Of related interest, Scholastic is announcing a new line of non-fiction books about the ancient Greek gods, goddesses, and myths. Or, to use Vice President Kyle Good’s words, “Mt. Olympus meets new media in a new book series from Scholastic.”
The new book series, titled MythlopediaTM, is being created “to entice even the most digitally obsessed students to explore the world of Greek mythology.” The books will be aimed at children in grades 5-9, and “put a unique, 21st-Century twist on the stories of Greek gods and goddesses. Titles in the series—Oh My Gods (gods), She’s All That (goddesses), What a Beast (beasts), and All in the Family (heroes and mortals)—include LOL profiles of the featured characters similar in layout to popular social networking profile pages, online messaging-like front matter, personality quizzes relating to the members of the Greek pantheon, and engaging, original illustrations. At the same time, the books are rich with non-fiction content, vivid images of art and antiquities, and the accessible, reliable information parents and educators expect from Scholastic.”
Jackie Carter, Scholastic’s Publisher of Non-Fiction Books, said “Getting kids interested in reading is more challenging than ever as books are competing against things like video games, iPods, and cell phones. If we want every child to love non-fiction, we need to rethink the way we present it. Mythlopedia makes educational content fun and exciting for even the most digital of kids.”
Good also offered these “Top 5 reasons why Mythlopedia will knock your toga off:
1) On one easy-to-navigate page, you’ll find information on Aphrodite’s family, flings, her “top-ten” list, and her divine powers.
2) Football-style play-by-play brings to life the epic clash between the Titans and the Olympians. (If you picked the Titans, you lost!)
3) Take a guided tour of Hades’s Underworld and the undersea world of Poseidon. (Beware of monsters!)
4) Fan the gods (on Facebook)! Zeus, Apollo, and Hera.
5) Learn everything you need to know about Greek mythology for reports, tests, and papers—and have fun!
The first book, Oh My Gods!, is now available.