Review: Gifts from the Gods: Ancient Words & Wisdom from Greek & Roman Mythology by Lise Lunge-Larsen

Gifts from the Gods: Ancient Words & Wisdom from Greek & Roman Mythology by Lise Lunge-Larsen.

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Publication Date: October 2011
List Price: $18.99
ISBN-13: 9780547152295

Review: "How dare you shame the gods?" That's what the mortals in ancient Rome and Greece were often told by a god after a foolish thing that they had done. They can never escape from the gods and after they die, they are punished forever. The book, Gifts from the Gods by Lise Lunge Larsen is about words that we use in the present, but originated from ancient Greeks and ancient Romans. It takes the word, tells its definition, uses it in a sentence and then, tells the story of where the word came from. These stories involve the gods and usually a mortal who is foolish and does something they regret.

Gifts from the Gods is a really interesting book about Greek and Roman mythology. I like this book because of the way the author explains the stories and because I really like anything with Greek and Roman mythology. The book is educational, yet fun to read. I also like the book because it is simple, yet complicated. It tells the stories of heroes, gods and mortals. Readers are kept on the edge of their seats wondering what they will do next. The gods could punish the mortals or take pity on them. The hero might successfully battle or might be killed in the fight. The mortal could make a very wise decision or make the most ridiculous decision ever. The book always kept me guessing. It has taught me so many myths and words. I also loved hearing how alert some gods were, while other gods hardly noticed what happened. Some gods were mighty and all powerful, but some were often overlooked. It was intriguing to see how different the gods were from one another. My favorite goddess is Athena, the goddess of wisdom, war strategy and weaving. But the stories are not the only things I liked. The pictures are absolutely amazing. They almost seemed to move! At the end of every story, there is a short section that includes information about the story to help it make more sense.

Gifts from the Gods is a book that you should definitely read if you like mythology. It is a captivating book that I couldn't put down. Literally, I finished the book in a day. The author did an amazing job with this book, and it would satisfy anyone who is looking for a thrilling book. I recommend Gifts from the Gods to anybody, especially if they are interested in mythology. Lise Lunge-Larsen is a really creative author who did an astounding job writing this book. I give it five stars because that's exactly what this book deserves. It kept me hooked, amazed, entranced, etc. This should be read by many people, and I hope that happens. Gifts from the Gods will most definitely catch a reader's eye.

Review written by Abigail (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for providing a copy of Gifts from the Gods: Ancient Words & Wisdom from Greek & Roman Mythology for this review.

Have you read Gifts from the Gods: Ancient Words & Wisdom from Greek & Roman Mythology? How would you rate it?