All cultures have their legends of heroes and the greatest in Western culture is Hercules. His twelve labors were considered so impossible that any extremely difficult task is now described as herculean. However, the myth of Hercules is as much a tale of tragedy as it is of triumph, making it more complex than a simple tale of hero defeats villain. His labors are a penance for having murdered his wife and family in a fit of mindless rage. Meted out by the Oracle at Delphi, it is clear that the intent of the punishment was to have him die in the attempt. It is important for children to learn these myths, as they explain a great deal about how the ancients viewed the world and how our understanding of the world has changed over time. Books like this, detailing the labors at the level of children, should be required reading in the early years. While the story is readable and the illustrations well done, there is one serious difficulty with the book.
Zeus and the other gods, creatures such as centaurs and Titans such as Atlas appear in the labors. When my youngest daughter was reading the book, she often stopped and asked questions like, “What’s a centaur?” If I had not been present to answer the questions, her enjoyment of the book and understanding of the tales would have been significantly reduced. It would have been very helpful if a list of the characters in the book with a one sentence description had been included.
Overall, the authors do a good job in telling the greatest myth of antiquity. The illustrations help keep the attention of the reader, but the lack of explanation concerning the other characters does weaken it.

I needed a thorough and traditional re-telling of the Heracles myth to counteract the uneducational effects of Disney's animated film "Hercules". This book fits the bill. Not only is it traditional and thorough, it is fascinating, tasteful, beautifully-illustrated and intellectually-stimulating as well. My 5 year-old enjoyed this book at least as much as the animated movie (and he came away from it with a much more accurate understanding of the myth).

This is a beautifully written book, probably written for children, but totally enjoyable for grown ups.

A book of Narnians is a must-have for all Narnia fans. Pauline Baynes's illustrations put all the Narnians right in your hands. Even though the map in the back is not completely accurate, (I'm very picky) the references and drawings, along with short summaries of the characters are wonderful to have. Though nothing is as fantastic to read as the Chronicles, this is a well written easy read book for all those who want a deeper view of the Narnians and their world. Keep it close by while reading the Chronicles, so you can "zoom in" on the characters and their personalities!

This book is big people theology in little people terms.

forbidden doors just isnt what it used to be. when i read the gaurdian a year ago i thought it was so cool, but now its changed drastically. the curse wasnt suspenceful or scary. the characters come across as wooden and dont act like normal teenagers.not to mention, the climax was entirely copied off the gaurdian!
im an advanced reader and i was very disappointed with this book. i used to love reading about ryan and becca and their adventures. but this book reminded me of the goosebumps books i used to like. if you like real thrillers, stay away from this book.

This is the coolest book!... I love it. It really honors God and it teached you about things that happen every day. Things that you might not think could ever happen to you, but they could. This is a great book if you are a teen or a pre-teen. I'm 13, and I think that this series rules!...

I am 10 years old and Bill Myers is really good. I recemend Forbidden Doors to any advanced reader or any teenager who likes books.

The Tales Of king Arthur is a great book. It is a action paked book. It gives from the begging of King Arthurs life to the end. It is one of the best books I'v ever read. It has great details. The book also has storys of the voyages of his men. It even has the story of the Round Table. The chapters are divided exactly the why they should be. They are very percice. They tell some storys that arn't ever told. It is a book that talks mainly about the Folk hero. Also about how he helps the U.K. come back to life. I would highly recomend that childern from the ages of 10 to 14 should read this book. Specily if you like a book that is action paked. This is one of the best books I'v ever read and I would think that you would also like this Book. Tales of king Arthur.

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Ulysses is great fun. It takes a bit more work to read than most books, just as it takes a bit more work to play tennis than it does to play catch. You shouldn't feel compelled to put the work in, any more than you should feel compelled to learn an unusually difficult sport. But people who do put the work in and who have a good time doing it shouldn't be made to feel guilty about it either. It's a pleasure to follow the interweaving lines of the Sirens chapter, for instance, and anyone who does it will see that the chapter is alive in a way that almost nothing else is in literature. Joyce is a terrific comic writer and a terrific creator of vivid, complicated characters. But he requires the reader to put in some extra effort to enjoy how good he is, and I can't blame anyone who gives up after a few pages and refuses to go any further. On the other hand, I've noticed that people who don't like Joyce's approach seem to want to attack people who do. This is silly. Again, it's like hating people for playing basketball just because you prefer skateboarding. Both the Joyce lovers and the Joyce haters should lighten up a bit.

There is not a book out there that is more frustrating than James Joyce's Ulysses...unless, of course, it is Joyce's Finnegan's Wake. The problem lies in the fact that this novel is such an amazing piece of art that the reader can feel like Joyce forgot all about him. It is almost impossible to read by oneself with it's seemingly garbled maze of words and phrases and madness. However, this is what makes it such a joy to read. Imagine that an author decided to do away with any and all rules concerning fiction and to write a book that was it's own entity, showing you what it wanted to show you, telling you what it wanted to tell you and acting like its own character. This is what Joyce has accomplished with Ulysses. I was fortunate enough to read this book in a class, four months of nothing but Ulysses, and I have to warn would be readers that I don't think I would have made it through without expert guidance. I would advise anyone wishing to tackle this literary giant to gather some book loving friends, and a guidebook or two for Ulysses, and to take it very slowly. Read a chapter a week and then meet up with you group to discuss and puzzle out what you have just read. I am willing to bet that your weekly conversations will be a greater work of art than any book out there, and I think that Joyce would have liked that, would have enjoyed sparking debates and conversation, its probably the main reason why anyone creates anything; for it to be enjoyed and shared. The story line is simple, you have two main characters, Stephen Dedalus, the brilliant but alienated loner. You have Leopold Bloom, a simple man who is as alienated as Stephen, but not for his mind, for his cultural background and meek manner. The entire book takes place over the course of one day in Dublin, and after the first three chapters the entire book simply follows Bloom around during a day when he knows that his wife is having a romantic meeting with her lover. It is hard to sum up such a giant book in a few sentences like this, but basically Bloom is trying to set his life back on track, trying to reconcile himself with his wife's betrayal, and trying to reach out to Stephen who he feels could use a loving family. Of course, you could read this book and not find any of what I am saying in there, but the beauty of Ulysses is that I would love to hear what it is that you found in this novel as much as I would love sharing what I found.

If you approach Joyce's Ulysses looking to be told a story worthy of the Modern Library's #1 book of the 20th Century, then you will most likely be disappointed. But if you throw aside your expectations of what makes a book great and just read the words as you would the people, places, sights and sounds that trigger your thoughts during the course of a normal day, then you will be amazed.

In Ulysses, James Joyce uses his superhuman vocabulary and literary knowledge to relate a day in the life of a couple Irishmen (Stephen Dedalus and his friend, Leopold Bloom) and the people with whom they interact. Joyce's words are abnormally sophisticated, yet one never gets the feeling he is simply showing off. While his writing style is often referred to as stream-of-consciousness, it is clear that every word is appropriately placed and deeply thought out. As Ulysses meanders along through its day, the objects that enter the periphery of the protagonists triggers emotions and thoughts that lead to: poems, songs, theological and political discussions, laughing, shouting, incoherent noises, etc. The novel ranges from sublime to aggravating, but that is only because it is so true to its form. How many times in a normal day, if we were to stop and ruminate upon what we were just thinking, would we then think, "What was that?" But then it's quickly on to the next interaction destined to spark different emotions, thoughts, ideas, etc...

It is impossible to sum this book up. It follows no plot or pattern other than that it is simply 1 day. A few people... 1 day.

Reading this book reminded me at times of the Simpsons episode where Homer is seen watching an episode of David Lynch's Twin Peaks. "Brilliant!" Homer remarks, but then quietly to himself, "I have no idea what is going on here." While I often found myself in Homer's predicament while reading Ulysses, I was always able to appreciate Joyce's writing, even if the individual words were all I understood. For that reason, I plan on reading this book again several years from now to see what life has taught me that might expand my understanding of Joyce's beautiful day.

Although normally I thrive on Bill Myers books this one didn't hold the same interest as the others usually do. It was an interesting plot but the ending wasn't quite right. Although as a Christian, I support the belief that prayer and faith can get you through anything, the story simply didn't appeal to me.

The Forbidden Doors series has been one I normally enjoy. However, it usually incorporates things a little more realistic than fighting off vampires in Transylvania. This book is very basic as vampire stories go. There's no intense suspense or drama, except for very near the end. It's on an easy reading level, but I doubt it would appeal to the 9-12 age range.

I disagree with many parts of Bill Meyers's work. His constant stressing that only Christians can be trusted becomes radical. Christians are never bad guys in his books, and I dislike the prejudice.

It's worth checking out, but I'd recommend Buffy the Vampire Slayer or the Fearless series over Forbidden Doors.

This was a great book! I loved all the stories in this series,but this story is the one most likely to happen.