Description:
Grade 7 Up-In each of these titles, 10 myths of an ancient culture are presented on double-page spreads with text on one page and a color reproduction of a work of art on the facing page. A second spread offers information about an aspect of ancient culture related to the myth. For example, an explanation of the Aztec calendar follows "The Five Suns," "Orpheus and Eurydice" is followed by an essay on death and the Eleusinian Mysteries, and an entry about Bacchus is accompanied by information on food and drink in ancient Rome. Each secondary essay is illustrated with three or four small color illustrations that include maps, photos of ruins and artifacts, and reproductions of sculptures or other artistic expressions from the culture. The table of contents includes only the names of the myths, but the contents of the secondary essays are included in the index. (Note: the series has a major printing error-the table of contents for Greece appears in Rome and vice versa.) Although there are numerous collections of Greek and Roman myths suitable for this audience, this series is unique in its inclusion of information about each ancient culture between the retellings. The volume of Pre-Columbian American myths will be especially welcome in libraries where demand for myths of the Aztecs, Incas, and Mayas is high, since there are far fewer books available on this subject.
Ginny Gustin, Sonoma County Library System, Santa Rosa, CA.
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