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    Medusa the Mean
    Medusa the Mean
    Medusa the Mean
    Ebook146 pages1 hour

    Medusa the Mean

    By Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams

    4.5/5

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    About this ebook

    Medusa is the ultimate mean girl in this series that blends modern drama with ancient myths.

    Well researched and true to the original myths, each volume in the Goddess Girls series addresses contemporary issues, like friendships and relationships, from a classically accurate—and entertaining—perspective.

    In Medusa the Mean, Medusa is sick and tired of being the only mortal at Mount Olympus Academy. Not only is she surrounded by beautiful, powerful, immortal classmates, but she also has snakes for hair and a reputation for being mean. Immortality, she thinks, will solve everything. So when she finds out about a necklace that promises just that, she’s sure it will help her get the two things she covets most: to be as popular as the four Goddess Girls and to have her supercrush, Poseidon, finally notice her. But when the necklace brings about popularity in the totally wrong way, things go from bad to worse. Can Medusa overcome her “meanie” status and prove that there’s more to her that meets the eye?
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherAladdin
    Release dateApr 3, 2012
    ISBN9781442433809
    Medusa the Mean
    Author

    Joan Holub

    Joan Holub is the New York Times bestselling author of Mighty Dads. She is also the author and/or illustrator of over 130 other books for children, including the picture books Zero the Hero and Little Red Writing, a School Library Journal and Kirkus Reviews Best Book, and is coauthor of the bestselling Goddess Girls and Grimmtastic Girls middle grade series. She has two cats named Chip and Boo. You can visit her online at www.joanholub.com.

    Read more from Joan Holub

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    Reviews for Medusa the Mean

    4.5/5

    22 ratings3 reviews

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    • 4/5
      I really enjoy reading this book because it show how Medusa feels. I don't think everyone should be scare of her just because her hair is different.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      If you haven't yet discovered The Goddess Girls Series, allow me to introduce you. This wonderful set of books is all about mixing classic mythology with modern day girls and guys. Trust me, it's a ton of fun to read! Although these books are slated for Middle Graders, I see no reason why older aged readers wouldn't like them as well. After all, I'm almost 30, and I love them still!

      In this particular installment, we get to see a lot further into Medusa's past and why she earned the title "Queen of Mean". The thing is, Medusa isn't really all that bad! Sadly she's just been told her whole life that she isn't special, and that she shouldn't try. Now here is why I love Medusa as a character. Despite everything else, this girl has dreams! She works hard for them and I see her as a way to teach young readers that if you work hard for something, chances are you can achieve it.

      What's really sweet about Medusa the Mean is that you get to see her blossom. Making new friends, realizing that sometimes you have to trust others, and even finally seeing how her "supercrush" really is on the inside. The story line in this book is so fun! It's quick moving, there are silly jokes, and the way that the characters interact is perfect. I loved the fact that in this book Medusa is no longer just the "mean girl" character. She really comes into her own, and it's fabulous!

      Long story short, this is a great series and Medusa the Mean is no exception to that rule! If you have a young reader at home, put this book into their hands. These work great as standalone novels, or you can go back to beginning and let them experience the whole series. Either way, these are sure to be a hit in your home!

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      At Mount Olympus Academy, Medusa struggles to get along with the other students and secretly longs to be immortal like the other students. I'd already read Persephone the Phony from the same series and found it a surprisingly nuanced examination of the challenges of both staying true to yourself and getting along with others, so I wanted to see if the other books are as good. This one focuses on Medusa, who was an antagonist in the other books, and digs into her issues with trust and her resentment on having to depend on others because she's mortal (which in this context is effectively a disability.) It's not necessary to be familiar with Greek myths to understand the story, but there are a lot of bonuses and hidden jokes if you are. The characters are very well sketched out and easy to empathize with and root for; it made me eager to read the other books in the series.

      1 person found this helpful

    Book preview

    Medusa the Mean - Joan Holub

    Prologue

    THE KIDS IN SIX-YEAR-OLD MEDUSA GORGON’S first grade class at Aegean Elementary School in Greece had made fun of her again today. They’d called her Gorgonzola Head. They’d pinched their noses and said she smelled like stinky cheese. But now that school was over and Medusa was home in her bedroom, she pulled out her favorite green crayon and a sheet of papyrus to draw on. At the top, she wrote:

    The Queen of Mean:

    A hilarious and very exactly true

    comic strip about me, Medusa!

    In today’s episode, little Medusa began as she started drawing stick figures with big round heads, "those doo-doo-nose kids who teased me at school get clobbered by me and my magic—for I am the Queen of Mean! Yayyyy! And nobody messes with me and gets away with it."

    Tucking her tongue to one side of her mouth, Medusa concentrated on drawing herself yelling at the other kids. It’s payback time, losers! Because you teased me, now I’m going to bonk you all on the head.

    Then she drew herself bonking them with her secret weapon, a big yellow magic cheese. In a speech bubble by her mouth, she wrote her magic word: Gorgonzola! In the next frame, all the kids who’d made fun of her had been turned into cheese. Ha-ha-ha!

    Next, I—the Queen of Mean—run home to my mom and dad, Medusa said under her breath. And guess what. They have been magically turned into smiley parents who hug me.

    Medusa drew the scene with quick strokes of her crayon. There was her mom and now her dad, looking at her with big, happy grins. Beside them she drew two girls who looked just like her, because they were triplets.

    And then the Queen’s sisters, who didn’t help when these kids made fun of her, find out they’ve got cooties, she continued. So now they are banished to the doghouse forever, and the Queen gets to have their big, beautiful room all to herself. Awesome!

    Then she wrote: The end.

    Medusa gazed happily at her finished comic strip. If only things in her real life could turn out so perfectly!

    1

    Seven Years Later

    FROM HER SEAT HIGH AT THE BACK OF THE stone bleachers in the outdoor amphitheater at Mount Olympus Academy, thirteen-year-old Medusa stared in fascination at a full-page ad in her new Teen Scrollazine. It showed a picture of a sparkly necklace with a goldenwinged white horse charm dangling from its chain. Her pale green eyes eagerly devoured the sales pitch:

    ATTENTION MORTALS:

    DO YOU DREAM OF BEING A GOD OR A GODDESS?

    NOW YOU CAN BE WITH THE AMAZING NEW

    Immortalizer!

    JUST CLASP THE NECKLACE AROUND YOUR NECK,

    AND INSTANTLY ENJOY YOUR NEW POWERS!

    THE PRICE? ONLY 30 DRACHMAS!

    At the bottom of the page was an order form.

    Becoming immortal had been Medusa’s dearest wish since—well, since forever. It wasn’t fair that her two sisters were immortal while she’d been born a mere mortal.

    She studied the ad again. She wanted to believe it, but did she dare trust its claims? What if it was a trick? Could a flying-horse necklace really be the key to immortality? Doubt it! she muttered aloud.

    A godboy sitting nearby overheard and gave her a sideways glance. She shot him a quick glare that widened his eyes and made him nervously look away.

    It was Friday, last period, and the amphitheater was filled with immortal students—all of them beautiful, powerful, and awesome, with softly glittering skin. How she longed to be like them!

    Sure, she went to MOA too. She was one of the few lucky mortals allowed to attend the Academy. Yet she had no true magical powers, like those of a goddess. Still, with a glance she could turn a mortal to stone. That was something, at least. And she was the only student with snakes instead of hair growing from the top of her head! Glancing around, she idly reached up and twirled one of the snakes around her finger.

    Usually school dramas were performed in the amphitheater, but today the entire student body had gathered here because of Career-ology Week. (Or Job-ology Week, as the students called it.) All week long various speakers had come to MOA to talk about their jobs. Yesterday the god Hermes had told them all about his chariot delivery service.

    Today the goddess Hera was here speaking about her wedding shop in the Immortal Marketplace. The regallooking goddess had thick blond hair styled high upon her head and a no-nonsense look in her eye. Although she wasn’t unusually tall, something about her made her seem statuesque. Probably her confidence.

    As Hera explained how she went about planning a wedding at Hera’s Happy Endings, Medusa only half-listened. She shifted behind some other MOA students sitting in front of her, so she was better hidden from Hera’s view.

    Sneakily she re-read the ad. It was maddeningly short on details about how the Immortalizer worked—if it worked at all. She’d almost be willing to risk disappointment if only it didn’t cost so much. Thirty drachmas was a lot of money! Her weekly allowance was just three obeloi, which was half a drachma. At the moment she only had eight drachmas saved up.

    Any questions? Hera asked the crowd.

    Medusa jolted to attention and peered around the godboy in front of her. Seeing that the talk was nearly over, she set her scrollazine on the bench. Although the bleachers were packed with students, there was an empty space on either side of her. No one ever got too close to a girl with snake hair.

    Since class participation counted for a third of her Job-ology grade, she quickly tried to think up a question. But how could she when she hadn’t heard a word Hera had said!

    Medusa rolled her eyes when Athena raised her hand. What a Goody Two-sandals! She was always the first to ask questions in class. Athena was not only the brainiest girl at MOA, she was also Principal Zeus’s daughter. And soon she’d be Hera’s stepdaughter too, because Zeus and Hera were getting married in nine days—just a week from Sunday.

    Medusa craned her neck to look at Zeus. He was in the audience, sitting front row center, gazing adoringly at Hera. They’d announced their engagement not long ago during the boys’ Olympic Games. Now the whole school was abuzz with the news of their upcoming marriage.

    Who will your bridesmaids be? Athena asked when she was called on.

    I’m not sure yet, Hera replied. Since we’ve decided to follow tradition, Zeus will be choosing seven boys as groomsmen, and they will in turn choose seven bridesmaids. Any other questions?

    Athena’s shoulders drooped, and her long brown hair swayed in an annoyingly cute, curly way as she slowly shook her head. She had to be less than thrilled with this answer. She’d probably thought she had a clear shot at becoming a bridesmaid.

    Another goddessgirl asked a question. Then pale, mysterious Persephone asked about the flowers for the wedding. Apparently her mom’s flower shop would be providing them.

    Next Aphrodite—the most beautiful goddessgirl at MOA—waved her hand in the air. Even from high up in the bleachers, Medusa could see that Aphrodite’s perfectly manicured fingernails were polished a sparkly robin’s-egg-blue that matched the chiton she wore. As Medusa squinted at the goddessgirl’s fingernails, the color of the polish changed, first to turquoise, then pink, then back to blue. Must be nice to possess magic that makes your nail polish change colors, she thought sourly. Goddessgirls took that kind of thing for granted.

    What will your gown look like? Aphrodite asked when called on.

    Ye gods, thought Medusa. Not that she cared, but what did these questions have to do with Job-ology, anyway? They were all personal questions! Tuning out Hera’s answer, she realized that almost all the girls seemed mesmerized by this froufrou marriage stuff. It made sense for Aphrodite, since she was the goddessgirl of love. But why were the others so interested? She didn’t get it.

    She watched the sun catch in Aphrodite’s long golden hair as the goddessgirl tucked a curl behind one ear. It was a trademark Aphrodite move that drew boys’ eyes like a magnet. Although Medusa had tried to do it with her snake hair once, it just didn’t have the same effect.

    At least dark-haired Artemis, who sat one row below Medusa, seemed a little bored. She had dumped some arrows out of her quiver and was checking their tips for wear. Medusa could relate. This whole marriage thing was a big yawn. She’d be glad when it was over.

    Medusa had carefully chosen her spot on the bleachers today. Studying Athena, Persephone, Aphrodite, and Artemis—the most popular goddessgirls in school—was practically her full-time job, though she made sure no one ever noticed. And although she’d never admit it, she was green with envy when it came to those four. Literally. Her skin, eyes, and hair were all green.

    Besides immortality, there were just two other things she wanted in life: to be as effortlessly popular as the four goddessgirls and to have her supercrush suddenly decide he liked her. Unfortunately, both seemed way out of reach. She didn’t trust anyone enough to let down her guard with them and become friends. And how can you be popular without friends? As far as her crush went, well . . .

    My turn! a nearby godboy said to his friends in an excited but muted tone. She’d know that voice anywhere. Poseidon. Oh-so-casually she looked his way. He was sitting three rows down from her with two other godboys—Dionysus and Ares. Weddings obviously didn’t interest them either, since they were secretly playing a game of Javelin Thump.

    Poseidon was carefully aiming a piece of papyrus that had been folded into a fat triangle about two inches on its long side. As she watched, he flicked it across the seat with his middle finger. Score! he exclaimed in a whisper as the triangle slid between Dionysus’s two fingers, which marked the goalposts. His flick had been so strong, however, that the little triangle javelin kept on going. There was a mad scramble to grab it before it slid off the edge of the boys’ bench, but they weren’t fast enough.

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