Product Description

Jason is a young warrior in training -- and yet there's more to him than his simple appearance might suggest. Raised by the wise centaur Chiron and believing himself an orphan, Jason discovers that his true identity is not the only secret his guardian has been keeping. What he learns sends Jason and five of Chiron's other apprentices on a dangerous journey to save the kingdom of Iolcus from a horrible fate.

In a daring race against time, Jason and his companions must bridge yawning chasms, battle vicious harpies, navigate their way down treacherous rapids, and outsmart marauding centaurs. Surpris-ingly, Jason's greatest challenge comes from within, forbecoming a great leader proves to be the most difficult task of all.

In another thrilling adventure that imagines Greek heroes as young men and women, Jane Yolen and Robert J. Harris explore the early years of Jason, before he led the Argonauts on one of the most famous quests in Greek mythology.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2301904 in Books
• Published on: 2004-02-04
• Original language: English
• Binding: Library Binding
• 246 pages

From School Library Journal
Grade 4-6--Jason (of the Argonauts) is a famous hero and his later exploits may be familiar to readers. This, though, is the story of his life as a boy--one that Yolen and Harris have imagined, based on other Greek tales. Jason and his fellow apprentices are catapulted into a dangerous quest when the evil centaur Nessus steals the Gorgon's blood from their mentor, Chiron. Just before they leave on their adventure, Jason learns that he is the son of the rightful king--but so does the son of the imposter king; this little bit of information is the source of tension and intrigue. There is plenty of action to keep mythology enthusiasts happy, and the band of angry and violent centaurs and attacks by hungry harpies could convert new fans to the genre. This entry in the series does not disappoint, though the themes that heroes are made when they are young and that strength of character is all-important are a bit more heavy-handed in this title than in others. Still, these messages do not get in the way of a fine story.--Angela J. Reynolds, Washington County Cooperative Library Services, Hillsboro, OR
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
Gr. 4-6. In the newest episode of the Young Heroes series, Jason turns a hostile, arrogant princeling into an ally while leading a contentious group of schoolmates over rugged mountains to recover jugs of Gorgon's Blood stolen from his wise mentor, Chiron. The journey not only brings on a nonstop cascade of literal and figurative cliffhangers, punctuated by encounters with harpies, a goddess, and brutish centaurs, but also challenges Jason to exercise all of the qualities of a good leader: courage, quick wit, persuasiveness, the ability to bring out the best in his companions, and a (sometimes reluctant) willingness to swallow both doubts and pride. As in previous series titles, the dialogue can be wooden ("Is that all you think of yourself? A worthless orphan? Have I not taught you to take pride in your skills and talents?"), but the "learning to be a leader" theme folds seamlessly into the action, and, as explained in an afterword, the authors stay close to classical sources in portraying both mortal and immortal characters. John Peters
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author

Jane Yolen is one of the acknowledged masters of fantasy today. She is the author of more than two hundred books for children and adults. Her young adult novel The Devil's Arhtmetic won the Jewish Book Council Award. Her children's book Owl Moon, illustrated by John Schoenherr, was awarded the Caldecott Medal; her fantasy novels Sister Light, Sister Dark and White Jenna were both short-listed for the Nebula; and she's won the Nebula twice for short stories. She has also won the World Fantasy Award, the Christopher Medal twice, and the Golden Kite Award. She has written two previous books in the Young Heroes series with Robert J. Harris, Odysseus in the Serpent Maze and Hippolyta and the Curse of the Amazons. Jane Yolen lives with her husband in western Massachusetts and St. Andrews, Scotland.