13-year-old Pandora Atheneus Andromaeche Helena (or Pandy, for short) has no idea what she'll bring for her school project. By accident she discovers a simple box, said to contain something so terrifying and horrible that no one must ever, ever touch it for fear of inflicting all of mankind with the wrath of the Gods and Goddesses. This, of course, makes the box the perfect thing for Pandora to bring for her school project. Unfortunately, things don't go "quite "the way she was hoping, and the box "accidentally "gets opened, unleashing all kinds of evil and misery into the world. Hauled before Zeus, Hera and the rest of immortals, Pandy's given the task of collecting all the evils within a year's time. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Starred Review. Harry Potter meets Edith Hamilton in this cheeky rendition of Pandora's famous faux pas, first in the Mythic Adventures series. Prometheus's daughter, Pandora, sneaks the notorious box of evils out of hiding rather than bring her father's boring old eagle-eaten liver to a student competition at the Athena Maiden Middle School, where she accidentally opens it and releases the plagues of humanity. Sentenced by Zeus to retrieve them, Pandora is aided by secret gifts from some gods and goddesses who, as Hermes tells her, remember their own youthful mistakes: A little petty thievery, a few unrequited loves, people mistakenly transformed into animals or trees or hideous monsters. Things we're not proud of, all right? Pandy, accompanied by two stricken friends, finds her way to the Oracle at Delphi and gets Jealousy back. Aspiring Hellenists will appreciate Hennesy's informed liberties with her topic, and novices will be not only fine but possibly inspired to go further. Debut novelist Hennesy's Hollywood comedian background shows in her witty juxtapositions of modern popular culture and classical Greek legend: her work is rife with mythic creatures (dryads, satyrs, gorgons), magic (a talking diary, winged flying shoes, shape-shifting) and lively dialogue ( 'Hey, sorry about the light,' Hermes said. 'Standard procedure. Zeus wants everyone to be terribly afraid when I appear whether it's good news or bad; but that kind of thinking is sooooo Bronze Age, right?' ). Accurate where it counts, this loosely interpreted myth rarely misses a comic twist. Ages 9-12. (Jan.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

Gr 5 7 Given the recent proliferation of fine novels incorporating characters and themes from Greek mythology, including Rick Riordan's "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" series (Hyperion/Miramax), Anne Ursu's "Cronus Chronicles" (S & S), and Jane Yolen and Robert J. Harris's "Young Heroes" books (HarperCollins), to name a few, there is little need to add this title to most collections. Hennesy's depiction of Pandora owes more to the influence of the "Gossip Girls" than to standard conceptions of the pantheon. It may be reasonable to portray Pandy as a spoiled brat. Other plot points that a teenager takes the infamous box of troubles to school to fulfill a show-and-tell assignment are harder to swallow. Altogether inessential. Miriam Lang Budin, Chappaqua Public Library, NY Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

This debut joins recent titles, such as Rick Riordan's The Lightning Thief (2005) and Clea Hantman's Heaven Sent (2002), that spin classical Greek mythology into irreverent adventure stories. Pandora, or Pandy, knows she is taking a great risk when she brings her father's special box to school for a show-and-tell project. Given to him by Zeus, the box contains misery and evil capable of destroying civilization, but Pandy's desire to impress her snotty classmates and imperious teachers overrides caution. So begins this retelling of the Pandora myth, in which Pandy gets a chance to repair the damage she has caused by recapturing the box's unleashed contents. The story includes many elements straight from a contemporary kids' world, including some archetypal mean girls, and a glossary will help readers keep track of the Mount Olympus cast. The first title in the Mythic Misadventures series, this imaginative novel will capture fans of light, action-filled, girl-powered adventures. Engberg, Gillian. From: Syndetics Solutions, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.