Hopscotch: Medusa stone by Ian Trevaskis
Walker Books, 2009. ISBN 9781921529115.
(Age 10+) Hannah and Jake steal an enchanted stone and a
vellum from Kostas the Greek and find themselves in the middle of a
frightening
game played by the Greek gods. They draw a hopscotch pattern and follow
the
instructions on the vellum:
Cast your stone upon the square,
Leap and dance across the air.
At the end a door awaits,
Be prepared to meet the Fates.
The book opens with an exciting and bloodthirsty scene where
Hannah witnesses the soldiers coming out of the wooden horse at Troy.
Hannah is
an intrepid heroine who uses her wits and determination to overcome all
the
odds. Separated from Jake, she is determined to find him and meets many
of the
legendary Greek characters as she carries out her quest from Kostas to
'bring
back the winds of Aeolus, the winged sandals of Hermes and the coin
from under
the corpse's tongue.' Pg80. Jake is also
an engaging character, more thoughtful than Hannah. The Greek heroes
they meet
on the way are well rounded characters who bring the old legends to
life.Leap and dance across the air.
At the end a door awaits,
Be prepared to meet the Fates.
Complete with appendices at the back with Authors notes about Ancient Greek myths, Glossary with words explained and Notes about Ancient Greece, this book would be an exciting introduction to Greek myths and could lead the reader on to discover more about these wonderful stories.
Pat Pledger