Describes the gods, goddesses, and mythical animals that figure in the novels of Rick Riordan, including the Heroes of Olympus series and the stories about Percy Jackson.

This comprehensive collection of folk hero tales builds on the success of the first edition by providing readers with expanded contextual information on story characters from the Americas to Zanzibar. Despite the tremendous differences between cultures and ethnicities across the world, all of them have folk heroes and heroines—real and imagined—that have been represented in tales, legends, songs, and verse. These stories persist through time and space, over generations, even through migrations to new countries and languages. This encyclopedia is a one-stop source for broad coverage of the world's folk hero tales. Geared toward high school and early college readers, the book opens with an overview of folk heroes and heroines that provides invaluable context and then presents a chronology. The book is divided into two main sections: the first provides entries on the major types and themes; the second addresses specific folk tale characters organized by continent with folk hero entries organized alphabetically. Each entry provides cross references as well as a list of further readings. Continent sections include a bibliography for additional research. The book concludes with an alphabetical list of heroes and an index of hero types.

Discover the exciting and fascinating world of Greek and Roman gods, goddesses, monsters, and heroes, from Zeus and Athena to Hercules, Medusa, and more! Take a journey through Mount Olympus, Ancient Greece, and Ancient Rome with this collection of the greatest tales found in Greek and Roman mythology. From origin stories to family drama, you’ll learn about the most powerful Olympic gods including Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Aphrodite, Hades, and more. But this book has more than just gods and goddesses! You’ll also discover the dangerous and intriguing world of ancient monsters, fantastical creatures, and mortal heroes that populate some of the most awesome stories from the time, including: Atlas, who carries the weight of the world on his shoulders Kronos, a Titan who swallows his newborn children Persephone, a kidnapped goddess who becomes queen of the Underworld Minotaur, a half-bull, half-man imprisoned in a labyrinth Hydra, a poisonous serpent who grows two heads when one is severed Sirens, sea nymphs whose irresistible singing lures sailors to their doom All of these tales and more are written in a fun, kid-friendly manner, perfect for children interested in history or for fans of the Percy Jackson series.

As eager anticipation for the fourth and final Eragon installment grows, this book offers tantalizing and shocking predictions to excite, amuse, and down-right rattle the millions of Eragon fans.