Myth Adventures

by Kevin Coolidge



"Without a knowledge of mythology much of the elegant literature of our own language cannot be understood and appreciated." -- Thomas Bulfinch

The hard seat of the desk presses into my butt. My back itches. I want to scratch. I need to stretch. The hands of the clock aren’t moving. I have to go to the bathroom. There’s an incessant buzzing sound. It’s a fly. Suzie’s hair has gotten longer. X equals five!

Miss Lamia scornfully tells me to raise my hand before blurting out an answer. I’m told to stay after class, again. I’m writing on the chalkboard, “I will not blurt out the answer before raising my hand,” for the 78th time, when an odd smell invades the air, a mixture of sulfur and dirt. I spin around and Miss Lamia is coiled on the desk, her eyes glowing red, a scaled tail poking out of her long white skirt…

We’ve all had teachers who were monsters, but not like the creatures Percy Jackson must face. Percy is having problems. He’s about to be kicked out of boarding school…again, and lately mythological beings and the Gods of Mount Olympus seem to be emerging from his Greek mythology textbook, and into his life. And even worse, he’s angered quite a few of them. Welcome to the world of Percy Jackson & the Olympians.

Percy Jackson & the Olympians is a series of young adult fantasy adventure books authored by Rick Riordan. The series consists of five books, The Lightning Thief, The Sea of Monsters, The Titan’s Curse, The Battle of the Labyrinth, and The Last Olympian. The main protagonist, Percy, discovers that he is a demigod, a son of Poseidon, Greek god of the sea and earthquakes, and the mortal woman, Sally Jackson.

He learns that the legendary beings in Greek myths really exist, as well as the Olympians (Greek Gods) and that Olympus is now situated on the mythical 600th floor of the Empire State building. Percy finds himself frequently plagued by monsters, as he meets other young “half-bloods”, both friendly and hostile. He’s the center of a prophecy that could change the balance of power. He embarks on several quests, discovers powers, explores the Greek mythos, saves his friends, tangle with the gods, and saves Mount Olympus.

Percy, like most demigods, has dyslexia, because his brain is wired to read ancient Greek instead of modern languages, and he’s been diagnosed with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, which is actually a heightened alertness that keeps demigods primed for battle. This was inspired by the author’s son, who had recently been diagnosed with both ADHD and dyslexia. His son had been studying Greek mythology in school, and asked his father to create bedtime stories using characters from mythology, and thus Percy Jackson sprang to existence from Riordan’s head.

I’ve been interested in Greek mythology since Junior High, and I was looking forward to reading the Lightning Thief, first book in the series. Instead of just enjoying the first book and writing a review, I found myself jumping into the next three books of the series, and will soon finish The Last Olympian. I found the series to be a fun, entertaining introduction to Greek mythology for grade levels 6th through 8th, without being intimidating or overbearing.

The Greek myths, from the epic struggle of the Trojan War to the wanderings of Odysseus, form the foundation of Western literature. Greek mythology has exerted an extensive influence on the culture, arts and literature of Western civilization and remains part of Western heritage and language. With a better understanding of these myths, we gain a better understanding of ourselves.

Does your vorpal sword go snicker-snack? Or does it just snicker? Email me at frommyshelf@epix.net. Miss a past column? Consult the oracle at http://frommyshelf.blogspot.com If you want to be the hero of your own story, you may have to write it. Hobo did just that in “Hobo Finds A Home” about a kitten’s heroic journey into the unknown.