Athena: The Grey-Eyed Goddes

With two Greek sons and a closet full of memories of Greece and Greek islands and temples, I'm inclined to give the middle-school graphic novel Athena: Grey-Eyed Goddess (Olympians) a thumbs up for the cover alone. I didn't get to it until late because both kids took it independently and read it, which is another plus. They've read a bunch of the other Cybils, but usually I'm offering. Sometimes pushing. This one they grabbed on their own.

And I see why. George O'Connor's pictures are bright and vivid, with several stories centered around Athena's aegis. I hadn't heard of Athena's mother, Metis, and I wonder where that part came from (Zeus ate her, that's how Athena was born inside him). Then the story of the name Pallas Athena, and stories of war and battle and craftsmanship. The appendixes recommend further reading and discuss the origins of the myths, and the family tree in the front helped keep all the family connections straight. A

Comments from my peanut gallery:
P: It was aimed at middle school but was still good for fourth graders like me. Good for boys and girls. Made you want to finish it.
X: Recommended.  Good for kids from 8-12, both boys and girls.  Greek mythology is good stuff.