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10 Books to hook your kids on mythology
Iβm a big fan of mythology.Β When I was in high school my English teacher deferred to me as more knowledgeable.Β Which threw me a little, but I guess it wasnβt her area of expertise, or she was trying to lift my self esteem.Β Then in college I wrote one of my term papers on Hathor and the Egyptian pantheon.
When I told Jeff I was going to write about this, he looked at me and said, βIs that one of our goals now?βΒ I donβt think he appreciated the βWell, duhβ look I gave him.Β It probably was not the best way to handle your husband.Β So, without further ado 10 books to hook your kids on mythology:
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Percy Jackson series
This is the obvious one, but if you want to hook your kids on Greek mythology and get them started on this life long obsession I mean fascination, this is a great place to start: Percy Jackson and the Olympians Hardcover Boxed Set (Percy Jackson & the Olympians) (I have the hardbacks AND a copy on my Nook)
Heroes of Olympus
This is the second Percy Jackson series, but I put it in a separate category because it deals with the Roman side of mythology.Β Besides, it gives me another reason to talk about one of my favorite authors, this series is not complete yet: The Lost Hero , The Son of Neptune , The Mark of Athena , The House of Hades (fan girl SQUEEEEEEE, itβs coming out in October!).
Kane Chronicles
Welcome to the insanity of Egyptian mythology.Β To me, Egyptian mythology is kind of like that crazy uncle you see at family reunions, you always get a kick out of them.Β If you want a TV show to hook your kid on, Stargate SG-1 (first season was on Showtime, so you have to be careful with that, besides 1st season is not all that great, but after thatβ¦.).Β Iβve got most of this one on Nook, but the first one or two I have in hardback: The Kane Chronicles Hardcover Boxed Set (in case you canβt tell, Iβm a sucker for boxed sets).
This is a fun introduction to Norse mythology.Β David comes home to his relatives for holidays and when he is mad at them accidentally releases Luke.Β The rest of the week is spent with Lukeβs strange relatives coming to try and catch Luke.Β I love the subtle references to Norse mythology (which I am the least familiar with of European mythos).
As you will very shortly figure out Iβm a big fan of Dianna Wynne Jones and own almost every single one of her books.Β Theyβre hard to find in stores, so I scour Half Price Books for them and this is one of her lesser works, but itβs a great introduction to the stories behind the constellations and the names of our stars.
This is the closest to straight mythology that Iβll get.Β Itβs an adaptation of a Norse legend, and itβs hilarious.Β Especially if you listen to the audio book, the voices are wonderful.
Now, Iβve drawn a blank, so Iβm going to traipse upstairs and peruse my shelves for further ideas.
Okay, now Iβve wandered the shelves, found a few dozen books I want to reread, and gotten distracted by other topics.
The Chronicles of Prydain Boxed Set
This gets you into British mythology, specifically Welsh (itβs been a few years since I read the series, so I may be misremembering).Β If youβre looking for a great adventures, then this series is for you, and it covers many of the big themes in this mythos and terms.Β I have yet to find a great book that covers British mythology beyond these books and other novelizations, any of my British readers know of some for Welsh/Irish/Scot mythology? (yes I know those are each very separate and distinct)
The Merlin Conspiracy and Taliesin (The Pendragon Cycle, Book 1)
These are both books about the Arthurian legends.Β Merlin Conspiracy is by Dianna Wynne Jones and is for middle school, it turns the whole idea and takes a twist.Β Taliesin is book 1 in a 6 book series, and it draws in some Greek mythology (Atlantis and a few other things) and is for high school age for length and some of the content.Β But, if you want your kids hooked on the Arthurian legends, this is the place to start.Β Okay, itβs one of them, you could also show them The Sword in the Stone, but thatβs a movieβ¦β¦..
Islands in the Sky (Voyage of the Basset, No. 1)
This is the start of a book series aimed at 4th grade reading level, Iβd approximate.Β It has a hodge podge of mythologies, mostly Greek, but thereβs a few others thrown in.Β Sadly, they didnβt finish off this series, so thereβs only a few books in it, but I very much enjoyed what we have so far.
I was sure Jane Yolen was going to have something for this category, but it looks like sheβs focused on retellings of fairy tales, which is completely another post for a different day.Β Thatβs another 2 shelves of my bookshelf.Β And while looking I found about 5 more books I want to buy.Β My poor wallet.
Oh wait, she has a βYoung Merlinβ series, which I havenβt read yet, and a young King Arthur, another one I havenβt read yet.Β Now to check my next author, Margaret Mahy.
A fun stand alone, because every now and then you donβt want all of the books you read to be series.Β The main character is homeschooled (score), and invents games for her cousins to play.Β They go all over the βhouseβ (which you find out more about its magical properties) and during that time interact with different mythologies (primarily European).
Well, thatβs around 10, as long as you count each series as one bookβ¦β¦β¦.Β I donβt really know of any novel length books for the American or Asian mythos.Β I know of several picture books, but that wasnβt the focus for this post.Β If you know of some add them in the links and maybe Iβll write a follow on post to this one.
For the next 10 Weeks I will be joining with many other fabulous ladies to create 10 in 10, 10 different lists and ideas for the next 10 weeks.Β I am really looking forward to some of these topics to see what everyone else comes up with.Β Come join us with your own interpretation of the 10 in 10. Β Also hooking up with Many Little Blessings.
Comments
15 responses to “10 Books to hook your kids on mythology”
Sam just acquainted me with Percy Jackson series. I will have to check out your other suggestions. We both might like them, too.
I’m sure you will. You’ll probably get hooked on Dianna Wynne Jones like I did.
Great list, Ticia! I will be pinning this to reference as needed π We LOVE both the Percy Jackson and the Heroes of Olympus series. We are almost done with The Mark of Athena on audio and will be waiting anxiously for the next one to come out! We listened to Thor’s Wedding Day on your recommendation a while back π
Well, if Amazon is correct the next one is due out in October……. I can tell you I will be holing myself up in my room and reading it straight through. The kids can fend for themselves π
I’m glad you enjoyed Thor’s Wedding Day! It’s one of our favorites.
What a great idea for a post! When I taught public school, I had many students who LOVED Percy Jackson…and I have yet to read one. Thanks for the list – so I can use some for my girls!
Oh gosh, you need to get those books and read them. They got me going back and rereading some of the Greek myths. Another one that will get you doing that is Tam Lin, it’s a novelization, I think by Pamela Dean, but that one gets me wanting to read the Iliad and the Odyssey, and I hate poetry. It also gets me wanting to take Greek………
I’ll go see if I can put it on hold at my library. Thanks! π
This is a seriously good list of books! I’m bookmarking this for when we revisit ancient times. Brilliant!
If you’re still doing anything with Vikings, you can steal some of them now.
As I was writing this list, I was amused at how many of my favorites authors are Brits.
Great list of books! We need to hook up as friends on our Nooks so we can lend each other books! I have read the first 3 series on your post! I added a few to my wish list on paperback swap!
I just started on the Lost Hero – Rick Riordan certainly knows how to spin a good tale. I have to look into other books when daughter is older. Right now she deemed the first book in Percy series too scary.
That doesn’t surprise me she thought it was too scary, I’m debating when I’ll share it with my kids. I’m thinking wait another year or so……. They’ll be as disappointed with the movie as I was.
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