Persephone the Phony (Goddess Girls Series #2) »

Joan Holub is the award-winning author of more than eighty

books for children. She lives in Seattle, Washington.

Suzanne Williams has written several picture books, including Library Lil, Mommy Doesn't Know My Name, and My Dog Never Says Please. She is also the author of the Princess Power and Fairy Blossoms series. Suzanne Williams lives in Renton, Washington.

AS PERSEPHONE'S MOTHER ENCOURAGES HER to do, she often "goes along to get along" instead of doing what she really wants. But when she meets Mount Olympus Academy bad-boy Hades, she finally feels she has found someone with whom she can be herself. He's the first person who actually listens to her, and she finds herself liking him, despite the fact that the other goddessgirls think he's bad news. But if he makes her feel so special -- and so comfortable -- can he really be all that bad?

Authors Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams put a modern spin on classic myths with the Goddess Girls series. Follow the ins and outs of divine social life at Mount Olympus Academy, where the most privileged godboys and goddessgirls in the Greek pantheon hone their mythical skills.

School Library Journal

Gr 3–6—Holub and Williams take readers into the world of the preteen goddesses at Mount Olympus Academy, which is staffed by the likes of Mr. Cyclops and the principal, Zeus. In the first book, 12-year-old Athena's life changes when a papyrus scroll blows into her window informing her that she's Zeus's daughter and must attend Mount Olympus Academy with the other "godboys" and "goddessgirls." At first she's doubtful she can balance school, a social life, and extracurricular activities; however, Athena proves her intellect by ending the Trojan War in Hero-ology, winning the invention fair, and thwarting mean-girl Medusa. In the second title, Persephone is a self-proclaimed phony. She's overly agreeable and conforms to the opinions and pressures of others. While escaping to Earth to get some peace, she wanders into a graveyard and begins a relationship with Hades, the misunderstood outcast. In the end, she learns that true friends will like you even if you express differing opinions. On top of Mount Olympus, the authors intertwine an enchanting mythological world with middle-school woes compounded by life as a deity or blessed mortal. The books should be popular with fans of girly, light fantasy. Be ready to refer readers to solid books on Greek mythology for further reading.—Adrienne L. Strock, Maricopa County Library District, AZ