April 1, 2013
Gr 3-6-The book picks up where Zeus and the Thunderbolt of Doom (2012) left off, with Zeus, Hera, and Poseidon heading for the sea to find a mysterious trident while the Cronies, Cronus's band of henchmen, continue to pursue the young Olympians. As they face many dangers, including the Sirens and the titan Oceanus, Poseidon comes into his own, discovering the power he has at his disposal. Throughout, full-page cartoon drawings depict exciting scenes, such as the Sirens rising out of the sea. However, while the victory belongs to Poseidon this time around, Zeus maintains the main point of view, and his quests to learn about his history, and about the secrets his new friends are keeping, are central. Those secrets, of course, will be obvious to any reader familiar with Greek myths, as many kids are sure to be, but Zeus's struggle here is genuine. Like its predecessor, this book is funny and fast paced, and focuses on characters kids will be interested in, including the newest Olympian to join the team, Hades. His story is up next, and it seems clear that the series will continue to entertain as Zeus collects more Olympians, learns more about his true identity, and explores ancient Greece.-Heather Talty, formerly at Columbia Grammar & Preparatory School, New York City
Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
July 1, 2013
Sara's ability to see ghosts is developing in unexpected ways in these sixth and seventh books: she fights off a selfish ghost's unwelcome gift of mind-reading (Giving Up), and she uses a new power of reading objects' history to solve long-running mysteries (Secrets). Sara's friendship troubles and everyday life in seaside Stellamar round out these intriguing, nicely constructed middle-grade ghost stories.
(Copyright 2013 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)