The Winged Girl of Knossos - by Erick Berry (Paperback)

About the Book

Presenting ancient Crete in rich detail, the adventures of the plucky and insightful daughter of Daedalos echo classic Greek myths.

Book Synopsis

"When push comes to shove, Katniss Everdeen has nothing on Inas, daughter of Daidalos."--Betsy Bird

Inas leaps at adventure. She dives to the bottom of the Aegean Sea to harvest sponges and somersaults over charging bulls in front of thousands of people. Best of all, she soars from cliffs wearing the glider-wings her father builds in secret, safe from the prying eyes of their neighbors, who think flying is sorcery.

When Princess Ariadne seeks Inas's help to hatch a plan with Theseus, a young Greek who's held prisoner in the palace's Labyrinth, Inas doesn't realize how much adventure she is taking on. In fact, Inas suddenly finds that she may be about to lose everything she holds dear on the island of Crete.

A fun, fast-paced retelling of the Greek myths of Icarus and Theseus, this 1934 Newbery Honor book was ahead of its time and is sure to find lots of fans among today's readers.

Erick Berry was the pen name of Allena Champlin (1892-1974), an award-winning author and illustrator. She was born in New Bedford, Massachusetts, studied art in Paris, and spent time in Africa. She wrote nonfiction about life in Africa as well as historical fiction. She was married to author Herbert Best and illustrated many of his books in addition to her own.

Betsy Bird is Evanston Public Library's Collection Development Manager. She has served on the Newbery Award committee and written for The Horn Book. Currently, she runs the blog "A Fuse 8 Production" on the School Library Journal website.

Review Quotes

"Let's re-establish this book back where it truly belongs. In the canon as a classic of its time."--School Library Journal in its column "Recommendation from Under the Radar"

"[I]ngenious reimagining of the myths of Theseus and Icarus with a bold, clever girl in the starring role. Brimming with adventure and historical detail..." --The Wall Street Journal

"A bold, adventurous story with timeless appeal."--Midwest Book Review

"Not only is The Winged Girl of Knossos a riveting adventure story and a moving tale of love and friendship; it is also filled with fascinating historical detail about this lost period of Greek history. For readers who have already developed a love of Greek mythology through series such as the Percy Jackson books, this new offering offers fascinating insight into the civilizations of ancient Crete and the Minoan people. It is a fascinating and enjoyable read."--The Children's Book Review

"Hair-raising moments aplenty move this story along. Gobs of rich detail about the Minoan world are woven in as well...This would make a dandy choice for voracious readers ages 9 and up." --Orange Marmalade Books

"In the wonderfully energetic Inas, [Berry has] created a heroine for the ages, one of the first and most memorable self-determining girls in the Newbery canon...A rediscovery that no fan of children's historical fiction, myth-inspired adventure stories, or Newbery-award books should miss." --The Emerald City Book Review

About the Author

Erick Berry was the pen name of Allena Champlin (1892-1974), an award-winning author and illustrator. She was born in New Bedford, Massachusetts, studied art in Paris, and spent time in Africa. She wrote nonfiction about life in Africa as well as historical fiction. She was married to author Herbert Best and illustrated many of his books in addition to her own.