Collins, R. (2008). Medusa Jones. New York: Arthur A. Levine Books.

137 pages.

Appetizer: Medusa Jones is teased and bullied by the champions at her school. She just wants to be normal, but having snakes on your head pretty much makes that impossible. And no matter how much she begs, her parents won't let her turn the bullies to stone. (Annoying parents.)

Along with her friends and fellow outsiders, Chiron and Mino, Medusa must go on a camping trip with the Champions on Mount Olympus. The question is, will they all return?

The setting of Medusa Jones is this anachronistic version of Athens, Greece that has schools and newspapers and suburban looking home but everyone also wanders around wearing togas and the Greek gods and heroes are big in the news. On top of that, Collins seemed to choose his good and bad guys among the characters of myth in what seemed to be a willy-nilly fashion. Sure both Medusa and Mino the Minotaur are traditionally "bad guys" who deserve redemption, but generally Chiron the centaur is perceived as a good guy and teacher. It was interesting to see the traditional heroes (Theseus and Perseus) portrayed as bullies, but I was a little sad to see Cassandra in their number, since I see her as a kind of tortured hero who wouldn't be a bully. (I could see her going goth as opposed to popular and petty.)

It also took awhile for the actual plot of the story to develop. The camping aspect wasn't introduced until about half way. I found myself wishing that Medusa's friends had been introduced sooner. Collins first shows Medusa going through a miserable week seemingly on her own. Her friends are introduced on the weekend, then on Monday *surprise* her friends do attend the same school, her teacher is Medea and they're going camping. I wanted more cohesion! (Was that a very long ramble to get to my point? It kind of feels like it was.)

I also wasn't too crazy about the ending. It felt like the punch line of a joke.

Don't let my criticisms get you down though. I found Medusa Jones to be very fun. The illustrations were a nice touch.

I did have a little trouble pegging down the age appropriateness of the book. It has plenty of illustrations (completed by the author) and it reads like an early chapter book, great for about second grade, but every now and then there's some advanced vocabulary (like gorgeous, pessimistic, deficiencies, etc.). Because of that, I'd probably use the book as a one-on-one read aloud so the child would have access to all the pictures, but wouldn't be on his or her own for sounding out the difficult words.

Dinner Conversation:

"Pleeeaase can I turn them to stone?" Medusa begged.
"It's not the polite thing to do, dear," said MEdusa's mom.
"They're not polite," Medusa said. "They were mean about my hair again today."
"Sticks and stones, Medusa," said Medusa's mom. "You can't go turning everyone who's mean about your hair to stone."
"Gran did," Medusa scowled.
"Gran is insane and lives in a cave" (p. 3).

"The Champions always stood at the school gates in the morning. They got up early each and every day. Brushed their shiny white teeth, which would be just as shiny and bright if they never saw toothpaste. Put on their dazzlingly white chitons and got to school before everyone else. The Champions considered it their duty to remind everyone of their deficiencies firs thing in the morning" (p. 14).

"What'll we do?" Chiron asked. "We have to go look," said Medusa. She amazed herself even as she said it.
"Why?" Mino asked. "They wouldn't cross the road to help us."
"I know," Medusa answered. "But we're not them, and we can't just sit here and listen to that [screaming]. It's awful" (p. 103). ( )

This story is a stunningly perfect example of bad parenting, wish-fulfillment, cliches, and unanswered questions. Medusa Jones, a descendent of the Gorgon ("Gran is insane and lives in a cave") and her friends, Mino the minotaur and Chiron the centuar, are constantly bullied and mocked by the Champions, Perseus, Theseus, and Cassandra. Medusa's mother's advice is "You have to work out other ways [besides turning them to stone which Medusa isn't sure she can do anyways] of dealing with people who get on your nerves." Her father's response to Medusa's complaint, "They're so mean to me," is "You have to rise above it."

Way to go parents! Of course if your child (and her friends) are being bullied and tormented you should give them useless platitudes! What a wonderful idea!

Then Medusa and her friends get stuck going on a camping trip to Mt. Olympus with the Champions. The Champions get stuck, the "freaks" save the day, and become the new champions. Oh, and Medusa turns the Champions to stone at the end.

Hmmm. Wish fulfillment, no? Would a bull calf (which is essentially what the minotaur is) actually be able to knock over a tree to form a bridge? Why didn't it hit the Champions? Could a centaur foal actually carry three people across a tree trunk? Even if it's turned to stone half-way?

Plus, there's the whole problem that the myths are completely out of context. Presumably Medusa's gran is the official Gorgon - how is Perseus going to grow up to kill her if he's been turned to stone by Medusa? Ditto Theseus and the minotaur? And Cassandra wasn't a hero, or even very popular. So why's she a "Champion"?

The mix of mythic and contemporary is jarring. Soooo, Medusa's gran has turned all these postmen to stone. And Medusa's mom has to go to the post office. To do what? Apologize? Pay for the postmen? It's never specified. Medusa's head snakes are apparently sentient. Annnd, it's no big deal when the hairdresser cuts one off? And how come her dad has head snakes? Weren't all the gorgons women?

Anyhow, apart from the mythic-contemporary disconnect, the be nice and put up with horrible bullies because one day you will be able to save them and if they're not sufficiently grateful you can always turn them into stone afterwards message is just....mythical.

Verdict: I'd like to find a beginning chapter book with myth themes for kids who aren't able to read Rick Riordan yet, but this title has so many issues, it's not worth it. I'll keep waiting for something better - or at least tolerable - to come along.

ISBN: 978-0439901000; Published January 2008 by Arthur Levine, thankfully out of print; Borrowed from the library

This is a cute book that would make a great introduction to Greek mythology. There are some characters that are true to Greek mythology and some that are not but the story is easy enough for third grade students to understand. I think it is great how little Medusa Jones becomes a character that kids can relate to, even though it takes place back in ancient Greece. The art that accompanies this chapter book is classic and true to art for ancient Greece. It also gave the characters a kid friendly view of Medusa with her snakes and some of the other potentially scary and serious looking characters. ( )

This is a cute book that would make a great introduction to Greek mythology. There are some characters that are true to Greek mythology and some that are not but the story is easy enough for third grade students to understand. I think it is great how little Medusa Jones becomes a character that kids can relate to, even though it takes place back in ancient Greece. The art that accompanies this chapter book is classic and true to art for ancient Greece. It also gave the characters a kid friendly view of Medusa with her snakes and some of the other potentially scary and serious looking characters. ( )

This book is reminiscent of Ramona series but set in Ancient Greece. Medusa Jones, a Gorgon, tries to fit in with the popular kids, but her hairstyle and friends makes it difficult for her to “blend in.” She goes on a class trip and that turns out to be quite an adventure. This is a good book if you want to mild introduction to Greek Mythology. Great illustrations make it easy to love Medusa. For Grades 2-4. ( )