In donna jo napoli s beautiful prose, the tragic love story between a mermaid and a mortal comes to life for young readers. Donna jo napoli has received acclaim for her young adult works and is especially known for her historical novels and her retellings of myth and fairy tales. Sirena is my all time fav, and only donna jo naploi book ive read, but id like to read more, id love to see a sequel to sirena, i want to see philoctetes come back. With the death of her father, she lives with stepmother and a halfsister, wei ping. If she is to become immortal, she must be loved by a human man. Donna jo napoli the gods grant immortality to the mermaid sirena when she rescues a human man from the sea and they fall in love, but his mortality creates great conflict between love and honor when he is called to. Donna jo napoli, sirena i remember buying this because of the image of the siren in the cover. Sirena is drawn to him, but afraid for him at the same timeshe does not want him to suffer the same fate as the men before him. I thought it was a incredible novel because sirena and her sisters are hybrids halfhuman, halffish, or mermaids, yearning for the touch and love of men. It is a beautiful story about greek sirens living on a island.
Donna jo napolis books were recommended to me because i had purchased some robin mckinley books through them, and im glad i took them up on it. Many of napolis books are retellings of classic folktales or myths. Sirena has 3 available editions to buy at half price books marketplace. Discussions of predication within government and binding theory have stressed the configurational properties of the phrases involved, and napoli argues that this has led to proposals for more and more elaborate syntactic. In donna jo napolis beautiful prose, the tragic love story between a mermaid and a mortal comes to life for young readers.
An irish princess tale by donna jo napoli and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Donna jo napoli born february 28, 1948 is an american writer of childrens and young adult. Donna jo napoli takes a look at mermaids in sirena, a tale set against the backdrop of ancient greece and the trojan war sirena and her sister mermaids are mortal, at risk from any of the perils of the sunny sea that is their home. Sirena is one of the sirens, the mermaid beings in greek mythology that sing songs that. She loves to garden and bake bread, and even dreams of moving to the woods and becoming a naturalist. When sirena meets philoctetes, hercules friend, she falls in love. Sirena is one of my favorite books by donna jo napoli. Obviously, its a retelling of beauty and the beast, but its told from the beasts perspective. I think this book is out of print, so you might have to buy a used copy on. Here she reimagines and fuses several parts of the story of troy. This book has to be one of the greatest books ever written. Jan 20, 2011 sirena is one of my favorite books by donna jo napoli. Like its mermaid heroine, this uneven novel is something of a hybrid. Sirena defies the goddess hera by tending his wounds and soon the two are deep in love.
The king of mulberry street by donna jo napoli books on. Sirena s mermaid sisters use their silvery voices to lure sailors to them even though it will cause the sailors certain death. At various times her house and yard have been filled with dogs, cats, birds, and rabbits. Napoli has forged a brilliant writing career out of making readers see compellingly different interpretations of mythic figures, such as rapunzel in zel 1996 and mary magdalen in song of the magdalene 1996.
Donna jo napoli born february 28, 1948 is an american writer of childrens and young adult fiction, as well as a prominent linguist. Reading a book by her is always a treat and i also recommend her other bookszel, spinners, etc. I still like both authors, but napoli s concise style is refreshing in comparison with mckinleys more cumbersome novels. The king of mulberry street by donna jo napoli, paperback. If you release a corrected version of this file, please let me bookchiq on. But did the sirens who napoli imagines as mermaids really mean for the sailors to perish. Breath by donna jo napoli nearly almost all of donna jo napolis books are based around a simple formula.
I know that she didnt kill princey dude but i misread the ending im working on a better version. But when she and her sisters sing their siren songs to the greek sailors on their way to the trojan war, the men crash their ships upon the rocks and drown. Donna jo napoli sirena once again, donna jo napoli has captivated me with her style of writing and descriptions and characters. Donna jo napoli biography life, family, children, parents. It has been a technique that has worked brilliantly for several of her. But the young warrior must return home to fight the trojan war and leave his magical love behind. Sirena by donna jo napoli and oh, i want so much to sing. True to the legend, this philoctetes has been abandoned by his crew mates. I am very pleased that i gave donna jo napoli s books a second chance. Donna jo napolis 2006 novel north tells the story of alvin, a 12yearold africanamerican of diminutive stature whose size has made him the.
Donna jo napoli is the author of many distinguished books for young readers, among them daughter of venice, crazy jack, the magic circle, zel, sirena, and stones in water. Books like sirena by donna jo napoli suggested reading donna jo napoli this study guide consists of approximately 15 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of sirena. Sirena is a book written by donna jo napoli that was published in 1998. I just keep coming back for more, because i love it that much. But how can she fight a love she has been waiting for all her life a love that will make her live forever. Sirena more than meets the standards set by napolis other books. Sirena by donna jo napoli is an enticing book that i basically read 3 hours straight. The sirens were long thought to be deadly women, either humanoid or birdlike, who lured sailors to their deaths on the rocks with their enticing songs. Crew integrates criticism and biographical information to illuminate napolis many novels, as well as other writings by napoli such as her essays on writing for young people and her book. Apr 06, 2017 donna jo napoli is the author, with david wiesner, of fish girl, a new graphic novel for kids. Dec 10, 2008 donna jo napoli is the author of many distinguished books for young readers, among them daughter of venice, crazy jack, the magic circle, zel, sirena, and stones in water. Set in medieval venice, this captivating fairy tale retelling by awardwinning author donna jo napoli explores belonging, beauty, and the transformative power of love through the eyes of a teenage girl.
A few months later, i picked up sirena and did not regret it one iota. Beast by donna jo napoli is one of those ya fantasy novels that ive been rereading every couple years since i was twelve. Napoli has written numerous enjoyable retellings of folk and fairy tales for the young adult audience. Donna jo napoli moonlights from her job as a professor of linguistics at a pennsylvania college to write books for children and young adults. I read crazy jack and, for whatever reason, did not like it very much the first time around. But the young warrior must return home to fight the trojan war, and leave his magical love behind. So says sirena, the title character in donna jo napolis young adult novel, a story of love between a young greek soldier and a mermaid during the trojan war. Slowly, napoli unfurls a glorious story of love, as sirena reaches immortality while understanding the consequences of her love and exploring brand new feelings such as desertion, desperation, and jealousy. She has worked in syntax, phonetics, phonology, morphology, historical and comparative linguistics, romance studies, structure of japanese, structure of american sign language, poetics. Sirena has much more agency, and she grows to understand the give and take of love and relationships. Sirena by donna jo napoli this book has to be one of the greatest books ever written. I am very pleased that i gave donna jo napolis books a second chance.
A study of love, honor, and what it means to be immortal, napoli has. Their mortality is a curse from the jealous sea nymph rhodope and can only be lifted. For the love of venice, 1998, 2000 paperback delacorte press. She has received three degrees from harvard university. Its about a siren who decides that she doesnt want to lure men to their deaths. Sirena, the main character, knows that she is cursed, being halfhuman. This detailed literature summary also contains related titles on sirena by donna jo napoli. The book itself is about a daring mermaid named sirena, who lives with her sisters on an island. If youre a fan of greek mythology or mermaids then this is a great book to read. Their dream is to become immortal, but to do so, they must be fallen in love with by a man. Her many other books for children and young adults include tales from the arabian nights, take your time, and dark shimmer.
This study guide consists of approximately 15 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of sirena. Donna jo napoli sirena paris mythology nature scribd. I still like both authors, but napolis concise style is refreshing in comparison with mckinleys more cumbersome novels. Sirena combines the greek myths with sirens, nymphs and mermaids as well as odysseus and troy. Sirena book by donna jo napoli half price books marketplace. She tells the story of the greek sirens which are pictured to be mermaids. Apr 26, 2010 donna jo napoli has received acclaim for her young adult works and is especially known for her historical novels and her retellings of myth and fairy tales. Donna jo napoli s books were recommended to me because i had purchased some robin mckinley books through them, and im glad i took them up on it.
Sirena by donna jo napoli now famous for her ability to take old, familiar tales and present them through new perspectives, donna jo napoli tackles the subject of greek mythology and the captivating mermaids of the oceans. Her childrens books have been translated into chinese, danish, dutch, german, greek, hebrew, italian, japanese. Donna jo napoli takes a look at mermaids in sirena, a tale set against the backdrop. Donna jo napoli lives in swarthmore, pennsylvania, with her husband barry and their five children.
But after witnessing a shipwreck in which the survivors kill one of her sisters, 17yearold sirena decides she would rather lose her chance at eternal life than trick a human into loving her. There is one survivor of the carnage philoctetes, friend to hercules and a hero himself. Donna jo napoli born february 28, 1948 is an american writer of childrens and young adult fiction, as well as a prominent linguist she has worked in syntax, phonetics, phonology, morphology, historical and comparative linguistics, romance studies, the structure of japanese, structure of american sign language. Slowly, napoli unfurls a glorious story of love, as sirena reaches immortality while. Donna jo napoli born february 28, 1948 is an american writer of childrens and young adult fiction, as well as a prominent linguist she has worked in syntax, phonetics, phonology, morphology, historical and comparative linguistics, romance studies, the structure of japanese citation needed, structure of american sign language, poetics, writing for esl students, and mathematical and. The mermaid sisters lure the warriors with their songs. In this study donna jo napoli takes a commonsense approach to the notions of argument and predicate. In napolis tale, because they are halfhuman, the 10 sirens are doomed to lead short mortal livesunless they can convince men to become their mates.
The story is lovely, but the ending is very very sad. Donna jo napoli is the author, with david wiesner, of fish girl, a new graphic novel for kids. Donna jo napoli is both a linguist and a writer of childrens and ya fiction. Books like sirena by donna jo napoli suggested reading. Based on an ancient icelandic saga, awardwinning author donna jo napoli has crafted a heartbreaking story of a young girl who must learn to forget all that she knows and carve out a place for herself in a new world all without speaking a word. When sirena and her sisters sing their siren sons to the sailors on their way to the trojan war, the men crash their ships upon the rocks. Oct 01, 1998 donna jo napoli sirena once again, donna jo napoli has captivated me with her style of writing and descriptions and characters.
That was the word that came to my mind when i finished reading this book. Usually i am not fond of the use of either first person narrative or present. November 2000, turtleback books distributed by demco media. Unlike her sisters, who simply see human men and the love they have to give as a vehicle to immortality, sirena understands that the gift of.
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