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After the (unsurprising) conclusion at American Gods Virtual Book Club on Friday where we both had to admit to not finishing the book (to be honest no attendee did either!), we’re going a little fluffy for the summer with New York Times bestselling author Emily Henry’s Beach Read – a greenlight of Jamie B. Golden of The Popcast fame. Yes, it’s a romance, but one about writers and book lovers which are our favorite type of book. SIGN UP HERE to join us on June 18th at 7:30pm Central Time.

Mythology is a nuanced word. According to dictionary.com, “A mythology is a collection of myths or stories about a specific person, culture, religion, or any group with shared beliefs. Most people don’t consider mythology to be entirely true, but they still take it seriously.” Therefore, according to the definition, folklore and fairy tales also are included in mythology. Which makes my statement last week about mythology being the one genre I would confine myself to forever almost a moot point. Because it is a genre with almost infinite possibilities that fit within it. Could Nikki’s shifter romances be based in or become a mythology all on their own…oh yes! But that’s not a discussion for today, today we’re discussing how to bring mythology in its myriad forms to our littles. Please note that this list is not extensive but we wanted to give you options in every age range.

BOARD BOOKS:

Mini Myths – written by Joan Holub, illustrated by Leslie Patricelli – In a series of eight board books, Holub takes characters from Greek mythology and has them learn modern-day life lessons such as “Play Nice, Hercules” where Hercules has to use his strength to put together his sister’s block tower which he knocked down. There’s a synopsis of the original myth at the end of each book. The characters themselves are diverse even if the mythology isn’t.

YOUNG READERS:

Lonely Planet Kids Myths and Legends of the World – Nikki here: I haven’t read this, but my people devoured it when it showed up with their Easter baskets (yes friends, that irony was lost on me until right now).  I discovered Lonely Planet Kids when I was searching my local indie for “dragon” books for my little’s birthday in the fall and found Wild Things.  It was an instant hit, so when the Easter Bunny asked me for bookish advice, I sent him down that rabbit hole (pun very intended) and Myths and Legends of the World is what landed in the indie bag Easter basket.  My people are obsessed with all things fantastical, and what better fantastical influence than diverse myths!  It is important to me that my children know there are many mythologies in the world, not just the Greco-Roman one that feels ingrained in my education. This book is a fantastic addition to our home library, one that’s already been read and reread in the last several weeks.  

D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths – And here you will see a picture of Ashley’s copy of D’Aulaires’. Additionally, there are a D’Aulaires’ Book of Norse Myths and D’Aulaires’ Book of Trolls. First printed in 1962, the Book of Greek Myths was written by a wife and husband team and it has inspired generations of mythology nuts, including Alexandra Bracken, author of Lore, as she mentions the book in her acknowledgements. (We tell you not to sleep on the author’s notes!) Ashley got her copy as a textbook at UTC and has kept it for the littles in her life that might come to visit her. The pictures are muted like watercolor, but still detailed and engaging. A super-fun read-aloud for bedtime.

MIDDLE GRADE AND UP:

And here, dear readers, I’m going to be very ‘lazy’ and just state, for the record, and in our own opinion that Rick Riordan of Percy Jackson fame has the monopoly on modern mythological retellings. Yes, there’s Edith Hamilton’s Mythology or even Bulfinch’s Mythology but they are not very entertaining to say the least. But, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention them at least in passing. Riordan, however, takes the myths and makes them entertaining and brings them into the 21st Century. And, it’s not just Greek and Roman mythology, it’s also ancient Egyptian in the Kane Chronicles and Norse with Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard. I read these as an adult and I’m here for anything else he publishes. I also find they are exceptionally good on audiobook, having listened to some of The Heroes of Olympus series on long, somewhat lonely road trips.

BUT THAT’S NOT ALL!

Riordan, as part of  Disney-Hyperion publishing, has an imprint called Rick Riordan Presents. There’s no better explanation of Riordan’s intentions for the imprint than his words from the website:

Our goal is to publish great middle grade authors from underrepresented cultures and backgrounds, to let them tell their own stories inspired by the mythology and folklore of their own heritage. Over the years, I’ve gotten many questions from my fans about whether I might write about various world mythologies, but in most cases I knew I wasn’t the best person to write those books. Much better, I thought, to use my experience and my platform at Disney to put the spotlight on other great writers who are actually from those cultures and know the mythologies better than I do. Let them tell their own stories, and I would do whatever I could to help those books find a wide audience!

So, who are these authors and what are the stories? Here’s a short list, but you can find the entire list on the link above.

Roshani Chokshi – The Pandava Series – Hindu Mythology

J. C. Cervantes – The Storm Runner Trilogy – Mayan and Aztec Mythology

Yoon Ha Lee – Dragon Pearl – sci-fi adventure with underpinnings of Korean mythology

Tehlor Kay Mejia – Paola Santiago and the River of Tears – Mexican folklore

Sarwat Chadda – City of the Plague God – Mesopotamian mythology

Rebecca Roanhorse – Race to the Sun – Navajo mythology

And, this September, the imprint will be releasing a collection of short stories featuring the heroes and heroines from the imprint…and one new hero! Pre-Order The Cursed Carnival and Other Calamities, which features ten middle grade authors in what Riordan calls a “trip through the multiverse mansion.” I’m personally excited for the adventures to unfold. Later this month we’ll be sharing the story of Tristan Strong.

Did you have favorite mythological books as a young reader?

~Ashley

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