Styx and Stones
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- $189.00
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- $189.00
Descripción editorial
Percy Jackson meets The Labors of Hercules Beal in this hilarious, page-turning fantasy adventure with a heart of gold from two award-winning authors.
Simon expected more from life than being orphaned in ancient Greece and stuck in the Underworld for eternity. Determined not to forget who he is, he commits himself to escaping Hades. Along the way, he faces the monster Cerberus, befriends the tormented Sisyphus, and becomes Persephone’s favorite servant. Then, after centuries of failed attempts, he is finally thrust into modern times—and into the stall of a middle school bathroom. Naked.
With the help of Zeke, a nerdy rich kid on the social fringes, Simon learns to navigate this amazing and bewildering world. And with Simon’s help, Zeke begins to question his comfortable life and understand the true meaning of friendship. Everything seems to be going great . . . until the god of the Underworld sends a demon girl to bring Simon back. And suddenly, it’s not just the secret of Simon’s past that’s threatened, but their very lives—and everyone’s around them, too. Is their friendship strong enough to withstand the Will of Hades and save St. Nikolaos Academy Middle School?
From two-time Newbery honoree Gary D. Schmidt and two-time PEN Award winner Ron Koertge, Styx and Stones is an unforgettable coming-of-age adventure about friendship, courage, and identity, brimming with Greek mythology and high-stakes action.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Previous collaborators Schmidt and Koertge (A Day at the Beach) present an introspective story of unlikely connection across an action-adventure plot with Percy Jackson appeal. After spending 2,451 years in the underworld, 12-year-old Simon of Lacedaemon, who died trying to defend his village from the Spartans, finally escapes. He emerges from a portal in present-day St. Paul, Minn., and finds himself in the seventh grade boys' bathroom of St. Nikolaos Academy, where he meets meek-mannered social outcast Zeke Tripps. As the two become fast friends, Zeke offers to take temporally displaced Simon home with him. Masquerading as Zeke's cousin from Las Vegas, Simon tries to adjust to modernity, even as memories of his previous mortal life continue to haunt him. Back in the underworld, news of his escape rocks the kingdom, prompting its rulers to dispatch a demonic bounty hunter to bring him back. The running theme of Simon's kindness affecting and improving the lives of those around him, both in the underworld and on Earth, gives the novel an emotionally rich undercurrent, while parallel character arcs—including Simon's contending with past trauma, Zeke's managing deep-set loneliness, and others—emphasize warm messaging that highlights myriad paths toward healing. Main characters cue as white. Ages 8–12.
