Have a Hot Time, Hades! (Myth-O-Mania Series #1)

by Kate McMullan, Denis Zilber (Illustrator)

Overview

Think you know the real story behind the Greek myths? Think again. Most people only know what Zeus wants them to. But the truth is, Zeus is a total myth-o-maniac. Hades, King of the Underworld, is here to set the record straight on how he ended up as Ruler of the Underworld and Zeus became King of the Gods.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781434246783
Publisher:	Capstone Press
Publication date:	03/01/2012
Series:	Myth-O-Mania Series , #1
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	176
File size:	4 MB
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

About the Author

Kate McMullan is the author of the chapter book series Dragon Slayers' Academy as well as easy-readers featuring Fluffy, the Classroom Guinea Pig. She and her illustrator husband, Jim McMullan, have created several award-winning picture books, including I STINK!, I'M DIRTY!, and I'M BIG! Her latest work is SCHOOL! Adventures at Harvey N. Trouble Elementary in collaboration with the famed New Yorker cartoonist George Booth. Kate and Jim live in Sag Harbor, NY, with two bulldogs and a mews named George.

Editorial Reviews

McMullan (I Stink!) presents a playful take on fractured Greek myths in this first installment of the Myth-O-Mania series. Narrator Hades accuses his younger brother, Zeus, of being a "myth-o-maniac (That's old-Greek-speak for `liar.')" and here "[sets] the record straight." He explains how he and Zeus, along with their siblings Hera, Poseidon, Hestia and Demeter, move into the Mount Olympus palace of their Titan father and "Ruler of the Universe," Cronus, whom they presumed dead. But when Cronus and his warriors storm the mount to regain control, the young gods challenge them to a series of games the prize: Mount Olympus. With the help of their uncles (including the Cyclopes) the crew defeats Cronus to win the Olympic games. Hades characterizes Zeus as dimwitted and cowardly (and even less athletic). Other fun twists abound: Hades describes how he plots to usurp a "Bucket o'Bolts" from the lava-spitting monster, Typhon, which comes into Zeus's possession hence the legendary thunderbolts that Zeus hurls from the heavens. How does Hades end up, well, you know? The siblings play a game of poker to determine the new CEO (Chairgod of Everybody on Olympus), Zeus cheats to claim the title, and Hades then proclaims himself Ruler of the Underworld. McMullan's pun-filled narrative brims with clever myths of her own and sheds wry light on classic lore; and there's more the second episode, Phone Home, Persephone! is due out simultaneously. Ages 8-12. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

Gr 4-7-Beginning with sibling rivalry in the stomach of Cronus and concluding with Hades's one-way trip to the underworld, McMullan describes all sorts of adventures among the quirky pantheon. Full of puns and other wordplay, the narrative romps along as Hades tells a self-centered "true" story of how the gods and goddesses came to take their roles. As with any parody, full enjoyment requires a basic understanding of the traditional tales. This book, the first in a proposed series, could be a boon to teachers seeking to enliven the study of myths.-Pat Leach, Lincoln City Libraries, NE Copyright 2003 Cahners Business Information.

School Library Journal

"Mythology" becomes "Mirthology" in this hilariously revisionist account of the war between the Greek gods and the Titans. Outraged by the version of events promulgated by his boastful little brother Zeus in The Big Fat Book of Greek Myths, Hades enlists a (what else?) ghost writer to help set the record straight. True, Sky Daddy Cronus did eat his children Hades, Hera, Demeter, and Poseidon, but it was their mother Rhea, not Zeus, who supplied the herbs that made Cronus finally barf them up. Similarly, when the gods needed help against Team Titan in the Olympic Games' climactic kickstone match, it was Hades who not only sprung allies from an underworld jail, but saved the day again when mighty Typhon attacked. And how did Zeus repay the debt? By cheating Hades out of Rulership of the Universe in a crooked poker game. Is it any wonder that Hades took a gig in the Underworld-"It's my job to make sure that the ghosts of those who were good in life get to go to an eternal rock concert. . . . The ghosts of the not so good? They have to wander around, trying to memorize an endless list of really hard spelling words. And the ghosts of the wicked? You don't want to know"-to escape all of his squabbling sibs? The disgruntled deity promises more exposés (" 'I think I'll call it Phone Home, Persephone!' ") to come. The sooner the better. (Fiction. 10-13)

Kirkus Reviews

Is everything we ever learned about Greek mythology wrong? According to Hades, it is! In this hilarious adventure of the "Myth-O-Mania" series, Hades, Ruler of the Underworld, attempts to set the record straight. He relates how his younger brother Zeus made himself appear as the great and powerful Ruler of the Universe. In this first-person narrative, Hades tells the story of his siblings as they were born, grew to rebel against the Titans, and set themselves upon Olympus. According to Hades, Zeus only became the Ruler of the Universe because he cheated at a game of poker. Young readers will enjoy hearing the stories from Hades' perspective and comparing his version to the more traditional ones. While his stories are highly exaggerated against Zeus, readers will still learn much about the classical gods and goddesses of Ancient Greece. A glossary and easy reference to the Greek myths is provided as well as questions for discussion and topics for writing assignments. Readers will not only want to read other books in this series, but will perhaps become curious to research and find the real story for themselves. Reviewer: Shirley Nelson

Children's Literature - Shirley Nelson