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Joan Holub , Craig Phillips , Suzanne Williams

Hephaestus and the Island of Terror (Heroes in Training, 10)

YEAR: 2015

COUNTRY: United States of America

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Title of the work

Hephaestus and the Island of Terror (Heroes in Training, 10)

Country of the First Edition

Country/countries of popularity

Worldwide

Original Language

English

First Edition Date

2015

First Edition Details

Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams, Hephaestus and the Island of Terror (Heroes in Training, 10). New York: Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division, Aladdin Press, 2015, 106 pp.

ISBN

9781481435093 (paperback)

Genre

Action and adventure fiction
Alternative histories (Fiction)
Bildungsromans (Coming-of-age fiction)
Humor
Illustrated works
Mythological fiction
Novels

Target Audience

Children (Older children, 8–14 years old)

Cover

Missing cover

We are still trying to obtain permission for posting the original cover.


Author of the Entry:

Ayelet Peer, Bar-Ilan University, ayelet.peer@gmail.com 

Peer-reviewer of the Entry:

Lisa Maurice, Bar-Ilan University, lisa.maurice@biu.ac.il

Daniel A. Nkemleke, University of Yaoundé 1, nkemlekedan@yahoo.com 

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Title of the work

Hephaestus and the Island of Terror (Heroes in Training, 10)

Country of the First Edition

Country/countries of popularity

Worldwide

Original Language

English

First Edition Date

2015

First Edition Details

Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams, Hephaestus and the Island of Terror (Heroes in Training, 10). New York: Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division, Aladdin Press, 2015, 106 pp.

ISBN

9781481435093 (paperback)

Genre

Action and adventure fiction
Alternative histories (Fiction)
Bildungsromans (Coming-of-age fiction)
Humor
Illustrated works
Mythological fiction
Novels

Target Audience

Children (Older children, 8–14 years old)

Cover

Missing cover

We are still trying to obtain permission for posting the original cover.


Author of the Entry:

Ayelet Peer, Bar-Ilan University, ayelet.peer@gmail.com 

Peer-reviewer of the Entry:

Lisa Maurice, Bar-Ilan University, lisa.maurice@biu.ac.il

Daniel A. Nkemleke, University of Yaoundé 1, nkemlekedan@yahoo.com 

Photo courtesy of Joan Holub.

Joan Holub (Author)

Joan Holub is a prolific children's author from the USA. Graduated from college in Texas with a fine arts degree. Worked as an art director at Scholastic trade books in New York. She has written and/or illustrated over 150 children's books. She has developed a range of series for teenagers on mythological themes: Goddess Girls, set in Mount Olympus Academy, Grimmtastic Tales series, set in Grimm Academy, Thunder Girls, about Norse gods set in Asgard Academy, and Heroes in Training, in which the male Greek gods, as very young men, set out on a range of adventures. For pre-school children, Jan Holub has written on a range of topics including several works with religious and historical themes. These include: This Little President; This Little Trailblazer, Hooray for St. Patrick’s Day!, and Light the Candles: A Hanukkah Lift-the-Flap Book. Joan Holub trained in fine art and worked as an art director at a graphic design company before becoming a children's illustrator and then author.

 

Sources:

Official website (accessed: July 2, 2018).

Profile at the penguinrandomhouse.com (accessed: July 2, 2018).

Profile at the simonandschuster.com (accessed: July 2, 2018).



Bio prepared by Sonya Nevin, University of Roehampton, sonya.nevin@roehampton.ac.uk and Allison Rosenblum, Bar-Ilan University, allie.rose89@gmail.com and Ayelet Peer, Bar-Ilan University, ayelet.peer@gmail.com


Male portrait

Craig Phillips (Illustrator)

Phillips is an Australian award winning illustrator who works with various publishers, including Random House, Simon & Schuster, Penguin, Scholastic, Bloomsbury, Egmont, Hardie Grant, and many more. As a child he was inspired by mythology and cartoons, and fantasy novels such as the Hobbit and Conan the Barbarian. He is still fascinated by the cartoons, comics, novels and stories that he enjoyed as a child and tries to capture that feeling in his work. His comics have been serialised in children’s literary magazines and were collected and published as Giants, Trolls, Witches, Beasts: Ten Tales from the Deep, Dark Woods in 2017 by Allen and Unwin. He lives in New Zealand.


Source:

Official website (accessed: October 12, 2018).



Bio prepared by Ayelet Peer, Bar-Ilan University, ayelet.peer@gmail.com


Courtesy of the Author from her personal website.

Suzanne Williams (Author)

Suzanne Williams is an American prolific children's author and former elementary school librarian. She has written over 60 books for children.

She grew up in Oregon and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in sociology and a master’s in library science from the University of Oregon. She currently lives in Reno, Washington.


Source: 

Official website (accessed: May 29, 2018).

 


Bio prepared by Ayelet Peer, Bar-Ilan University, ayelet.peer@gmail.com


Summary

This is the tenth book in the Heroes in Training series (see entry about Zeus and the Thunderbolt of Doom (Heroes in Training, 10)). The Olympians are headed to Lemnos to find Artemis’ bows and arrows. On the deserted island they encounter another Olympian, Hephaestus, who presents himself as the ruler of the island due to his many mechanical inventions. Hephaestus is haughty and a braggart, and quickly challenges Zeus for the leadership of the Olympians. The Olympians must fight the islanders, named Sintians, who are also equipped with Hephaestus’ metal tools, in order to escape.

Analysis

Zeus is presented as often doubting himself, worried that he is not a good leader for the group. He is very insecure, and not sure his friends accept him as their leader , as well as afraid he might lose control over his anger or make bad decisions. This makes him a character with whom the reader can identify, since many young people face such doubts regarding their place among their peers.

When the boastful Hephaestus immediately declares himself as the new leader of the Olympians and doubts Zeus, consequently, Zeus’ insecurities grow. This rivalry could tear the group apart. Zeus does not feel he is respected and supported by the group and he needs to prove himself worthy of their trust. Being a leader is a difficult position and Zeus must first believe in his own abilities if he wishes for the others to accept him. The fact that the Pythia declares he is the leader is not enough; he needs to act like one and prove he is the true leader. Not by force, but by acquiring the trust and support of his friends. This is the most difficult task he must face, harder even than fighting Cronus.


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