Atalanta and the Arcadian Beast (Young Heroes) - Hardcover

Yolen, Jane

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 006029454X ISBN 13: 9780060294540

Publisher: HarperCollins, 2003

Synopsis

Atalanta's life has always been filled with danger, adventure, and mystery. Abandoned as a baby, she was raised in the woods by bears until she was four years old. Atalanta has never had -- or wanted -- a place in society. The woods, her animal friends, and her life outdoors are the things she prizes.

Then disaster strikes when a vicious creature unlike any other terrorizes the Arcadian countryside and destroys everything Atalanta holds dear. Her desire for revenge drives her out of the woods and on the beast's trail with the king's hunting party. Led by the arrogant hunter Orion, the expedition puts all of Atalanta's skills to the test. But assisted by her bear "brother" Urso, Atalanta proves she is as good a hunter as any man. She is not prepared, however, for the startling truths she will discover about justice, mercy, and her own destiny.

This third entry in the Young Heroes series by Jane Yolen and Robert J. Harris is an adventure story from beginning to end, portraying the dramatic events that transform a girl into a legend, and a huntress into a hero.

About this title

About the Author:

Jane Yolen is one of the acknowledged masters of fantasy today. She is the author of more than two hundred books for children and adults. Her young adult novel The Devil's Arhtmetic won the Jewish Book Council Award. Her children's book Owl Moon, illustrated by John Schoenherr, was awarded the Caldecott Medal; her fantasy novels Sister Light, Sister Dark and White Jenna were both short-listed for the Nebula; and she's won the Nebula twice for short stories. She has also won the World Fantasy Award, the Christopher Medal twice, and the Golden Kite Award. She has written two previous books in the Young Heroes series with Robert J. Harris, Odysseus in the Serpent Maze and Hippolyta and the Curse of the Amazons. Jane Yolen lives with her husband in western Massachusetts and St. Andrews, Scotland.

From Booklist:

Gr. 4-6. The third volume in the Young Heroes series sends 12-year-old Atalanta in pursuit of a giant winged lion after it kills the hunter who raised her. Having spent nearly her entire life in the woods, Atalanta is a strong hunter and a nearly feral child; she is far more comfortable with her huge bear companion than with the glory-seeking humans who join her on the trail. The tale sweeps along at a good clip toward a rousing climax, and the authors have buttressed the action with many details and characters from classical mythology--mighty Orion, a vain, but capable, hunter whose rivalry with Atalanta gradually turns into mutual respect; a petulant Artemis; and mischievous, powerful Pan. Although Atalanta turns out to be a child of royal parents, she elects to return to her old, independent life in the end--at least for the present. Children intrigued by the often sketchy tales surrounding Atalanta will enjoy both this fleshed out version of her youthful adventures and the somewhat different take Stephanie Spinner offers in Quiver [BKL Ja 1 & 15 03]; for other books of interest, see the Read-alike, "Grrrls of the Ancient World," also in the January 03 issue. John Peters
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About this edition

• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 006029454X
• ISBN 13: 9780060294540
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 256