What This Book Is About
Young Zeus has one big problem: every time he sneezes or loses his temper, lightning comes out of him. His parents, Kronos and Rhea, cannot fix it, so they send him to Eureka, a camp where little gods go to learn how to control their powers.
At camp Zeus has a hard time in class and makes friends with Athena and Hermes. It is worth being clear about what this book is not: it is not a retelling of Greek myth. The Olympians are simply used as children in an original camp story, written by A.I. Newton and illustrated by Anjan Sarkar, and it is the first book in the Little Olympians series.
Available at Popular bookstores, Kinokuniya, and the Singapore National Library.
Why UWC Chose This Book
The Olympians turn up all over the literature, art and language students meet later, and this book is a friendly first acquaintance with the names. It does not do the work of a myth collection, because the myths are not in it, but a child who meets Zeus, Athena and Hermes here will recognise them when they come round again.
What the story is actually about is having something about yourself that keeps going off at the wrong moment, and having to learn to manage it. Zeus is sent away to work on exactly that, finds it hard, and is not the best in the class. In a school where every child is handling something new, that is an easy theme to talk about.
Reading Level Guide
Building reading foundations? Start with picture books and simple labeled stories.
Perfect difficulty. Engaging stories with simple vocabulary for early readers.
An easy, quick read at A2. Great for building reading speed and confidence.
Other UWC Recommended Books for This Grade
Not sure if this book is right for your child? Take our free English assessment to find their CEFR level, then choose books that match.