Joan Holub

When a flock of angry birds threaten Zeus and his fellow Olympians, they need the help of a new friend--assuming the stranger is actually a friend After a horrible drought, Zeus and his fellow Olympians are determined to help restore the land as they try to figure out their current mission, to find a special shield called an aegis. Thanks to some grateful villagers, who benefit from the rain and crops that the young Olympians magically create, they find the armor they need. But they are suddenly swarmed by birds--thousands of killer, scary birds. And when a mysterious boy appears in the chaos, it looks like he might be more connected to the Olympians than they think. Is he friend...or foe?

Odysseus tackles a monstrous challenge in this beautifully illustrated Level 3 Ready-to-Read retelling of the Cyclops myth, from Goddess Girls author Joan Holub On their way home to Greece after fighting in the Trojan War, Odysseus and his army are shipwrecked on an island--where Cyclops the one-eyed monster lives Cyclops traps Odysseus and his men and threatens to eat them one by one. Can Odysseus come up with a clever plan to outsmart the people-eater and return his men to safety? This Level 3 Ready-to-Read retelling of the story of Odysseus and Cyclops is an ideal introduction to mythology for beginning readers.

The goddess girls of Mount Olympus Academy want a fair chance to compete in the Olympics--and boys only is NOT fair It's time for the annual Olympic Games, and the girls at MOA are not pleased--because the Olympics are for boys only Led by Artemis, Athena, Persphone, and Aphrodite, the ladies of Mount Olympus hatch a plan to get Zeus to open up the games to everyone. Will they succeed--or end up watching from the sidelines?

Twice the quests means twice the adventure for Zeus and his fellow Olympians. After battling fireball-throwing Titans, the young Olympians find themselves on a double quest: Not only must they find more Olympians that Cronus has swallowed, but they're also in search of magic seeds that will help rejuvenate the earth after the terrible drought that plagued the lands, thanks to Hyperion. But a wind-throwing giant named Typhon has other ideas. Can the Heroes in Training withstand the storms that are coming their way?

Meet Cassandra, the newest student at Mount Olympus Academy She has an amazing talent--but will her new friends believe her? This Goddess Girls story is based on the myth of Cassandra, who has the gift of seeing the future--except no one believes her. Can Apollo, the god of prophecy, help his new crush?

Twice the quests means twice the adventure for Zeus and his fellow Olympians. After battling fireball-throwing Titans, the young Olympians find themselves on a double quest: Not only must they find more Olympians that Cronus has swallowed, but they're also in search of magic seeds that will help rejuvenate the earth after the terrible drought that plagued the lands, thanks to Hyperion. But a wind-throwing giant named Typhon has other ideas. Can the Heroes in Training withstand the storms that are coming their way?

Medusa hopes immortality will put an end to her mean girl status--but her plan for popularity is unfavorably flawed. All Medusa wants is to be more like her two sisters and the other kids in her class: immortal. As the only mortal at Mount Olympus Academy, Medusa is sick and tired of being surrounded by beautiful, powerful, immortal classmates. It isn't easy making friends, especially when you have snakes for hair and a reputation for being mean. Immortality, she thinks, will solve everything. So when Medusa finds out about a necklace that promises just that, she's sure it will help her get the two things she covets most: to be as popular as the four Goddess Girls, and to have her supercrush, Poseidon, finally notice her. But when the necklace brings about popularity in the totally wrong way, things go from bad to worse. Can Medusa overcome her "meanie" status and prove that there's more to her that meets the eye?

Once upon a time in pencil school, a teacher named Mrs. 2 told her class, 'Today we're going to write a story!' 'Yippee!' said the birthday pencil. 'Slammin?!' said the basketball pencil. 'Sharp!' said Little Red. So begins a hilarious re-telling of Little Red Riding Hood, in which a brave little red pencil finds her way through the many perils of story composition, faces a ravenous pencil sharpener (the Wolf 3000), and saves the day. This smart, entertaining book combines a lot of silly jokes with a satisfying story and an insightful exploration of children's writing process.

The action heats up for Zeus and his fellow Olympians in this blazing Heroes in Training tale. Phew, it's hot Under the titan Hyperion's rule, the sun is burning even brighter than normal and scorching everything in northern Greece--including the villagers The Olympians are forced to play a sizzling "game" of Dodge the Sunbursts as Hyperion hurls giant fireballs that could fry them to pieces Armed with some clues, Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades set out to figure out why in the world Hyperion has been making things so hot. They also need to rescue Hera, who is still missing. Battling the extreme heat--and some fantastical and scary creatures, courtesy of their old foe Cronus--the boys are off on another epic adventure...and Zeus is one step closer to discovering his destiny.

Mortal rock star Orpheus steals the spotlight in this Goddess Girls tale of love and lyres Orpheus is a mortal rock god, and the girls at Mount Olympus Academy are wild about him With his lyre and singing voice, Orpheus can charm pretty much anything--even things like stones and trees. But Hades and the other MOA boys aren't charmed. In fact, they are less than thrilled that the girls are so gaga over this guy. His fans are especially excited about his latest song about the girl he loved and lost, Eurydice. Orpheus was devastated when he lost Eurydice to the Underworld, so he asks Persephone to help get her back. Though it means breaking some very serious Underworld rules, Persephone pushes Hades to return Eurydice to the living world. But restoring Orpheus's one true love might jeopardize Persephone's own chances with her biggest crush...

Mortal rock star Orpheus steals the spotlight in this Goddess Girls tale of love and lyres Orpheus is a mortal rock god, and the girls at Mount Olympus Academy are wild about him With his lyre and singing voice, Orpheus can charm pretty much anything--even things like stones and trees. But Hades and the other MOA boys aren't charmed. In fact, they are less than thrilled that the girls are so gaga over this guy. His fans are especially excited about his latest song about the girl he loved and lost, Eurydice. Orpheus was devastated when he lost Eurydice to the Underworld, so he asks Persephone to help get her back. Though it means breaking some very serious Underworld rules, Persephone pushes Hades to return Eurydice to the living world. But restoring Orpheus's one true love might jeopardize Persephone's own chances with her biggest crush...

Athena uses her wisdom to help out a new kid--who happens to be Hercules--in this Goddess Girls story. When a mortal named Hercules transfers to Mount Olympus Academy, Athena wants to help him fit in. Not only does Hercules need help finding friends and adjusting to life at his new school, but he must also complete twelve "labors" in order to earn a permanent place at the academy--and a shot at achieving immortality. Athena's dad, Principal Zeus, takes an interest in the new kid and asks his daughter to secretly watch out for him as he tries to complete his tasks. It will take all of Athena's famed wisdom to sort out her own problems and help Hercules succeed

Love's a competition in this Goddess Girls tale--and Aphrodite is putting her matchmaking skills to the test After a teeny misunderstanding (okay, so maybe accidentally starting a war isn't exactly teeny), Aphrodite is failing Hero-logy. To raise her grade, she concocts a brilliant plan: an extra credit project for matchmaking mortals called the Lonely Hearts Club. This takes her to Egypt and face-to-face with fierce competition--a goddess named Isis. Now a race is on to see who can find a perfect match for the most annoying mortal boy ever

The Heroes in Training are entering the Underworld--if Hades can conquer his canine fears, that is. The Underworld usually isn't really meant to be a fun place--but tell that to Hades He loves the dark and the stinky smell of sulfur. However, there is one thing that Hades is not a fan of: dogs. And when Zeus and his fellow Olympians encounter Cerberus--a snarling, three-headed dog--Hades must conquer his fears and tame the hound so everyone can continue into the Underworld and deposit their Titan prisoner, Oceanus, back where he belongs But with magical water that causes forgetfulness, hot beds of lava, and another epic battle with two more Titans standing in their way, will Zeus and his heroes make it out of the Underworld with everyone intact?

The Heroes in Training are entering the Underworld--if Hades can conquer his canine fears, that is. The Underworld usually isn't really meant to be a fun place--but tell that to Hades He loves the dark and the stinky smell of sulfur. However, there is one thing that Hades is not a fan of: dogs. And when Zeus and his fellow Olympians encounter Cerberus--a snarling, three-headed dog--Hades must conquer his fears and tame the hound so everyone can continue into the Underworld and deposit their Titan prisoner, Oceanus, back where he belongs But with magical water that causes forgetfulness, hot beds of lava, and another epic battle with two more Titans standing in their way, will Zeus and his heroes make it out of the Underworld with everyone intact?

After giving Athena a makeover, Goddess Girl Aphrodite learns a thing or two about jealousy Aphrodite delights in helping mortals find love, but she is definitely not delighted by the constant attention from the godboys at Mount Olympus Academy. So she comes up with the perfect plan to try and deflect some of that attention: She'll help a fellow goddess girl, Athena, find her very first crush. After giving Athena a fabulous makeover, Aphrodite is suddenly an afterthought as the boys at MOA go gaga for Athena's new look. And Aphrodite is a bit unprepared for just how much attention one of her best friends is now receiving. Can Aphrodite put aside her jealousy and be happy for her friend?

Pandora is quite an inquisitive Goddess Girl--but she could stand to be more cautious. Pandora is one of the few mortals at Mount Olympus Academy--and probably the most curious of all the students in school. Her quizzical nature is famous--not that she thinks there is anything wrong with being curious, of course When a godboy named Epimetheus brings a mysterious and fantastical box to school, Pandora's curiosity is piqued. And when it unexpectedly lands in her lap--literally--she can't help but take a look at what's inside. What could be the harm in that? But little does she know that opening the box will open up more trouble than she thought....

A young Poseidon must triumph over aquatic terrors in this Heroes in Training adventure. The merciless Cronus and his Titan buddies are in hot pursuit of Zeus, Hera, and Poseidon, who plan to travel across the treacherous boiling sea in order to save a fellow Olympian. They have a boat, but they also have a problem: Poseidon can't swim and is terrified of the water (well, really of the creatures that lurk in its depths). The group faces danger after danger as they battle singing sirens, a fishy and ferocious Titan named Oceanus, and people-eating monsters sent by Cronus himself. Can Poseidon overcome his fears and help his fellow heroes escape Cronus and his cronies?

Pandora is quite an inquisitive Goddess Girl--but she could stand to be more cautious. Pandora is one of the few mortals at Mount Olympus Academy--and probably the most curious of all the students in school. Her quizzical nature is famous--not that she thinks there is anything wrong with being curious, of course When a godboy named Epimetheus brings a mysterious and fantastical box to school, Pandora's curiosity is piqued. And when it unexpectedly lands in her lap--literally--she can't help but take a look at what's inside. What could be the harm in that? But little does she know that opening the box will open up more trouble than she thought....