You O.J.:

For more information about Erica Perl, check out her website: http://www.ericaperl.com/ 

You can find her on twitter: @ericaperl 

Or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erica.perl

Hot Off The Press! New Picture Books (14)

This is a feature that I try to do weekly called Hot Off The Press! based on my visits to Vroman's Bookstore and checking out their wall of new picture books.  Here are the 5 new releases that stood out from the pile this week:

Jonathan And The Big Blue Boat
Author/Illustrator: Philip Christian Stead
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press (June 7, 2011)
Audience: Ages 4 to 7

According to Jonathan's parents, he has become to old for his stuffed friend.  Jonathan discovers a boat and a way to search for Fredrick.  He meets a goat, an elephant, and a whale along the way.  His journey eventually leads him to a beautiful understanding and a special ending.  Some books are unique and beautiful and powerful both in text and illustrations.  As I read through this book, and savored the story and pictures, I knew I was holding something special in my hands.  If this doesn't get on some award lists, I will certainly be shocked.

Below is the book trailer for this book.  Happy Watching!

Prudence Wants A Pet
Author:  Cathleen Daly
Illustrator: Stephen Michael King
Publisher: Roaring Brooks Press (June 21, 2011)
Audience: Ages 4 to 7

Prudence wants a pet.  Her parents have reasons why they don't want to get her one.  Prudence doesn't let this discourage her.  She finds a branch, and then a twig, and then various other objects that she attempts to turn into a faithful pet.  Even her baby brother isn't safe from becoming a potential pet.  I nearly fell out of my chair in a fit of a laughter when Prudence feeds him grass.  I smiled, I chuckled, and I just plain enjoyed this one.  A feel good story with a fun ending that is perfect for any child who is looking for a special pet.  

A Good Knight's Rest
Author: Shelley Moore Thomas

Illustrator: Jennifer Plecas
Publisher: Dutton Juvenille (June 9, 2011)
Audience: Ages 4 to 7

Parents planning to set out on a vacation trip in the car with their young ones might want to read this for fun.  The Good Knight sets off seeking a vacation of rest and relaxation which is waylaid when 3 young dragons join in.  It isn't long before there are choruses of "Are we there yet?" and "I need to go."  The Good Knight does the right thing until at one point he just can't take it any more and his young friends realize it is their turn to do the right thing.  Lots of chuckles in this one.  A good summertime picture book.

Detective Blue
Author: Steve Metzger

Illustrator: Tedd Arnold
Publisher: Orchard Books (July 1, 2011)
Audience: Ages 4 to 7

Little Boy Blue has grown up and is now Detective Blue.  His assignment - to find Miss Muffet.  All of your favorite Nursery Rhyme characters are grown up and make an appearance in this film noir style twist on some classic stories.  Adults can have fun helping young children make a connection between the characters and their original stories.  Tedd Arnold's illustrations add just the right touch to this book.

Who's There?
Author: Carole Schaefer
Illustrator: Pierr Morgan
Publisher: Viking Juvenile (June 9, 2011)
Audience: Ages 4 to 7

There comes a time when every child seems to have a moment of fear about going to bed.  In this version, little rabbit wonders what is making the bumps and thumps outside his door.  His active and creative imagination comes alive with Morgan's illustrations.  Of course, in the end there is a perfectly good reason for all that scary noise.  A fun addition to the "bedtime fear" category.

UNEARTHLY Giveaway Winner!

The winner of Unearthly by Cynthia Hand (chosen by a random number generator) is:

KAYLIE B.!!

Congratulations, Kaylie! We've contacted you about details on receiving your copy. Thanks to everyone who entered. There will be other giveaways and contests on the blog, so look out for those.