pickMy goodness I loved this one so much. A five star read for me. A boy in middle school is managing a plant nursery with his adult brother after the unexpected death of their parents. A tough teacher assigns him 12 challenging tasks that mirror the mythical labors of Hercules. Throughout the book he learns about the value of friendship, found family, & the ways that we can save ourselves as we embrace a community and care for those around us.
so-soMy mom bought me this book that she read in the 80s. It helped her overcome the damaging parenting that she went through, particularly as a kid of an alcoholic. Reading this book with that context in mind made me grateful she broke the cycle of not treating you children as human beings and the normalizing of abusive behaviour as 'good parenting.' I wouldn't recommend this book in any other circumstance other than the one I read it under, though!
pickVery good MG with some tough stuff. I came close to crying several times. Hercules has a school assignment to recreate the Twelve Labors of the mythical Hercules. It‘s a challenge, but it makes Herc learn about himself and how to process losing his parents. TW for death of parents and harm to animals (not by humans, all natural, but nature is kind of a bitch in this case).
pickI think the cover & title are awful, but I actually loved learning more about the enneagram in this book. It's full of humor & hard truths & helped me understand some of my own challenges & others' choices better. The structure worked well introducing each type & explaining how their childhood, work, relationship, etc. can be affected by their type. It wraps up each one w/ a list of ways they can work on spiritual growth & healthy decision making.
pickMiddle grade fiction. Excellent characters. Several difficult and/or very tragic events were a little too much for me. Very good audio narration.
#AuldLangSpine
@KadaGul here are 10 random things about me. I‘m so happy we were matched for #AuldLangSpine by @monalyisha 🤓
In the spirit of #Auldlangspine, here are a few facts about me before we start this reading challenge ☺️ @Zuhkeeyah
pickA young boy named Hercules is given a Herculean task as homework. As he works to complete his daunting assignment, he befriends neighbors and classmates and begins to come to terms with the horrid tragedy which changed his life. Friendship and responsibility and grief are major themes. I will enjoy recommending this.
pickI enjoyed this journey so much! The classical mythology tie-ins were perfect; it was so much fun to see how events in our Hercules‘ life mirrored ancient Hercules‘ labors. The growth between Achilles and Hercules, and Viola and Hercules, and really between Hercules and every other neighbor, teacher, random person he encountered were beautiful and really showed how a community can come together to care for a child or family who needs it. I love it.
