Jason and the Gorgon's Blood (Young Heroes) - Hardcover

Jane Yolen is one of the acknowledged masters of fantasy today. She is the author of more than two hundred books for children and adults. Her young adult novel The Devil's Arhtmetic won the Jewish Book Council Award. Her children's book Owl Moon, illustrated by John Schoenherr, was awarded the Caldecott Medal; her fantasy novels Sister Light, Sister Dark and White Jenna were both short-listed for the Nebula; and she's won the Nebula twice for short stories. She has also won the World Fantasy Award, the Christopher Medal twice, and the Golden Kite Award. She has written two previous books in the Young Heroes series with Robert J. Harris, Odysseus in the Serpent Maze and Hippolyta and the Curse of the Amazons. Jane Yolen lives with her husband in western Massachusetts and St. Andrews, Scotland.

Grade 4-6--Jason (of the Argonauts) is a famous hero and his later exploits may be familiar to readers. This, though, is the story of his life as a boy--one that Yolen and Harris have imagined, based on other Greek tales. Jason and his fellow apprentices are catapulted into a dangerous quest when the evil centaur Nessus steals the Gorgon's blood from their mentor, Chiron. Just before they leave on their adventure, Jason learns that he is the son of the rightful king--but so does the son of the imposter king; this little bit of information is the source of tension and intrigue. There is plenty of action to keep mythology enthusiasts happy, and the band of angry and violent centaurs and attacks by hungry harpies could convert new fans to the genre. This entry in the series does not disappoint, though the themes that heroes are made when they are young and that strength of character is all-important are a bit more heavy-handed in this title than in others. Still, these messages do not get in the way of a fine story.--Angela J. Reynolds, Washington County Cooperative Library Services, Hillsboro, OR
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