Let Sleeping Gods Lie

‘Let Sleeping Gods Lie’ is the second story about Trixie dos Santos. When her grandma's magical cauldron goes missing, Trixie is thrust into the underworld and has to call on her old - but very hard to control- friends for help!

Like the first book, this is an excellent adventure, full of humour and heart, offering a fascinating introduction to myths from cultures across the world. These stories are perfect for broadening children’s knowledge of the amazing characters from mythology beyond those so often met in school and I am delighted that today, author Thiago de Moraes, joins me on the Bookshelf to share his thoughts about the myths all around us.

Myths All Around Us

There’s no magic in our world, right?

Proper magic. Card tricks and disappearing tigers with mirrors don’t count. By proper magic I mean chimaeras breathing fire, people being turned into pigs, talking foxes, that kind of thing. And that just doesn’t exist in real life.

Well, I think that’s wrong or, at least, not exactly right. That’s why I wrote Old Gods, New Tricks and its sequel Let Sleeping Gods Lie. In both books, a young girl called Trixie dos Santos goes on adventures with a band of unruly trickster gods: Exú, Loki, Monkey King and many others. She lives in a world just like ours, but she encounters magic and legend everywhere she goes.

Growing up, I was obsessed with myths and legends from all over the world. I read book after book on the subject from my local library, and believed that the gods and creatures I was learning about were all around us. I’m much older now, and sadly I haven’t met a selkie or a griffin yet (I’d probably not be around to write this if that last one had happened) but I still see myth and magic everywhere I go.

Over the past twenty years or so, I’ve been lucky enough to be able to travel to ancient, sacred places: Chichén Itza, the Great Pyramid, Stonehenge, Delos and many others, all heavy with the presence of thousands of years of belief and ritual. These are extraordinary places, but it’s in the small things, those closer to home, that I feel the grip of legend is closer to us.

Magic is there. In all the little beliefs and superstitions some of us still hold: knocking on wood, placing horseshoes over the door, and saucers of cream in the kitchen. The memories of old gods who haven’t left us: green men and oak leaves on churches; our days named after the Sun, Moon, Woden and Saturn.

All those tiny moments, images and actions are echoes of beliefs that have been part of humanity’s lives for thousands of years. We’re in an age of technology and knowledge, and that’s all for the better, but there’s still a little bit of space in all of us for the unknown, the magical, the absurd.

That’s the world I wanted to create in Let Sleeping Gods Lie. A world where all the magic (and a lot of the mayhem) left the places where it had been sleeping and spilled into our daily lives.

What would the school run be like with gnomes and sphinxes about? And travelling by plane in a sky full of dragons and harpies? What about coming across trolls under bridges and kumiho in the woods?  Quite scary, is probably the answer, but also full of fun and adventure.

I hope readers join me on a journey through this world of myth and magic, and that it helps them find a little bit of both in theirs.

Many thanks to Thiago for joining me today and to Fraser from David Fickling for arranging it.

‘Let Sleeping Gods Lie’ is a brilliant read with additional information about some of the gods and goddesses met in the story at the end- the perfect starting point for further investigation!

Let Sleeping Gods Lie

Thiago de Moraes

David Fickling ISBN: 978-1788453202

You can read my review of ‘Old Gods New Tricks’ here.

Hannah Messenger and the Gods of Hockwold

When they decided to retire, Hera chose to live in a little village called Hockwold-cum-Wilton with her husband, Zeus, King of the Gods. Gradually, they were joined by many of the other gods which is how Hannah Messenger, granddaughter of Hermes, and her friends ended up living there. On the day, Hannah gets her powers, something weird happens and the protections on the village which make it impossible for mortals to see anything ‘godlike’ going on disappear and all the Gods and their descendants completely lose their memories. Hannah, Dylan, Amy and Alastair alone can remember who and what they are. When the God’s objects of power start to go missing, they need to stop the thief at all costs!

Fabulously funny, ‘Hannah Messenger and the Gods of Huckwold’ is a brilliant read. It’s the sort of story I love to read aloud to a class, offering plenty of opportunities to ‘do the voices’ and one which is sure to have them moaning when you stop reading! It’s the sort of book where a burst of discussion, sharing ideas about what might happen next, thoughts about particular characters or just saying how much they are enjoying the story follows every session and children regularly ‘remind’ you that it’s nearly time to read!

The plot offers a pacy adventure, a touch of mystery, plenty of humour and a tortoise called Dolio! Children are sure to be inspired to discover more about the Greek gods from the snippets which are threaded throughout the story and enjoy seeing the links between the gods and their descendants- for example, Hermes was the messenger to the gods (amongst other things!), explaining Hannah’s surname. Dylan’s poem is a great way of remembering who’s who in Zeus’s family tree and is sure to become a popular one to learn by heart!

Friendship, teamwork and trust are central to the story as Hannah comes to better understand both her family and friends as she seeks to save the objects sacred to the gods which are being stolen from houses around the village. I would love there to be more adventures for Hannah and her friends as this was such an enjoyable and engaging read!

Hannah Messenger and the Gods of Hockwold

Briony Pearce

UCLan Publishing ISBN: 978-1915235978

Published on the 6th June 2024

Egyptian Myths

This lovely book sits alongside the ‘Greek Myths’ and ‘Norse Myths’, both from DK, which share the same format- and I hope there are plans to work through mythologies from across the world in this way! Beautifully presented, it is packed with information and illustrations which bring the stories of the Gods, Goddesses and Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt to life.

Starting with creation stories, the reader discovers how the ancient Egyptians believed the world was created, including pages of information focusing on Nut and Geb. Myths introducing different gods and goddesses follow, each absorbing and skilfully told. The stories are interspersed with information about Ancient Egyptian life and specific deities.

It’s a fascinating read and perfect for supporting children’s understanding about this fascinating period of history. Whilst the illustrations capture interest, the very readable text brings these stories to life in an accessible, magical way. A pronunciation guide and a glossary support the readers’ understanding and the detailed index makes information easy to locate.

An excellent book, perfect for school and home!

Egyptian Myths: Meet the Gods, Goddesses and Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt

Jean Menzies, illustrated by Katie Ponder

DK ISBN: 978-0241538739