Hopscotch: Medusa stone by Ian Trevaskis

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Walker Books, 2009. ISBN 9781921529115.
(Age 10+) Hannah and Jake steal an enchanted stone and a vellum from Kostas the Greek and find themselves in the middle of a frightening game played by the Greek gods. They draw a hopscotch pattern and follow the instructions on the vellum:

Cast your stone upon the square,
Leap and dance across the air.
At the end a door awaits,
Be prepared to meet the Fates.

The book opens with an exciting and bloodthirsty scene where Hannah witnesses the soldiers coming out of the wooden horse at Troy. Hannah is an intrepid heroine who uses her wits and determination to overcome all the odds. Separated from Jake, she is determined to find him and meets many of the legendary Greek characters as she carries out her quest from Kostas to 'bring back the winds of Aeolus, the winged sandals of Hermes and the coin from under the corpse's tongue.' Pg80. Jake is also an engaging character, more thoughtful than Hannah. The Greek heroes they meet on the way are well rounded characters who bring the old legends to life.
Complete with appendices at the back with Authors notes about Ancient Greek myths, Glossary with words explained and Notes about Ancient Greece, this book would be an exciting introduction to Greek myths and could lead the reader on to discover more about these wonderful stories.
Pat Pledger

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