From the heroic deeds of gods and goddesses to the epic adventures of legendary heroes, get ready to delve into a world of ancient tales and timeless stories. Stay tuned for our upcoming book recommendations this month as we embark on this magical literary journey with August’s #7StoriesSelects theme: ‘Myths and Legends‘!

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There Is No Dragon in This Story by Lou Carter

Picture Book Choice

Poor old dragon. Nobody wants him in their story. Not Goldilocks, not Hansel and Gretel – no one. But Dragon will not give up! He shall continue on his course of finding someone who wants him in their story. ANYONE. His boundless enthusiasm surely won’t get him into any trouble. Surely …

A glorious story about dragons, heroes and one very big sneeze. From the phenomenally talented author Lou Carter, and the amazing Deborah Allwright, illustrator of the bestselling The Night Pirates.

How To Be a Viking by Cressida Cowell

Five & Over

A long time ago there lived a small and lonely Viking called Hiccup. He wasn’t like the other Viking children. He was frightened of quite a lot of things: most of all, going to sea for the first time.

Yet when Hiccup finally finds himself on board a Viking ship, it soon becomes clear that maybe all Vikings are afraid of doing things, but they can definitely still be brave.

Loki by Louie Stowell

Middle Grade

Second in the series as Norse god Loki grumbles, snarks and doodles his way through his enchanted diary, recording the highs and (mostly) lows of living on Earth as an eleven-year-old boy.

Loki might not have shown any moral improvement (yet) but Odin has given him another chance to prove himself worthy of Asgard by keeping Earth safe from the threat of Frost Giants. But eleven-year-old Loki has more important things to worry about: Parents Evening. After a series of 1-star reviews from his teachers, Loki is jealous of the glowing adoration bestowed upon Thor and swears vengeance. So when Thor has a birthday party and his favourite hammer, Mjolnir, goes missing, everyone suspects Loki. To clear his name, Loki must find Thor’s hammer and find out who the real thief is…

Girl, Goddess, Queen by Bea Fitzgerald

YA Fave

Thousands of years ago, the gods told a lie: the story of Persephone as a pawn in otherworldly politics; her kidnapping and marriage to Hades; her mother’s endless grief. But the real story is much more interesting. Persephone wasn’t dragged to hell: she jumped.

There was no way she was going to be married off to some smug god more in love with himself than her. Now all she has to do is convince the Underworld’s annoyingly sexy, arrogant and frankly rude ruler, Hades, to fall in line with her plan to shake Mount Olympus to its very core.

But consequences can be deadly, especially when you’re already in hell . . .

Gaia: Goddess of Earth by Imogen Greenberg

All The Family

Long before the age of the Olympians, the goddess Gaia created the world in all its beauty. But from Gaia also came the Titans, who ran wild and free through this world— that is until her husband Ouranos turned and declared himself the ruler of all she’d created. Cronus, Gaia’s son soon became hungry for power, taking over and running rampant.

This is one of the many tales of the great goddesses that is brought to life in this graphic novel that showcases some of the most powerful and fascinating mythical goddesses of all time!

Storyland – Children’s Edition by Amy Jeffs

Story Seller Recommendation

You will have heard of Thor, Medusa and Hercules. But what about the myths of the British landscape? The Trojan heroes who wrestled giants.
The Syrian sisters who found refuge on our lands. The dragons who slept in hollow hills. And the kings who communed with the dead…

In this vivid and beautifully illustrated mythology of Britain, children will discover enchanting tales of magic and adventure, giants and demons, princesses and prophecies.

Travelling across the wildest of landscapes – as far north as Orkney and south as Cornwall – young readers will build Stonehenge with the young Merlin, chase hounds up the mountains of Wales, ride stags into the forests of Scotland and sail with Trojans along the rivers of Britain, discovering a land steeped in myth, monsters and heroes.

Circe by Madeline Miller

Classic

In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born: Circe. Turning to the world of mortals for companionship, she discovers that she possesses power previously unknown. Banished by Zeus, as a consequence of this new-found power, she hones her occult craft, tames wild beasts, and crosses paths with many of the most famous figures in all of mythology.

But danger remains, for a woman who stands alone, ultimately finds herself pitted against one of the most terrifying and vengeful of the Olympians to protect what she loves most. She must discover where she belongs: with the gods she is born from or with the mortals she has come to love..