Neil Gaiman is
a beloved and award-winning author who has a new book called NORSE
MYTHOLOGY. In it, he provides a retelling of numerous myths, explaining
the Norse Gods and sharing their stories, whether it be about Thor’s hammer,
Loki’s mischievousness or Odin's ravens. Gaiman clearly loves his subject and
the characters involved, encouraging his readers "to read the stories in this
book, then make them your own."
And, in case you missed it,
here is Gaiman’s talk about books, reading and libraries which was delivered in
2013 for The Reading Agency, a British charity encouraging reading and literacy:
Gaiman says, “Words are more important
than they ever were…. People who cannot understand each other cannot exchange
ideas.” For more reflection on his talk, visit Maria Popova’s “Brain Pickings” blog. She
highlights Gaiman’s comment: “Truth is not in what happens but in what it tells
us about who we are. Fiction is the lie that tells the truth, after all.” NORSE MYTHOLOGY received starred
reviews from both Booklist and Kirkus.
If you are looking for another more modern “myth” to read,
please note that the third book in the Undertow Trilogy was also
published this past week. Written by
Michael Buckley and titled HEART OF THE STORM, this sci-fi novel
completes an entertaining and compelling story about bigotry and assimilation. A
few years ago, I could not stop reading Undertow,
and have definitely been recommending this trilogy to our students (who were a
bit disappointed in the second book, Raging Sea). This third book is
written in alternating time periods which causes a bit of confusion, but
definitely moves quickly as new characters join the adventures with the Alien
Prince Fathom and half-human Lyric. HEART OF THE STORM is filled
with monsters and a fight for survival, a fitting end to this romantic fantasy
series for Hunger Games fans.
