Hercules — Geraldine McCaughrean

Geraldine McCaughrean brings the same flair for action, suspense, and humor that characterizes all of the books in the acclaimed Heroes series to perhaps the most beloved and famous of all Greek myths, Hercules and his twelve labors. Readers learn about Hercules, the human with superhuman strength, born of a mortal and the king of gods, Zeus. When the goddess Hera, wife of Zeus, discovers her husband's mortal son Hercules, she vows to destroy him. Thus begins Hercules's legendary and epic journey in which he is forced to take on a series of seemingly impossible tasks. He battles an array of both amazing and terrifying beasts, including the mighty Cretan Bull, the many-headed Hydra, the ferocious Nemean Lion, and the three-headed guardian of hell, Cerberus. With the help of the gods Athena and Apollo, can Hercules triumph in the end?

McCaughrean's striking descriptions and taut prose draws even the most reluctant young readers into the fray.