Deities, humans, and creatures from Greek mythology appear throughout the Heroes of Olympus series and the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. Here, demigod Percy takes time out from his exciting, but surely exhausting, adventures to present a more organized introduction to Greek mythology d 12 major gods and goddesses, in particular. The age-old stories are endlessly strong, resonant, and surprising, while the telling here is fresh, irreverent, and amusing. Percy's voice, along with the many pop-culture references, may make this a better fit for the fiction shelves than the library's mythology section, but readers will still come away with new knowledge about the deities. Weighing in at over four pounds, this hefty volume is also a tall, handsome one, with fine paper, richly colorful full-page and spot pictures, and simple, attractive borders on pages of text. John Rocco, who wrote and illustrated the Caldecott Honor Book Blackout (2011) and contributed the jacket art for Riordan's Heroes of Olympus and Red Pyramid series, illustrates the myths with drama, verve, and clarity. A must-have addition to the Percy Jackson canon.

Narrated by Percy Jackson himself, this collection includes both well-known Greek myths as well as more obscure stories. The depth of coverage of the gods and goddesses is impressive, but Percy's jokey tone and general snarkiness may put off more serious readers. Dramatic full-page and spot illustrations help break up this hefty volume. Reading list, websites. Ind.

Gr 3-7 Riordan takes the classic guide to Greek myths and makes it his own, with an introduction and narration by beloved character Percy Jackson. With 19 chapters, this oversize hardcover includes a variety of stories, from the early tales of Gaea and the Titans to individual tales of gods readers encounter in the "Percy Jackson" series (Hyperion), such as Ares, Apollo, and Dionysus. Percy's irreverent voice is evident from titles such as "Hera Gets a Little Cuckoo," "Zeus Kills Everyone," and "Artemis Unleashes the Death Pig," and the stories are told in his voice with his distinctive perspective ("Another guy who got a special punishment was Sisyphus. With a name like Sissy-Fuss you have to figure the guy had issues&30;"). The format and illustrations are fairly traditional, considering the tone, featuring painterly depictions of the gods and their world. While these are actual tales of Greek mythology, Percy's take adds more color than would be helpful for those working on research projects or reports. The stories do make for fun reading, however, and might work as starting points for schoolwork. This original and wildly entertaining spin on Greek mythology is bound to be popular among fans of the series. Heather Talty, formerly at Columbia Grammar &; Preparatory School, New York City