Lise Lunge-Larsen

This book has several mini stories popular with the greek and roman mythology. Archilles Heel. The authors use a focus word say archilles heel and define it to be a seemingly small but actually crucial meaning. The authors go on to tell the story behind this great word(s). Another word would be nemesis. They define it and then tell a greek or roman story that goes along with the focus word. Lots of pictures and large words to help with engaging the reader. A great book to have in a teachers libarary for older elementary students. I would not use it with early elementary mostly some of the stories do have some violence in them. In the classroom I might choose a word and make a overhead for it and talk with student about a specific word and then read the story aloud with them. Have them ask question pertaining to when they might have heard the word and not know what it was. I would then offer and guide them to their definition and how it might apply to them.… (more)

This book is about words that we use commonly that have been given to us by Greek myths. This book doesn't have a plot line, but rather it is a collection of myths. It does tell of some interesting myths. For example it tells about Tantalus who fed his children to the Gods. Zeus was so angry he put Tantalus in a pool of water with apple trees around it. Then Tantalus was given a starving hunger and a burning thirst, but every time he went to get a drink the water lowered and every time he tried to get an apple it would rise up so he could never satisfy himself. That is were we get the word "tantalize".

I did like this book for nostalgia reasons mostly. I did like this book because of the fact that it was interesting how some words came from Greek myths. I think the myths they chose were very interesting and how they chose words that we're familiar with. Some of the words include, victory and panic. The myths that they put in the book really kept my attention. I do recommend this book to anyone.… (more)