Departmental Papers (Classical Studies)
Document Type
Journal Article
Date of this Version
2011
Publication Source
Classical World
Volume
104
Issue
3
Start Page
339
Last Page
353
DOI
10.1353/clw.2011.0049
Abstract
Since Nathaniel Hawthorne's pioneering A Wonder Book for Boys and Girls (1851) and Tanglewood Tales (1853), retelling Greek and Roman myths for children has been a widespread and influential means of popularizing classical material. While Hawthorne unabashedly appropriated the myths as entertainment for young readers, works by his contemporary counterparts (such as the "Myth-O-Mania" series,Greece! Rome! Monsters! , and the Percy Jackson series) display a more anxious and conflicted approach to the same material, caught between the aims of educating their readers about antiquity and appealing to their readers' presumed hostility to school and learning.
Copyright/Permission Statement
Copyright © 2011 Johns Hopkins University Press. This article first appeared in Classical World 104:3 (2011), 339-353. Reprinted with permission by Johns Hopkins University Press.
Recommended Citation
Murnaghan, S. (2011). Classics for Cool Kids: Popular and Unpopular Versions of Antiquity for Children. Classical World, 104 (3), 339-353. http://dx.doi.org/10.1353/clw.2011.0049
Date Posted: 27 July 2016
This document has been peer reviewed.