Calliope the Muse

Goddess Girls #20

by Joan Holub, Suzanne Williams

Calliope, the muse of epic poetry, has trouble putting her bright and fun ideas into action in this twentieth Goddess girls adventure!

Genres: Mythology, Fantasy, Middle Grade, Greek Mythology, Fiction, Childrens, Retellings

256 pages, Paperback

First published August 9, 2016

About the author

NY Times bestselling children's book author:
GODDESS GIRLS series + HEROES IN TRAINING series (w Suzanne Williams); THIS LITTLE TRAILBLAZER a Girl Power Primer; ZERO THE HERO; I AM THE SHARK. Lucky to be doing what I love!

Reviews

[✧ hayley (the sugar bowl) ✧ · Rating 3 out of 5]

➳ 3 ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚

honestly just continuing this series for nostalgia at this point 🤭🩰

i enjoyed this one!! these books are so quick and easy and cute and remind me of my childhood. i enjoyed the focus on the muses in this one and i’m glad to be back in this series.

overall a light, fun read and even though i think i enjoyed the og characters more and nostalgia makes me like this series i had a good time and definitely for the younger audience this is aimed for i highly highly recommend, they’re so cute and full of greek mythology 🫶😊


୧ ‧₊˚ 🍓 ⋅ ☆

[Short Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hm. This book felt like the interlude or something.

Review to come.

[Nina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like this

[Abbey Koenig · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It was a good book.

[Hershey!16 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Calliope the Muse is part of the Goddess Girls series by Joan Holub. Calliope is one of the nine Muses of Greek mythology, the inspirations for all the arts. Calliope is new to Mount Olympus Academy and yet has no roommate. She is looking everywhere for a good person to room with her but no one seems right for her. On top of this she has a new project for her Architecture-ology class, to design a building. The problem is (since she is an inspiration) she has so many ideas for her project she can't decide which one to choose. On her search for a roommate and a project idea, Calliope is also trying to prove herself to her sisters and show that she is responsible and not just their baby sister. What I like about this book is that the main character always finds a way to have fun and cheer herself up even when she is stressed and upset.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Calliope has been invited to Mount Olympus Academy because she inspired Homer to epic works. Now she feels like she has much to live up to. What makes it even harder is that she has 8 older sisters who are super talented. Calliope has trouble figuring out what her talent is because she has so many ideas it is hard for her to settle on any one! She has a big project due in Architect-ology class soon and is struggling to find the perfect idea. Calliope is also one of three goddess girls who do not have a roommate at the academy and she really wants to find the right one. Finding the right roommate proves to be as hard as the project! How Calliope finds her own inspiration, gets over her crush on Homer, and finds the perfect roommate, makes for a fun adventure for readers of the Goddess Girls series. Recommended.

[Narariel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this Goddess Girls book quite a bit. The story of a muse trying to find her own inspiration and focus is was well-written and the morals weren't too in-your-face. I also particularly liked that Calliope starts with a crush and the crush comes to an end without her falling for another. I think that the lack of "crushing" adds a good element to the story and bolsters the idea that romance isn't always what makes a girl happy. The story doesn't seem to be an adaptation of a particular myth like some of the Goddess Girls books are. I may re-read this one.

[Kaytee · Rating 5 out of 5]

the book was really funny the part that i liked was when they turned these singers to birds and they liked to copy their singing that was the funny part and i bet you do not get it so you will have to read itbut still the book was good.

[Sascha Broich · Rating 4 out of 5]

Besides that original Calliope was the oldest of the Muses and not the youngest, another nice MOA story.

[Kelly Carey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Calliope can inspire others with ideas; however, she has so many ideas for her own projects that she has trouble narrowing anything down.

[Kara Demetropoulos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Calliope, the muse, is the focus of this Goddess Girl book, as she struggles to find inspiration for an architecture project. I love the way this youth series incorporates real characters from ancient Greece, and their corresponding myths. Homer, author of The Odyssey and The Iliad plays a role in this book, as a 15-year-old blue-haired mortal that Calliope has a crush on. This was another delightful take on classic Greek mythology. Light and breezy, great for young girls.

[Robert Cronin]

My daughter and I have now read 20 of these books together. The first few were a gift from my mother for Christmas a few years ago. These books are perfect for girls her age (9-11). Throughout each book, I have learned Greek Mythology in a fun way. These books are also a good way for me to bring up subjects with her that are valid to a child her age, including, theft, cliques, bullying, friendship, romance, and other topics. We immediately began reading book 21.

[Michelle Tempted By Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very fun once again. I just adore this series.

[Antonia Woodard · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn’t really like Calliope as a character in the story was fine but I didn’t like some of the characters in this book. Overall I thought it was ok.

[Ella · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick, middle grade reads.

[Lira]

Even with all its shortcomings, I'm still pretty fond of this series.

[Birdie]

A cute instalment in the series.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute as always.

[Marcia Van Camp]

Eldest read

[Rachel E. Meyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars. Another fun Goddess Girls book.

[Gloria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Preteen goddessgirl, Calliope, wants to show her sisters that she can take care of herself and doesn't need to be obsessively "mommed." Unfortunately, she doesn't practice for a concert and messes up, waits until the last minute to do her homework, and is so super lonely that she constantly "interviews" potential roommates until she realizes Amphitirite would be an awesome roomie and BFF.

This book was the second I had read of this series, Pandora the Curious being the first. Though that one, too, was a constant "ooo, I/she/he is crushing on so-and-so," it redeemed itself from being hurl-inducing by having a "smart" mystery as its main plotline and a protagonist who wasn't a total ditz.

This book on Calliope starts with a theft that ultimately is so unimportant to the story. And, what a shame, too, because it was the most interesting and exciting part of the book.

The rest is just about crushing on guys who don't even care about you, doing your homework, and wanting a BFF so badly because "she completes you."

I suppose this could be enough for most 8-12 year olds. But, especially after Pandora, I had higher expectations.

For whom? 8+
Issues addressed?
Girls and boys crushing on each other, having a BFF, balancing ideas with action

[Dan Shonka · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book came to me as a Goodreads Giveaway. I have had the pleasure of meeting Joan Holub, and this is my first experience with one of her Goddess Girls books. (She has authored some great board books for your youngest little readers.) Having heard the concept behind the Goddess Girls series, I'd thought it was a great idea. Reading one of the books is even better than I imagined. Ms. Holub and her co-author, Suzanne Williams do a great job of sneaking in all sorts of teaching/learning details. The concept is a middle school, Mount Olympus Academy, attended/staffed by all the Greek mythology characters, immortals and mortals. It's entertaining, and as a series I can imagine getting hooked by the recurring characters that serve as the thread connecting the newly introduced characters, like Calliope in this volume. Calliope's dealing with all the problems the typical middle schooler faces. . . trying to make new friends, dealing with the problem of prioritizing, procrastinating, wanting to be treated more grown up, and struggling with understanding boys, to name a few. It's a great read for early middle grade youngsters. And, Holub & Williams are teaming up to start another series, Grimmtastic Girls starring the characters from the various Grimm Brothers' fairy tales. (As a history teacher I'd like to see these books in every elementary school library.)

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one. Here, Calliope the youngest of the 9 muses, is struggling to balance homework; her unrequited crush on Homer, her sisters' constant nagging and yet the way she misses them terribly without having a roommate at MOA. This one was better than average in that it had more nods to history and mythology to inspire readers to dig into actual history and mythology like the idea that a "Muse-ee-um" was actually sparked by the idea that the Muses would inhabit the Library of Alexandria. Very fun addition to the series.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this edition of the Goddess Girls series, Calliope (the youngest of the Muses) struggles with her gift of inspiration. While she can come up with many ideas to help her friends, she is at a loss as to how to help herself. Teaching young readers the benefits to brain storming down team work, this Goddess Girls story is sure to be a favorite.

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it! i love all the goddess girls books!

[Kongkwan]

I think it was really fun, because it shows things from different perspectives.