Greek Myths

DK Readers Level 3

by Deborah Lock

Photographs combine with lively illustrations and engaging, age-appropriate stories in DK Readers, a multilevel reading program guaranteed to capture children's interest while developing their reading skills and general knowledge.

Greek Myths retells some of the most beloved stories from Greek Mythology, from Pandora's Box to the Labors of Heracles.

Genres: History, Mythology, Folklore, Greek Mythology, Childrens, School, Nonfiction

48 pages, Paperback

First published September 29, 2008

Reviews

[Ruth Ellen]

This is a brief explanation of the Greek Gods and some of their children. It is a children's book so does not go into details. It was an enjoyable read.

[Ryan]

Man, those Greeks came up with some crazy stuff!

[Bryant Schumacher]

“Your first task is to kill the lion.” Heracles, one of the strongest heroes of mythology, was half mortal, half god. His father, the mighty Zeus, and his mother, the mortal Hera had conflicting opinions on their son's future. Heracles' father wanted him to become a God when he dies, but his mother was against this. So, Hera agreed that Heracles would only assume a godly status if he were to carry out twelve tasks decided by Heracles' cousin, Eurystheus, who was the king of Mycenae. These tasks, however, were of epic proportions. Would Heracles be able to tackle these heroic acts?

This version of Labor of Heracles comes from a children’s anthology of Greek myths by Deborah Lock. From what I recall from my history classes on Greek mythology, the story doesn’t seem to be changed at all, or softened to be “kid-friendly.” So, all the violence of Heracles shooting arrows into giant serpents and chopping the many heads of Cerberus are all in tact (thank the Heavens, am I right?). This is another old tale, though, where I’m not sure where a moral could be passed along. Perhaps the showing of patience and persistence being the key to success and personal growth? Also, if your father happens to be Zeus, you should probably listen to him. Oh, and if you happen to get the chance to become a God by attacking a three-headed canine demon with a broadsword, take it. I hear that upon the completion of that task, you also get discounted rates for housing on Mount Olympus.

Deborah Lock’s version of Labor of Heracles (within DK Readers: Greek Myths) should work in most k-5 grade classrooms and up.
Target audience: 3 and up.

[Gabriella]

I have always loved Greek mythology so when I saw this book I was thrilled to see that young children could take part in enjoying these wonderful stories of the Greek gods and goddesses. The author does a great job explaining the origin of Greek myths as well as telling some of the most famous stories. The book has both text and pictures that are very informative. I would have liked the stories to be more descriptive than informative but overall I was pleased.

[Krista Mcdowell]

This is a level 3 book, so it has all the punctuation for the harder words. It was a very informative book. The book explained how the Greeks came up with their myths. I like Greek myths so I enjoyed it a lot. I would recommend this book to children who want to learn more about history and Greek mythology.

[Tracy]

This book was well done. The first half of the book outlines where Greek myths come from and the how the Greek gods are related to each other. The second half shares a few of the most popular Greek myths.

This book was better with guided reading than independent reading. Even with easy words, the myths are so outlandish they require some explanation.

[Matthew Mealer]

Very informative book for children. Definitely not something to read aloud to the class but more of an independent read for children interested on the topic. Covers a lot of myths at surface level. Enough to spark children's interest.

[Leah]

Easy reader book that tells the Greek myths. This book talks about the origin of Greek myths and then has a few classic tales in it. It has a lot of information and it has a glossary in the back this easy reader has pages of text.

Recommended age 6-9
Reading Level 2nd- 3rd grade

[Shelli]

A nice little compendium of Greek Myths for elementary age students to read and enjoy. Each of the stories are more of a peek into the full tale and more of an introduction to this crazy family tree.

[Jacquelyn DeWitt]

Foe older students this is great. Very good book to suggest to a student who is into the topic.

[Slow Man]

An interesting introductory book for the topic.

[Maria]

Recount of greek myths. My son read it and loved Hercules.

[Juliet]

The book was well written and had interesting information about the Greeks and where they lived. A little bit wordy, but the pictures were good.