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[CCBC-Net] Second 2 weeks: New Mythologies: Novels Based on Mythsand Tales
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From: James Elliott <libraryjim>
Date: Mon, 20 Oct 2008 11:28:33 -0400 (EDT)
Just a few thoughts, not in any format other than rambling:
Although not strictly children's books, Piers Anthony's "Incarnations of Immortality" series did try to explore the awareness of what would happen if modern (and not so modern) average persons were called upon to take up the roles of such immortals as death, war, nature, etc. Of course it got criticism for daring to suggest that "God" was one of those 'offices' that were up for grabs. Anthony, being an atheist, of course shrugged those off. Suitable for teens.
Jane Yolen (hi, Jane!) and others have done a good job with updating fairy tales for today's readers ("Briar Rose").
And of course, Stan Lee and Marvel Comics has taken Norse mythology and created the super-hero "THOR" who lives in Asgaard with his father Odin. Several years ago (has it been THAT long?) Marvel took readers through a Marvel-ized retelling of the G?tterd?mmerung (or "the twilight of the gods") with Thor taking a pivotal role. (I think it's been collected in a graphic novel format). Stan-the-man says of Thor:
"I decided readers were already pretty familiar with the Greek and Roman gods. It might be fun to delve into the old Norse legends .... I pictured Norse gods looking like Vikings of old, with the flowing beards, horned helmets, and battle clubs."
Morgan Llewelyn tried to bring Irish myths into novel form with her "Elementals" and Arcana series (interestingly, the Silverhand myth of the "Arcana" was also taken up by Stephen Lawhead in a best-selling trilogy), and in a graphic novel: "Ireland, a graphic history" (although this was a history-anthology, not focused on myth, which only occupied a small part of the work).
Jim Elliott North Florida, USA
"Libraries allow children to ask questions about the world and find the answers. And the wonderful thing is that once a child learns to use a library, the doors to learning are always open ... every child in America should have access to a well-stocked school or community library"
--Laura Bush, First Lady of the United States
----- Original Message ----- From: DAJ <daj9999 at yahoo.com> To: ccbc-net at ccbc.ad.education.wisc.edu Sent: Sun, 19 Oct 2008 22:19:45 -0400 (EDT) Subject: Re: [CCBC-Net] Second 2 weeks: New Mythologies: Novels Based on Mythsand Tales
Although not strictly about classic myths, two books I found interesting were Turner's _The Thief_ and Catherine Fisher's _The Oracle Betrayed_. Both try to capture a world view in which myths are part of everyday life (or, in Fisher's case, in which those who've been assigned to serve a deity occupy a separate, sacred space), even though neither is connected with an actual historical culture. I wish there were more along those lines -- even (especially?) historical fiction. (Didn't Elizabeth Speare say she wrote _The Bronze Bow_ to try to give a sense of everyday life during the time of the apostles? Are there any similarly strong titles covering early Greece?)
And do mythologies other than Greek and Roman receive much attention in classrooms and/or library programs? I know there was a beautiful 3-picture-book series on Gilgamesh and that the d'Aulaires' book about Norse Myths was recently reissued, but still don't hear much about novels (or picture books) drawing on sources like those (Farmer's _Sea of Trolls_ being the notable exception). Or am I just overlooking them?
DAJ
19th-Century Girls Series - http://www.readseries.com
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Received on Mon 20 Oct 2008 10:28:33 AM CDT
Date: Mon, 20 Oct 2008 11:28:33 -0400 (EDT)
Just a few thoughts, not in any format other than rambling:
Although not strictly children's books, Piers Anthony's "Incarnations of Immortality" series did try to explore the awareness of what would happen if modern (and not so modern) average persons were called upon to take up the roles of such immortals as death, war, nature, etc. Of course it got criticism for daring to suggest that "God" was one of those 'offices' that were up for grabs. Anthony, being an atheist, of course shrugged those off. Suitable for teens.
Jane Yolen (hi, Jane!) and others have done a good job with updating fairy tales for today's readers ("Briar Rose").
And of course, Stan Lee and Marvel Comics has taken Norse mythology and created the super-hero "THOR" who lives in Asgaard with his father Odin. Several years ago (has it been THAT long?) Marvel took readers through a Marvel-ized retelling of the G?tterd?mmerung (or "the twilight of the gods") with Thor taking a pivotal role. (I think it's been collected in a graphic novel format). Stan-the-man says of Thor:
"I decided readers were already pretty familiar with the Greek and Roman gods. It might be fun to delve into the old Norse legends .... I pictured Norse gods looking like Vikings of old, with the flowing beards, horned helmets, and battle clubs."
Morgan Llewelyn tried to bring Irish myths into novel form with her "Elementals" and Arcana series (interestingly, the Silverhand myth of the "Arcana" was also taken up by Stephen Lawhead in a best-selling trilogy), and in a graphic novel: "Ireland, a graphic history" (although this was a history-anthology, not focused on myth, which only occupied a small part of the work).
Jim Elliott North Florida, USA
"Libraries allow children to ask questions about the world and find the answers. And the wonderful thing is that once a child learns to use a library, the doors to learning are always open ... every child in America should have access to a well-stocked school or community library"
--Laura Bush, First Lady of the United States
----- Original Message ----- From: DAJ <daj9999 at yahoo.com> To: ccbc-net at ccbc.ad.education.wisc.edu Sent: Sun, 19 Oct 2008 22:19:45 -0400 (EDT) Subject: Re: [CCBC-Net] Second 2 weeks: New Mythologies: Novels Based on Mythsand Tales
Although not strictly about classic myths, two books I found interesting were Turner's _The Thief_ and Catherine Fisher's _The Oracle Betrayed_. Both try to capture a world view in which myths are part of everyday life (or, in Fisher's case, in which those who've been assigned to serve a deity occupy a separate, sacred space), even though neither is connected with an actual historical culture. I wish there were more along those lines -- even (especially?) historical fiction. (Didn't Elizabeth Speare say she wrote _The Bronze Bow_ to try to give a sense of everyday life during the time of the apostles? Are there any similarly strong titles covering early Greece?)
And do mythologies other than Greek and Roman receive much attention in classrooms and/or library programs? I know there was a beautiful 3-picture-book series on Gilgamesh and that the d'Aulaires' book about Norse Myths was recently reissued, but still don't hear much about novels (or picture books) drawing on sources like those (Farmer's _Sea of Trolls_ being the notable exception). Or am I just overlooking them?
DAJ
19th-Century Girls Series - http://www.readseries.com
__________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com
_______________________________________________ CCBC-Net mailing list CCBC-Net at ccbc.education.wisc.edu Visit this link to read archives or to unsubscribe... http://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/mailman/listinfo/ccbc-net
Received on Mon 20 Oct 2008 10:28:33 AM CDT
