Hercules vs the Minotaur
Tom Vaughan, illustrated by David O’Connell
Scholastic

Written in his usual diary style, Hercules Braver shares what happens at the start of his second year in secondary school. The very first day of term is not good – Hercules soon finds himself in trouble and then back home his mum greets him with, “We’ve got a surprise that I think you’ll like!” Cousin Theseus, son of Poseidon, from Greece is going to spend the next couple of months with them. Shock horror for Hercules but demigod and son of Poseidon, anticipates otherwise – “It’s going to be so much fun, cuz!” Instead, rather than the role model Herc is anxious to be (at last), Theseus causes him to get into trouble at every turn both at school and at home.

Then an opportunity arises for him to perform the perfect good deed: Mr Geras tells the class about how the school will be involved in the town festival and there’s to be a competition to design and build the school’s float which must be shaped like the school mascot – a bull. Later the same day he spies a poster in town announcing a design a maze competition – something Ken would absolutely love to do. Back home Herc gets to work thinking of designs for the float and guess who starts interfering. Ken meanwhile starts thinking of maze designing.

The town float parade is a disaster and Mum tells Herc what he did was his worst thing ever and grounds him and Theo till her book launch party almost two weeks away. Soon after Herc begins to see his cousin in a new light which is just as well because it’s not long before the two boys are forced to work together. Zeus has been focussed on writing the book that the universe is in jeopardy as one of the most terrifying monsters has planned an escape from the Underworld and with both dads now pre-occupied, it’s up to Herc and Theo to track down and stop the Minotaur.

31st October, Hallowe’en is the day of Operation Minotaur. It’s also the day Herc learns something very unexpected about said Minotaur. But can order be restored to the cosmos? … And what will happen at the end of Theo’s two months with Herc? …
With lots of David O’Connell’s amusing illustrations, this is a terrific read that fans of the series will rapidly devour. KALAMATA!