The Monsters in Myth series makes a convincing bid for entry onto crowded mythology shelves by focusing on the pantheon of beasties in place of the marquee heroes: gods and goddesses. The text in each is drily straightforward, though peppered with a few dramatic reenactments of choice fracases. Still, the books are thorough and respectful of a number of ancient and modern sources and bend over backward to navigate often contradictory, interlinked legends. The stars of The Sirens are best known from their cameo in The Odyssey, but this book shows that the honey-voiced nymphs' story is a little more complicated and illustrates how much the Mediterranean cultures revered and feared the sea. A number of paintings and photos break up the otherwise text-heavy pages, and copious chapter notes and reading suggestions conclude. This is by no means entry-level stuff, but for kids handy with the basics and ready to delve deeper, these books will be of great use.