arrow_upward

Joan Holub , Suzanne Williams

Medusa the Rich (Goddess Girls, 16)

YEAR: 2015

COUNTRY: United States of America

chat Submit error

Cateogry icon

Title of the work

Medusa the Rich (Goddess Girls, 16)

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, Goddess Girls: Medusa the Rich. New York: Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division, Aladdin Press, 2015, 255 pp.

ISBN

9781442488298

Genre

Alternative histories (Fiction)
Bildungsromans (Coming-of-age fiction)
Fiction
Humor
Mythological fiction
Novels
School story*

Target Audience

Children (Older children, 8–12 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

Elizabeth Hale, University of New England, ehale@une.edu.au

Yellow cloud
Leaf pattern
Leaf pattern

Title of the work

Medusa the Rich (Goddess Girls, 16)

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, Goddess Girls: Medusa the Rich. New York: Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division, Aladdin Press, 2015, 255 pp.

ISBN

9781442488298

Genre

Alternative histories (Fiction)
Bildungsromans (Coming-of-age fiction)
Fiction
Humor
Mythological fiction
Novels
School story*

Target Audience

Children (Older children, 8–12 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

Elizabeth Hale, University of New England, ehale@une.edu.au

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


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

In this installment of the Goddess Girls series, Medusa learns the hard way that all that glitters is not gold. Medusa, who needs to be careful not to hurt mortals with her stone gaze, deliberately asks for the golden touch. Medusa is the main heroine of the story and she accompanies Dionysus to his visit to King Midas; then she agrees to take the golden touch from the king, thinking it would resolve her financial problems. In this retelling of the myth, Midas is reluctant to have a golden touch; he is even eagerly encouraged to ask for it by Medusa. Midas is described as a gentle king who only wishes to help his kingdom recover after natural calamities caused by the Titan Typhon. Contrary to his traditional portrayal, he is not greedy, and when his touch turns his beloved roses to gold he quickly renounces the gift. The focus is certainly on Medusa and the lesson she needs to learn about the most important things in life.

Throughout the story we learn more about Medusa’s unhappy home and her escape from her troubles through drawing comics. In the end, Medusa learns that friends are more important than riches, that keeping secrets from your loved ones is difficult and that she can always rely on her friends for help.

Analysis

The girl who can turn mortals to stone acquires also a special ability to turn objects to gold. This dual play on Medusa’s abilities is a recurring theme in the book. This was probably the reason why her character was chosen to play a part in Midas’ touch story. 

Another part of the narrative is dedicated to Medusa’s literary endeavours. We know from the introductory book that Medusa wrote a comic about her life and experiences (dubbing herself “the Queen on Mean”). In this story she wins a literary competition. The importance and therapeutic significance of this comic to her is emphasized; “in her comic-scrolls she could remake the world however she wanted. Which meant she could be an immortal superhero with parents who adored her!” (pp. 6–7). This is of course a heart-breaking statement. Later Medusa admits her mother never hugged her. Throughout the book we see how Medusa copes with an unhappy and unloving home; the reader almost wishes that her ideas about her parents are unjustified, but when they briefly appear, this proves that Medusa is right. Her parents were only interested in her sudden golden touch ability, and still do not really care about her who is constantly being belittled by her sisters. In fact the only ones who show real concern for Medusa are her pet snakes on her head.

There is a strong message in this story; reality is not always pretty and picture-perfect (even on Olympus) and sadly there are families like Medusa’s in which children feel unloved. The book (and every installment which focuses on Medusa) empowers boys or girls in such a situation, by showing them that they are worthy. They can achieve great things on their own. What defines them in the end is not what their family thinks of them, but how they perceive themselves. They can still make good friends with others, and even find love on their own. This is the truly golden touch – the ability to create friendships and to sympathize with others.

Thus the series which aims at empowering girls in particular, shows the gradual change in Medusa’s character through the stories focused on her. From a mean outsider she gradually becomes an integral part of the group of goddess girls, loved and befriended by them. She also learns to accept herself, regardless of what her family thinks of her. Each installment brings forth Medusa’s strong yet relatable character. Although she could easily fall into the victim or monster clichés (a sin in the original myth), she proves to be stronger than that, a much more developed and humane character.

Only after Medusa accepts who she truly is, with her strength as well as weakness, she can be a true hero who helps others. (She even saves Dionysus in the process). The path to being a hero is the path through self-acceptance and friendship. Even a mortal girl like Medusa, who feels constantly conscious about her mortality in a world of immortals, can be a true hero.

Yellow cloud