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**Before he became the hero of the Trojan War, young Odysseus battled monsters and magic** Young Prince Odysseus longs to be a hero. But when he and his travelling companions are captured on their way home to Ithaca, Odysseus learns that being a hero isn’t always easy. Now Odysseus must fight dastardly pirates, survive the enchanted songs of sirens, slay monsters, and defeat a treacherous king. Worse still, Odysseus has to deal with *girls*: snooty, spoiled Princess Helen of Sparta and her companion, the annoyingly sensible Penelope. Odysseus must use his strength and cleverness to save his friends, and he must sacrifice more than he ever expected to be come the hero he is destined to be. This ebook features personal histories by Jane Yolen and Robert J. Harris including rare images from the authors’ personal collections, as well as a timeline of the Heroic Age and a conversation between the two authors about the making of the series. ** ### From Publishers Weekly The team behind last year's The Queen's Own Fool launches the Young Heroes series with a rollicking adventure starring a 13-year-old Odysseus, prince of Ithaca, who meets his match (and future wife) in Spartan captive Penelope. Drawing on the Iliad, the Odyssey and "what archeologists have told us about the [Greek] civilization," Yolen and Harris imagine the youth's formative quest. No previous knowledge of ancient Greece is necessary, and readers may well be entertained by the fast-paced and sometimes slapstick antics of crafty Odysseus (who develops a crease between his eyebrows when he's "about to come up with an outlandish excuse lie, fib, wile for doing something he'd already decided to do") and his cautious friend, Mentor. Together they do battle with pirates and inadvertently rescue Penelope and her cousin Helen of Troy; form an alliance with Silenus, the amorous satyr; and organize a perilous rescue mission against Ladon, the serpent with 100 heads in Crete's infamous labyrinth. The authors weave in legends, such as Siren and Daedalus, as well as surprising tidbits (e.g., the Greek nobility's illiteracy). The new spin here is that Penelope accompanies Odysseus on his adventures, often acting more heroic than he; by giving this champion a worthy heroine who complements his strengths and even compensates for his weaknesses, the authors may well draw boys and girls in equal numbers and send them clamoring for more Greek myths. Ages 8-12. (Mar.) Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. ### From School Library Journal Grade 4-7-Drawing on scant details of Odysseus's childhood available in Greek mythology, Yolen and Harris have created an adventurous story of the young hero. He is visiting his grandfather, along with his friend Mentor. When it is time to return to Ithaca, the 13-year-olds encounter a storm at sea, which forces them to abandon ship, only to be picked up by pirates who have kidnapped the famed Helen and her cousin Penelope. Odysseus escapes, landing on an island inhabited by a lonely centaur. The pirates land here as well and Odysseus finagles a rescue. The young escapees then end up on Crete, where they are captured and thrown into the Serpent's Maze. The background details of mythology are woven into the tale without overpowering the action, and the setting is deftly created. The young characters are developing the habits and dispositions that will define their roles in future tales. Odysseus is a wanderer, loves adventure, and arrogantly acts without thinking. Helen is self-centered and pampered but finally shows some moral fiber. Penelope is the unsung heroine, guiding Odysseus and remaining faithful to him throughout. Mentor, a lesser-known character, is true as well. The authors have done a fine job of placing this original tale firmly into the Greek literature tradition. For fans of myth, it will be a welcome addition; use it to introduce adventure enthusiasts to mythology as well. *Angela J. Reynolds, Washington County Cooperative Library Services, Aloha, OR * Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.