We're going to Athens this weekend! It's going to be a short trip but we're all super exited. I've been to Athens a few times before, and I just love that city -- the mix of the old and the new is so magical. To get everyone in the spirit of the (Old) Greeks and their Gods, I started reading the myths to Ava and Casper. They are fascinated by the stories! And Sara and Pim started reading the Percy Jackson series -- it's been an instant hit as well. I must say I found it quite difficult to find much about the Greek Myths for children, which is a pity because the stories really are so wonderful. So any advice is welcome :)! But here's what I have found so far:

Percy Jackson by Rick Riordan

As I said above, Pim and Sara are reading the Percy Jackson series, which they LOVE. Percy Jackson is a teenager who discovers he is a half God -- the descendant of a Greek god. This explains the fact that he is dyslexic (he appears to be hard wired to read Ancient Greek) and has ADHD (which are, of course, 'battlefield reflexes'). Percy is submerged into the battle of the Gods and has to use his special powers to fight monsters and deal with all sorts of difficulties.

These are essentially the Greek myths translated to modern times! Two films have been made of the Percy Jackson series: The Lighting Thief and Sea of Monsters. Which we will obviously watch as well. Although I've read that the films are nowhere as good as the books…

Here's a fun fact about the writer of Percy Jackson. Rick Riordan: his own son, whom the character of Percy Jackson is based on, has dyslexia and ADHD. When he was 9, he refused to read. He hated school so much that he would hide under the table and cry. But he loved the Greek Myths! So his father would recount them to him, eventually inventing all sorts of new characters. And this is how Percy Jackson was 'born'. The books became a hit, And Percy Jackson a hero. Soon Riordan started to receive fan mail from children who had ADHD or dyslexia. And instead of telling him they were feeling ashamed, they said they were now so proud of their disorder which connects them with the hero in their favourite books!

Greek Myths by Orchard publishers

I'm reading the classic Greek Myths to Ava and Casper -- a book published by Orchard in the '90s which was recommended to me by my local bookseller. We really enjoy the stories which are told in such a clear and captivating way! So whenever we walk in the park now, where the Narcissus are slowly starting to bloom, Casper tells me -- Look mama! There are those flowers that fell in love with themselves!

Disney's Hercules

Lastly, we watched Disney's Hercules -- a romanticised animated film, also from the '90s. It's about the super strong half god who has to defeat monsters to prove to his father (Zeus) that he is worthy of living on the Olympus as a true God. Not great, but quite entertaining.

So again, if you have any tips to share, we would love to hear. Any general tips about Athens are welcome too, of course!

xxx Esther