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The Labors of Hercules Beal
From award-winning author Gary D. Schmidt, a warm and witty novel in the tradition of The Wednesday Wars, in which a seventh grader has to figure out how to fulfill an assignment to perform the Twelve Labors of Hercules in real life--and makes discoveries about friendship, community, and himself along the way.
Herc Beal knows who he's named after--a mythical hero--but he's no superhero. He's the smallest kid in his class. So when his homeroom teacher at his new middle school gives him the assignment of duplicating the mythical Hercules's amazing feats in real life, he's skeptical. After all, there are no Nemean Lions on Cape Cod--and not a single Hydra in sight.
Missing his parents terribly and wishing his older brother wasn't working all the time, Herc figures out how to take his first steps along the road that the great Hercules himself once walked. Soon, new friends, human and animal, are helping him. And though his mythical role model performed his twelve labors by himself, Herc begins to see that he may not have to go it alone.
Herc Beal knows who he's named after--a mythical hero--but he's no superhero. He's the smallest kid in his class. So when his homeroom teacher at his new middle school gives him the assignment of duplicating the mythical Hercules's amazing feats in real life, he's skeptical. After all, there are no Nemean Lions on Cape Cod--and not a single Hydra in sight.
Missing his parents terribly and wishing his older brother wasn't working all the time, Herc figures out how to take his first steps along the road that the great Hercules himself once walked. Soon, new friends, human and animal, are helping him. And though his mythical role model performed his twelve labors by himself, Herc begins to see that he may not have to go it alone.
351 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 23, 2023
307 people are currently reading
8393 people want to read
About the author
Gary D. Schmidt
76 books2,185 followersGary D. Schmidt is an American children's writer of nonfiction books and young adult novels, including two Newbery Honor books. He lives on a farm in Alto, Michigan,with his wife and six children, where he splits wood, plants gardens, writes, feeds the wild cats that drop by and wishes that sometimes the sea breeze came that far inland. He is a Professor of English at Calvin College.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,743 reviews
March 20, 2023
The obvious question to start out with here is, How on earth is everything Gary D. Schmidt writes so good? I realize I’m basically a Schmidt fan girl at this point, and will jump to read anything he writes with an alacrity lacking in most areas of my life. You could either take that as a warning: maybe I’m a little biased here—or as an endorsement: you, too, should become obsessed with any writing that is this good. Let’s go with the latter.
Hercules Beal is starting out a new school year, at a new school, with a new teacher (Lieutenant Colonel Hupfer, who is just as strict as that sounds). His parents recently died in a car crash, and he and his adult brother are trying to manage to keep up the old family business of the Beal Brothers Nursery and Garden Center in Truro, Massachusetts, the most beautiful place on earth, according to Hercules. As you can imagine, that’s plenty difficult—so when Lieutenant Colonel Hupfer assigns him a project to study and re-enact the labors of Hercules in his actual life, it’s, well, a Herculean task that will require all his ingenuity, friendship, and heart to achieve.
If you’re thinking that the structure of this story is gimmicky—eh, it is. But I DON’T CARE. Because it WORKS. I’ve come to think that the magic element to the really great writing in the world is that its authors know when to follow rules and when to break them. Gary D. Schmidt breaks a few with abandon in his newest book, but does so with confidence and aplomb. The result is a book that is a pleasure to fall into, because you know you are in the hands of a master.
Like most of Schmidt’s books, this is chock full of interesting characters, particularly Hercules’s teachers and neighbors in Truro, and his brother’s girlfriend, Viola, who “is obviously a vampire.” Again, like much of this author’s work, The Labors of Hercules Beal could be given out as a handbook for how to become a good human being. It’s going right to the top of my “Books My Son Must Read Before Becoming a Man” shelf (next to Pay Attention, Carter Jones, incidentally).
This gem comes out May 23, so go ahead and pre-order it now.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an electronic copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All gushing opinions are my own.
Hercules Beal is starting out a new school year, at a new school, with a new teacher (Lieutenant Colonel Hupfer, who is just as strict as that sounds). His parents recently died in a car crash, and he and his adult brother are trying to manage to keep up the old family business of the Beal Brothers Nursery and Garden Center in Truro, Massachusetts, the most beautiful place on earth, according to Hercules. As you can imagine, that’s plenty difficult—so when Lieutenant Colonel Hupfer assigns him a project to study and re-enact the labors of Hercules in his actual life, it’s, well, a Herculean task that will require all his ingenuity, friendship, and heart to achieve.
If you’re thinking that the structure of this story is gimmicky—eh, it is. But I DON’T CARE. Because it WORKS. I’ve come to think that the magic element to the really great writing in the world is that its authors know when to follow rules and when to break them. Gary D. Schmidt breaks a few with abandon in his newest book, but does so with confidence and aplomb. The result is a book that is a pleasure to fall into, because you know you are in the hands of a master.
Like most of Schmidt’s books, this is chock full of interesting characters, particularly Hercules’s teachers and neighbors in Truro, and his brother’s girlfriend, Viola, who “is obviously a vampire.” Again, like much of this author’s work, The Labors of Hercules Beal could be given out as a handbook for how to become a good human being. It’s going right to the top of my “Books My Son Must Read Before Becoming a Man” shelf (next to Pay Attention, Carter Jones, incidentally).
This gem comes out May 23, so go ahead and pre-order it now.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an electronic copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All gushing opinions are my own.
July 23, 2023
✰ 4.5 stars ✰
“Wait a minute. All twelve?”
“All twelve.”
“Isn’t one of those Labors going down to hell?”
“There and back,” said Lieutenant Colonel Hupfer. “As I indicated to Ms. de la Peña, it’s a tough world, Beal.”
He leaned down over me and whispered, so quietly that no one else could hear, “But I think you already know that.”
I looked at him.
“Not that I care,” said Lieutenant Colonel Hupfer.”
To quote Hercules Beal's favorite expression, 'oh boy, oh boy', I never expected The Labors of Hercules Beal to be such a truckload of fun and feels as it was. When Hercules Beal is given the herculean task of performing Hercules' Twelve Labors into his real life for his year-long English assignment, while also learning about all the challenges the mythical Hercules had to face, he, too discovers the important things about friendship and family and himself, along the way. 🙏🏻
“The strangeness of these myths is how often they subtly enact themselves in our lives. But we notice them only when we’re watching closely—as I hope you will be, because with watching will come recognition, and with recognition, understanding of their relevance.”
Hercules is a bright young boy, who lost the light in his life, when his parents died and his brother had to come back to help run the family business. It didn't help that, due to newly implemented division regulations, he now has to attend Cape Cod Academy for Environmental Sciences - a twenty-two minute walk from his home. But with new changes, come new people - with new people, come new experiences. And with new experiences, come new life lessons, one which Hercules probably might have never experienced, if not for his new 7th grade homeroom teacher, Lieutenant Colonel Hupfer.
“They did it in gratitude for what you and your brother have done for the Academy, and in support of you especially, because you are our student.
We are here to help you carry the sky when you have to, and we are here to help you put it down when you need to.
Why else would anyone ever become a teacher?”
I loved the creative and unique way in which Gary D.Schmidt brought to life different scenarios that rivaled that of the legendary Hercules. And at the heart of it, as Hercules relayed all the little adventures and escapades, was Lt. Col. Hupfer, a no-nonsense military man to the core, but with the commitment and dedication to enriching students' hearts and minds that rivaled any great teacher. 🥺🥺
And with such subtlety of humor that earned so many light chuckles from me, he was able to bestow words of wisdom and compassion to Hercules, as he not only responded in kindness to his plights, but helped him open his eyes to the world around him. All the people of his community - friends, family, neighbors - there was so much love and appreciation and deep connection that was displayed - that they were so fiercely supportive and caring of one other's feelings and plights that made me feel like I was a part of their world, too. 🥹🥹
“Leave it,” I said.
He did. I stayed in my father’s room all night. The doctors and nurses, they left. Even my brother left me alone.
Me and the humming monitor and my father.
I still hear it, that low hum. It plays just beneath awareness—but it is always playing.
It is the soundtrack of my life.”
The beauty of these labors that resonated with me was that through his efforts in trying to fulfill them, Hercules was finally able to grieve the loss of his parents - parents he missed 'like I would miss the sun.' I loved that it never felt forced - I am actually in such awe at how the author created such a perfect balance between the tough emotions and the subtle quiet laughter - that we can feel that he is still grieving - it is so very palpable how he is still inadvertently blaming himself for his parents' death. 😢😢 But, with quiet reproach and gentle prodding, he is reminded that he is not - that the challenges he faces finally gives him a chance to forgive himself and find a way to move on. ❤️🩹❤️🩹
“Your brother told me about how you go out to the Dune every morning to see the sunrise.”
“When did he tell—”
“Parent-teacher conferences.”
“He’s not my parent.”
“I understand that.”
“And he’s asleep when I go out.”
“No, he’s not. He is always watching for you to come back, to make sure you’re okay.”
I sat down. I hadn’t known.
I hadn’t known.”
I loved the relationship between Hercules and Achilles, the older brother who gave up his job to come back home and run Beal Brothers Farm and Nursery. Sometimes you don't have to say 'I love you' to know that they love you. 🥺 The little moments that captured that beautiful bond between the two of them - that they know that they are all that's left of the long line of history of their family tree - that the fear of losing the other can be heard in the unspoken care in which they look out for each other - my heart ate it all up. 🤍🤍 And for Achilles, who returns home to Truro after living all over the world - that ending reveal that captured how 'it takes time to learn to love your home again after you’ve been away,' was very much the icing on the cake. 🥰
This book is a labor of love to read - Middle Grade writing that is simple but still educational, humorous but still heart-felt and honest, and one that delivers a heartwarming sense of familiarity within the community of love and family. 🙏🏻🙏🏻
And on a side note, as someone who did read Hatchet in 6th Grade English back in the early 2000s, it makes me happy to see that even in fictional stories, it is a book that can still be studied in class even now - that it still stands strong as a story worth reading even today. 😊
“Wait a minute. All twelve?”
“All twelve.”
“Isn’t one of those Labors going down to hell?”
“There and back,” said Lieutenant Colonel Hupfer. “As I indicated to Ms. de la Peña, it’s a tough world, Beal.”
He leaned down over me and whispered, so quietly that no one else could hear, “But I think you already know that.”
I looked at him.
“Not that I care,” said Lieutenant Colonel Hupfer.”
To quote Hercules Beal's favorite expression, 'oh boy, oh boy', I never expected The Labors of Hercules Beal to be such a truckload of fun and feels as it was. When Hercules Beal is given the herculean task of performing Hercules' Twelve Labors into his real life for his year-long English assignment, while also learning about all the challenges the mythical Hercules had to face, he, too discovers the important things about friendship and family and himself, along the way. 🙏🏻
“The strangeness of these myths is how often they subtly enact themselves in our lives. But we notice them only when we’re watching closely—as I hope you will be, because with watching will come recognition, and with recognition, understanding of their relevance.”
Hercules is a bright young boy, who lost the light in his life, when his parents died and his brother had to come back to help run the family business. It didn't help that, due to newly implemented division regulations, he now has to attend Cape Cod Academy for Environmental Sciences - a twenty-two minute walk from his home. But with new changes, come new people - with new people, come new experiences. And with new experiences, come new life lessons, one which Hercules probably might have never experienced, if not for his new 7th grade homeroom teacher, Lieutenant Colonel Hupfer.
“They did it in gratitude for what you and your brother have done for the Academy, and in support of you especially, because you are our student.
We are here to help you carry the sky when you have to, and we are here to help you put it down when you need to.
Why else would anyone ever become a teacher?”
I loved the creative and unique way in which Gary D.Schmidt brought to life different scenarios that rivaled that of the legendary Hercules. And at the heart of it, as Hercules relayed all the little adventures and escapades, was Lt. Col. Hupfer, a no-nonsense military man to the core, but with the commitment and dedication to enriching students' hearts and minds that rivaled any great teacher. 🥺🥺
And with such subtlety of humor that earned so many light chuckles from me, he was able to bestow words of wisdom and compassion to Hercules, as he not only responded in kindness to his plights, but helped him open his eyes to the world around him. All the people of his community - friends, family, neighbors - there was so much love and appreciation and deep connection that was displayed - that they were so fiercely supportive and caring of one other's feelings and plights that made me feel like I was a part of their world, too. 🥹🥹
“Leave it,” I said.
He did. I stayed in my father’s room all night. The doctors and nurses, they left. Even my brother left me alone.
Me and the humming monitor and my father.
I still hear it, that low hum. It plays just beneath awareness—but it is always playing.
It is the soundtrack of my life.”
The beauty of these labors that resonated with me was that through his efforts in trying to fulfill them, Hercules was finally able to grieve the loss of his parents - parents he missed 'like I would miss the sun.' I loved that it never felt forced - I am actually in such awe at how the author created such a perfect balance between the tough emotions and the subtle quiet laughter - that we can feel that he is still grieving - it is so very palpable how he is still inadvertently blaming himself for his parents' death. 😢😢 But, with quiet reproach and gentle prodding, he is reminded that he is not - that the challenges he faces finally gives him a chance to forgive himself and find a way to move on. ❤️🩹❤️🩹
“Your brother told me about how you go out to the Dune every morning to see the sunrise.”
“When did he tell—”
“Parent-teacher conferences.”
“He’s not my parent.”
“I understand that.”
“And he’s asleep when I go out.”
“No, he’s not. He is always watching for you to come back, to make sure you’re okay.”
I sat down. I hadn’t known.
I hadn’t known.”
I loved the relationship between Hercules and Achilles, the older brother who gave up his job to come back home and run Beal Brothers Farm and Nursery. Sometimes you don't have to say 'I love you' to know that they love you. 🥺 The little moments that captured that beautiful bond between the two of them - that they know that they are all that's left of the long line of history of their family tree - that the fear of losing the other can be heard in the unspoken care in which they look out for each other - my heart ate it all up. 🤍🤍 And for Achilles, who returns home to Truro after living all over the world - that ending reveal that captured how 'it takes time to learn to love your home again after you’ve been away,' was very much the icing on the cake. 🥰
This book is a labor of love to read - Middle Grade writing that is simple but still educational, humorous but still heart-felt and honest, and one that delivers a heartwarming sense of familiarity within the community of love and family. 🙏🏻🙏🏻
And on a side note, as someone who did read Hatchet in 6th Grade English back in the early 2000s, it makes me happy to see that even in fictional stories, it is a book that can still be studied in class even now - that it still stands strong as a story worth reading even today. 😊
June 4, 2023
I received an uncorrected e-proof ARC of “The Labors of Hercules Beal” from NetGalley and HarperCollins in exchange for an honest review.
The idea for this story, written by Gary D. Schmidt, was brilliant. But how Schmidt executed the story was not.
Hercules Beal starts the year by attending a new middle school. While there, his teacher, Lt. Col. Hupfer, tasks him with completing a real-life version of the 12 labors of Hercules. The orphaned Hercules then writes about each of the labors, receiving feedback from Hupfer.
After completing one of Hercules’ many tasks, Lt. Col. Hupfer discussed Beal’s,
“…maniacal insistence upon hitting on 150 words. It is a wise choice. Good writing is never done by the numbers…”
Schmidt was right about that. But what he failed to acknowledge is that good writing is ***tight writing***. Good writing is also about knowing when to add periods. It’s also about knowing when to halt a run-on sentence by breaking it up into multiple, manageable sentences.
As I read through the book, I found that I was unable to keep focused on what Schmidt was saying. In one sentence, he used 140 words (other sentences were 104, 73, 66, and 55 words long). To give you one example of these tiresome, run-on sentences that litter the book, I’ll give you one of my own:
- When I was in middle school—or it could have been in high school—it’s hard to tell because it was so long ago, I knew a girl (whose name I’m withholding for obvious reasons) who talked 90 miles a minute; I’m not lying, in fact, when my mom and I picked her up one time and from the minute we picked her up, she talked and talked and talked and talked, and then she talked some more—oh boy oh boy did she talk—and after my mom finally dropped her off at her house, my mom looked around at me and said how she couldn’t believe that (the girl’s name here withheld) didn’t pass out from lack of air, oh boy oh boy.
The run-on sentence above is **only** 126 words, but as you can see, it could easily be broken up into more manageable chunks for the readers. Schmidt would often have an entire, one-sentence paragraph about 50-100 words long (or more), followed by a 1 or 2 word sentence. At other times, the author would have single sentences spread out into 3 or 4 paragraphs when he could have easily packed them into a single paragraph. If I had written college-level papers with run-on sentences like the one above, my professors would have flunked me. No kidding. Instead, they continuously pressed me to write tight to to keep my readers’ attentions.
You may be saying to yourself: But this book has been given 5-star reviews by the numerous adult reviewers on GoodReads! Yes. But the one review that you should really focus on is the single 3-star review already given by a librarian. In that review, the librarian claimed that the MG kids in her library don’t pick up his books and read them. Yikes! As adults, we think like adults, so we will usually write adult reviews. But MG kids don’t think like adults and they usually don’t write lengthy GoodReads reviews. If a librarian serving MG kids is saying that kids don’t read Schmidt’s books, then you can be pretty sure that there’s a problem. And both the run-on and distorted, choppy sentences are likely the culprit because, as I stated earlier, the idea for this story was pure brilliance.
Now, a lot of adults read MG books, including me. But MG authors strive (or at least **should** strive) to have **MG kids** as their primary readers, not adults. If I was a publisher and I read a librarian’s review that said that kids weren’t reading the author’s books, I would be horrified. Sure, Schmidt is an English professor at a local college. But that doesn’t mean that he’s immune to good, tight writing (a lot of graduate students and their professors—in numerous fields—are notoriously bad writers). And the issues I listed above aren’t minor, nor are they a one-off. This isn’t Schmidt’s first rodeo—he’s had over 10 books published for this age group.
The book is relatively clean, with only the word “jackass” appearing. The idea for this book was exciting. I adore mythology and I absolutely fell in love with the description. But how the author delivered this story was disappointing, and for that reason, I can’t recommend this book.
The idea for this story, written by Gary D. Schmidt, was brilliant. But how Schmidt executed the story was not.
Hercules Beal starts the year by attending a new middle school. While there, his teacher, Lt. Col. Hupfer, tasks him with completing a real-life version of the 12 labors of Hercules. The orphaned Hercules then writes about each of the labors, receiving feedback from Hupfer.
After completing one of Hercules’ many tasks, Lt. Col. Hupfer discussed Beal’s,
“…maniacal insistence upon hitting on 150 words. It is a wise choice. Good writing is never done by the numbers…”
Schmidt was right about that. But what he failed to acknowledge is that good writing is ***tight writing***. Good writing is also about knowing when to add periods. It’s also about knowing when to halt a run-on sentence by breaking it up into multiple, manageable sentences.
As I read through the book, I found that I was unable to keep focused on what Schmidt was saying. In one sentence, he used 140 words (other sentences were 104, 73, 66, and 55 words long). To give you one example of these tiresome, run-on sentences that litter the book, I’ll give you one of my own:
- When I was in middle school—or it could have been in high school—it’s hard to tell because it was so long ago, I knew a girl (whose name I’m withholding for obvious reasons) who talked 90 miles a minute; I’m not lying, in fact, when my mom and I picked her up one time and from the minute we picked her up, she talked and talked and talked and talked, and then she talked some more—oh boy oh boy did she talk—and after my mom finally dropped her off at her house, my mom looked around at me and said how she couldn’t believe that (the girl’s name here withheld) didn’t pass out from lack of air, oh boy oh boy.
The run-on sentence above is **only** 126 words, but as you can see, it could easily be broken up into more manageable chunks for the readers. Schmidt would often have an entire, one-sentence paragraph about 50-100 words long (or more), followed by a 1 or 2 word sentence. At other times, the author would have single sentences spread out into 3 or 4 paragraphs when he could have easily packed them into a single paragraph. If I had written college-level papers with run-on sentences like the one above, my professors would have flunked me. No kidding. Instead, they continuously pressed me to write tight to to keep my readers’ attentions.
You may be saying to yourself: But this book has been given 5-star reviews by the numerous adult reviewers on GoodReads! Yes. But the one review that you should really focus on is the single 3-star review already given by a librarian. In that review, the librarian claimed that the MG kids in her library don’t pick up his books and read them. Yikes! As adults, we think like adults, so we will usually write adult reviews. But MG kids don’t think like adults and they usually don’t write lengthy GoodReads reviews. If a librarian serving MG kids is saying that kids don’t read Schmidt’s books, then you can be pretty sure that there’s a problem. And both the run-on and distorted, choppy sentences are likely the culprit because, as I stated earlier, the idea for this story was pure brilliance.
Now, a lot of adults read MG books, including me. But MG authors strive (or at least **should** strive) to have **MG kids** as their primary readers, not adults. If I was a publisher and I read a librarian’s review that said that kids weren’t reading the author’s books, I would be horrified. Sure, Schmidt is an English professor at a local college. But that doesn’t mean that he’s immune to good, tight writing (a lot of graduate students and their professors—in numerous fields—are notoriously bad writers). And the issues I listed above aren’t minor, nor are they a one-off. This isn’t Schmidt’s first rodeo—he’s had over 10 books published for this age group.
The book is relatively clean, with only the word “jackass” appearing. The idea for this book was exciting. I adore mythology and I absolutely fell in love with the description. But how the author delivered this story was disappointing, and for that reason, I can’t recommend this book.
Read
March 31, 2023It's not The Wednesday Wars or Okay for Now, but it was solid.
May 30, 2023
One thing you know when you open a Gary Schmidt book, it will be a labor of love. He shows young readers how to find to the best in themselves.
He gives us such a vibrant and lovable community, Pirate Cat, Mindy, Hercules, the Vampire, Achilles but most of all Lt. Col. Hupfer. It is so great to see Danny again.
He gives us such a vibrant and lovable community, Pirate Cat, Mindy, Hercules, the Vampire, Achilles but most of all Lt. Col. Hupfer. It is so great to see Danny again.
April 24, 2023
5 stars, and then some!
This story grabbed me immediately, and my enthusiasm and engagement never wavered for a moment. Our main character, 12-year-old Hercules Beal, is one very awesome kid, and I believed in him, and rooted for him, right from the first. One of the things I really loved about him and his account of his sixth grade year is that he was a real kid, not some grownup writer's snarky-beyond-their-years version, which I find way too often in middle-school and YA books. In other words, this was a real kid speaking to us, and I cared about him and his struggles so much, struggles that included coping with the deaths of his parents, starting a new school, and just all the stuff you're trying to figure out at that age.
This book made me laugh, made me cry, made me think, made me grow. I can't recommend it enough, nor thank Gary Schmidt enough for what he wrote. This book will definitely be in my Top 5 books of 2023!
Thank you to NetGalley and to HarperCollins for a free e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
P.S. A couple of minor quibbles, the main one being that Hercules has an older brother whose girlfriend is named Viola, but sometimes she is named "Violet" in the prepub e-ARC. (No one caught that?!)
#TheLaborsofHerculesBeal #NetGalley
This story grabbed me immediately, and my enthusiasm and engagement never wavered for a moment. Our main character, 12-year-old Hercules Beal, is one very awesome kid, and I believed in him, and rooted for him, right from the first. One of the things I really loved about him and his account of his sixth grade year is that he was a real kid, not some grownup writer's snarky-beyond-their-years version, which I find way too often in middle-school and YA books. In other words, this was a real kid speaking to us, and I cared about him and his struggles so much, struggles that included coping with the deaths of his parents, starting a new school, and just all the stuff you're trying to figure out at that age.
This book made me laugh, made me cry, made me think, made me grow. I can't recommend it enough, nor thank Gary Schmidt enough for what he wrote. This book will definitely be in my Top 5 books of 2023!
Thank you to NetGalley and to HarperCollins for a free e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
P.S. A couple of minor quibbles, the main one being that Hercules has an older brother whose girlfriend is named Viola, but sometimes she is named "Violet" in the prepub e-ARC. (No one caught that?!)
#TheLaborsofHerculesBeal #NetGalley
June 25, 2023
Hercules and Achilles and Viola and Lieutenant Colonel Hupfer have all gone straight to my heart. ❤️
July 9, 2023
Gary does it again, folks.
He breaks rules and he does it in the best possible way. He makes you laugh and snort then makes you clutch your heart and beagle-wail in pain of what was just said. He introduces you to a vast array of characters who never stop subverting your expectations and making you root for them.
Gosh, I just loved every part of this book. Yes, sometimes the plot felt contrived, but that's just something that came with the territory of writing a book like this - with all twelve Labors needing to come to completion. Only a writer like Gary - who, like I said, knows how to break rules well - could have pulled off a premise like this *because* of the characters he makes you believe in.
The Wednesday War references (page 241, guys. I'm pretty sure I would have scared even the Ugly Cat Pack off with the screaming that went down. The part about his dad's machines and the Hyrda also undid me.), Viola and Achilles, Henry and Elly (Henry and Herc's friendship giving me Sanborn and Henry vibes from Trouble, 100%), Gary CALLING HIS OWN WRITING STYLE OUT VIA DANNY - even the setting of working at a plant nursery added such a delicious layer of conflict and humor to the story. I was grinning, just grinning the entire time.
Favorite quotes:
"Jerkface. You have someone who loves you, and you're going to let that get away? Really? Really?"
"I know things can change in a millimillionth of a second. That means bad stuff sometimes. But maybe that can be good stuff too. Maybe I can help it mean good stuff sometimes."
"I bought three holly bushes once from you guys."
"Thanks." I said.
"They died."
Here's what happens in a family business when someone looks at you the way Achilles was looking at me. It isn't just him looking. It's my father, and my grandfather, and my great-great-grandfather Elias...who are all looking out of Achilles eyes. And they're all trying to learn to let go just a little bit. It isn't easy, but they're trying."
"Do you like Vivaldi? She said.
"Love her." I said.
He breaks rules and he does it in the best possible way. He makes you laugh and snort then makes you clutch your heart and beagle-wail in pain of what was just said. He introduces you to a vast array of characters who never stop subverting your expectations and making you root for them.
Gosh, I just loved every part of this book. Yes, sometimes the plot felt contrived, but that's just something that came with the territory of writing a book like this - with all twelve Labors needing to come to completion. Only a writer like Gary - who, like I said, knows how to break rules well - could have pulled off a premise like this *because* of the characters he makes you believe in.
The Wednesday War references (page 241, guys. I'm pretty sure I would have scared even the Ugly Cat Pack off with the screaming that went down. The part about his dad's machines and the Hyrda also undid me.), Viola and Achilles, Henry and Elly (Henry and Herc's friendship giving me Sanborn and Henry vibes from Trouble, 100%), Gary CALLING HIS OWN WRITING STYLE OUT VIA DANNY - even the setting of working at a plant nursery added such a delicious layer of conflict and humor to the story. I was grinning, just grinning the entire time.
Favorite quotes:
"Jerkface. You have someone who loves you, and you're going to let that get away? Really? Really?"
"I know things can change in a millimillionth of a second. That means bad stuff sometimes. But maybe that can be good stuff too. Maybe I can help it mean good stuff sometimes."
"I bought three holly bushes once from you guys."
"Thanks." I said.
"They died."
Here's what happens in a family business when someone looks at you the way Achilles was looking at me. It isn't just him looking. It's my father, and my grandfather, and my great-great-grandfather Elias...who are all looking out of Achilles eyes. And they're all trying to learn to let go just a little bit. It isn't easy, but they're trying."
"Do you like Vivaldi? She said.
"Love her." I said.
April 9, 2025
“It's easy to love what loves you back. But I've been thinking about coyotes, and what they look like when they're caught in cages, and then what they look like when they're released. An animal control guy told me that when they realize they're about to be let go, there's happiness beyond belief in their eyes.
I don't know what happiness beyond belief would feel like. I can imagine, I guess, but I'm not sure what it would feel like. What I am sure of is this: Who would not want to give someone else happiness beyond belief?”
1 Sentence Summary: Hercules Beal misses his parents and wishes his older brother was around more, but when his new seventh-grade homeroom teacher gives him an assignment to perform the Twelve Labors of Hercules (his namesake) in real life, he has to learn about himself, friendship, and community.
My Thoughts: This was a very wholesome and heartwarming middle-grade novel. I loved the messages about hope and healing and friendship and community.
I thought the characters were well developed. Hercules’s relationships with his brother Achilles and with Achilles’s girlfriend Viola were very interesting and very sweet. Hercules did get on my nerves, but he is a 12-year-old boy so I guess that’s in character, lol.
Some of the things that happened seemed a bit far-fetched, but overall this was a great read.
Recommend to: People who enjoy middle-grade books focusing on grief and healing.
(Warnings: death)
February 18, 2024
This was my favorite Gary Schmidt yet! And when we took a family poll, it won that title across the board. Could this have been because we listened to the audiobook WHILE driving through Greece and learning about Greece myths along the way? It was one of those family stories that meet us at the perfect time and become a defining memory. It was fairly intense and mature for my 9,7,5 yr old crew, but since we listened together it worked. In classic Gary Schmidt fashion it made us both laugh and cry.
December 5, 2025
Im emotionally attached to this book thank you bye
July 8, 2023
What can I say about this fantastic new book from Gary Schmidt? You need to read it! Yes, what an interesting, thought-provoking read that I laughed, I cringed, and I stopped while reading to thoroughly enjoy the text that I had just read. It’s a clever story of Hercules Beal as he attempts to fulfil the writing assignment from his teacher at the Cape Cod Academy for Environmental Sciences. This is Beal’s first year at the academy and he’s not thrilled about having a retired marine lieutenant colonel as his teacher. Hercules has other classes at the academy but they don’t take up his time as much as the Beal lives with his brother as his parents died and they’re trying to keep the Beal Brothers Farm and Nursery running.
What got me first about this book. Every morning, Hercules leaves his house and takes a half-mile run/walk to a sand Dune. Before dawn, every morning. He stands there at the top and just as the sun “jumps into the sky, he whispers, ““Morning, Mom,” and “Morning, Dad” and the light is all around me now, so much of it that it finally spills over onto the west side of the Dune and it fills the dark.” What a sweet tribute to his parents every morning! Hercules knows that his brother Achilles is not happy to be living in Truro as he used to be a writer for a famous magazine and travel the world but they need to keep the family business going and Hercules feels that Truro is the most beautiful place on Earth.
This was a fun read and it went fast. I liked that the other students in the class also got interesting assignemnts and I read how their assignemnets went as I read how Hercules kept up with his assignment. Lieutenant Colonel Hupfer runs the classroom tightly but he does have some fun and tender moments as he keeps the students in line and he writes in Hercules . Each student in his has a yearlong Classical Mytholody Application Project. The project is individually based on the student and classical myths. I liked how each of them were unique and different, and I thought they brought a personal touch to these myths. When Hercules started his project, I was worried how difficult it was going to be but he was creative in the application of the myth’s story to his life.
An entertaining read and one I would highly recommend- heck, I highly recommend all of his novels! 5++ stars
“ I don’t know what happiness beyond belief would feel like. I can imagine, I guess, but I’m not sure what it would like. What I am sure of is this: Who would not want to give someone else happiness beyond belief?”
“ ….even if Hercules the Myth had to go down into hell alone, I didn’t.”
What got me first about this book. Every morning, Hercules leaves his house and takes a half-mile run/walk to a sand Dune. Before dawn, every morning. He stands there at the top and just as the sun “jumps into the sky, he whispers, ““Morning, Mom,” and “Morning, Dad” and the light is all around me now, so much of it that it finally spills over onto the west side of the Dune and it fills the dark.” What a sweet tribute to his parents every morning! Hercules knows that his brother Achilles is not happy to be living in Truro as he used to be a writer for a famous magazine and travel the world but they need to keep the family business going and Hercules feels that Truro is the most beautiful place on Earth.
This was a fun read and it went fast. I liked that the other students in the class also got interesting assignemnts and I read how their assignemnets went as I read how Hercules kept up with his assignment. Lieutenant Colonel Hupfer runs the classroom tightly but he does have some fun and tender moments as he keeps the students in line and he writes in Hercules . Each student in his has a yearlong Classical Mytholody Application Project. The project is individually based on the student and classical myths. I liked how each of them were unique and different, and I thought they brought a personal touch to these myths. When Hercules started his project, I was worried how difficult it was going to be but he was creative in the application of the myth’s story to his life.
An entertaining read and one I would highly recommend- heck, I highly recommend all of his novels! 5++ stars
“ I don’t know what happiness beyond belief would feel like. I can imagine, I guess, but I’m not sure what it would like. What I am sure of is this: Who would not want to give someone else happiness beyond belief?”
“ ….even if Hercules the Myth had to go down into hell alone, I didn’t.”
May 1, 2024
A few days ago, Gary D Schmidt went to talk and sign books at my sister's college. I would have to miss a track meet to see him, which made me feel a little like a jerkface, but so what? So what?
Except, there's more. A few days before he would go to speak, I passed my lifeguard test, which was actually pretty cool, and learned that some friends from my church were going to the same two-week lifeguard training I was going to, which was also pretty cool, and learned that I'd get a large stipend for doing the training too, which was really cool, and the stipend would be—nevermind. It's none of your business.
But then I learned that it was starting the same day that Gary D Schmidt would go to talk and sign books at my sister's college, and that I couldn't miss a single day. Really.
Do you know what that feels like?
***
This has nothing to do with The Labors of Hercules Beal, but I thought I'd hit three birds with one stone—write some sort of review, verbalize my minor missed opportunity, and take a shot at imitating Schmidt's iconic style. How'd I do?
Except, there's more. A few days before he would go to speak, I passed my lifeguard test, which was actually pretty cool, and learned that some friends from my church were going to the same two-week lifeguard training I was going to, which was also pretty cool, and learned that I'd get a large stipend for doing the training too, which was really cool, and the stipend would be—nevermind. It's none of your business.
But then I learned that it was starting the same day that Gary D Schmidt would go to talk and sign books at my sister's college, and that I couldn't miss a single day. Really.
Do you know what that feels like?
***
This has nothing to do with The Labors of Hercules Beal, but I thought I'd hit three birds with one stone—write some sort of review, verbalize my minor missed opportunity, and take a shot at imitating Schmidt's iconic style. How'd I do?
May 20, 2024
An instant 5 stars. This book is SOOOO GOOD.
If you’re looking for a bittersweet, emotional read, pick up this book.
If you’re looking for a story about how a 12 year old boy copes with grief and learns to share his burdens, pick up this book.
If you’re looking for a funny read with plenty of sarcastic humor and hilarious jokes, pick up this book.
If you’re looking for a book with beautifully crafted characters and scenery and descriptions that jump off the page, pick up this book.
If you’re looking for none of the above, still pick up this book!
It is such a great book. 100% worth reading. One of my favorites.
(I technically give this book six stars. One extra because the day I read chapter nine, the Merriam-Webster word of the day was “ethereal”. 😂 If you don’t know what I mean, GO READ THE BOOK!!)
If you’re looking for a bittersweet, emotional read, pick up this book.
If you’re looking for a story about how a 12 year old boy copes with grief and learns to share his burdens, pick up this book.
If you’re looking for a funny read with plenty of sarcastic humor and hilarious jokes, pick up this book.
If you’re looking for a book with beautifully crafted characters and scenery and descriptions that jump off the page, pick up this book.
If you’re looking for none of the above, still pick up this book!
It is such a great book. 100% worth reading. One of my favorites.
(I technically give this book six stars. One extra because the day I read chapter nine, the Merriam-Webster word of the day was “ethereal”. 😂 If you don’t know what I mean, GO READ THE BOOK!!)
June 26, 2023
So Gary D. Schmidt managed to make me cry. Again. Who’s surprised? Because I shouldn’t be. 😂
Man, I don’t know how he does it. This book was just marvelous. It touches on some hard topics (the death of a parent), but handles them with grace and hope.
Also, we get to see some characters from the Wednesday Wars all grown up, which didn’t click until halfway through the book and then it did click and I nearly threw the book across the room in glee. So there’s that.
10/10 would read again (like, I might read it again tomorrow)
Man, I don’t know how he does it. This book was just marvelous. It touches on some hard topics (the death of a parent), but handles them with grace and hope.
Also, we get to see some characters from the Wednesday Wars all grown up, which didn’t click until halfway through the book and then it did click and I nearly threw the book across the room in glee. So there’s that.
10/10 would read again (like, I might read it again tomorrow)
February 11, 2024
Absolutely wonderful. It has the same tone as Coyote Sunrise—it’s funny, and heartbreaking, and sweet, and the characters are all beautiful people. I loved all the mythology tie-ins and Hercules’ reflections. I loved his teacher and his community. I bawled my way through several chapters and am going to order my own copy of the book. Basically, read it.
September 11, 2023
I loved this book. Schmidt's thoughtful yet abrupt writing style fit the story perfectly and each and every character felt so real. My rating would have been higher if not for using His name in vain.
Want to read
June 5, 2023I received an uncorrected e-proof ARC of “The Labors of Hercules Beal” from NetGalley and HarperCollins in exchange for an honest review.
The idea for this story, written by Gary D. Schmidt, was brilliant. But how Schmidt executed the story was not.
Hercules Beal starts the year by attending a new middle school. While there, his teacher, Lt. Col. Hupfer, tasks him with completing a real-life version of the 12 labors of Hercules. The orphaned Hercules then writes about each of the labors, receiving feedback from Hupfer.
After completing one of Hercules’ many tasks, Lt. Col. Hupfer discussed Beal’s,
“…maniacal insistence upon hitting on 150 words. It is a wise choice. Good writing is never done by the numbers…”
Schmidt was right about that. But what he failed to acknowledge is that good writing is ***tight writing***. Good writing is also about knowing when to add periods. It’s also about knowing when to halt a run-on sentence by breaking it up into multiple, manageable sentences.
As I read through the book, I found that I was unable to keep focused on what Schmidt was saying. In one sentence, he used 140 words (other sentences were 104, 73, 66, and 55 words long). To give you one example of these tiresome, run-on sentences that litter the book, I’ll give you one of my own:
- When I was in middle school—or it could have been in high school—it’s hard to tell because it was so long ago, I knew a girl (whose name I’m withholding for obvious reasons) who talked 90 miles a minute; I’m not lying, in fact, when my mom and I picked her up one time and from the minute we picked her up, she talked and talked and talked and talked, and then she talked some more—oh boy oh boy did she talk—and after my mom finally dropped her off at her house, my mom looked around at me and said how she couldn’t believe that (the girl’s name here withheld) didn’t pass out from lack of air, oh boy oh boy.
The run-on sentence above is **only** 126 words, but as you can see, it could easily be broken up into more manageable chunks for the readers. Schmidt would often have an entire, one-sentence paragraph about 50-100 words long (or more), followed by a 1 or 2 word sentence. At other times, the author would have single sentences spread out into 3 or 4 paragraphs when he could have easily packed them into a single paragraph. If I had written college-level papers with run-on sentences like the one above, my professors would have flunked me. No kidding. Instead, they continuously pressed me to write tight to to keep my readers’ attentions.
You may be saying to yourself: But this book has been given 5-star reviews by the numerous adult reviewers on GoodReads! Yes. But the one review that you should really focus on is the single 3-star review already given by a librarian. In that review, the librarian claimed that the MG kids in her library don’t pick up his books and read them. Yikes! As adults, we think like adults, so we will usually write adult reviews. But MG kids don’t think like adults and they usually don’t write lengthy GoodReads reviews. If a librarian serving MG kids is saying that kids don’t read Schmidt’s books, then you can be pretty sure that there’s a problem. And both the run-on and distorted, choppy sentences are likely the culprit because, as I stated earlier, the idea for this story was pure brilliance.
Now, a lot of adults read MG books, including me. But MG authors strive (or at least **should** strive) to have **MG kids** as their primary readers, not adults. If I was a publisher and I read a librarian’s review that said that kids weren’t reading the author’s books, I would be horrified. Sure, Schmidt is an English professor at a local college. But that doesn’t mean that he’s immune to good, tight writing (a lot of graduate students and their professors—in numerous fields—are notoriously bad writers). And the issues I listed above aren’t minor, nor are they a one-off. This isn’t Schmidt’s first rodeo—he’s had over 10 books published for this age group.
The book is relatively clean, with only the word “jackass” appearing. The idea for this book was exciting. I adore mythology and I absolutely fell in love with the description. But how the author delivered this story was disappointing, and for that reason, I can’t recommend this book.
The idea for this story, written by Gary D. Schmidt, was brilliant. But how Schmidt executed the story was not.
Hercules Beal starts the year by attending a new middle school. While there, his teacher, Lt. Col. Hupfer, tasks him with completing a real-life version of the 12 labors of Hercules. The orphaned Hercules then writes about each of the labors, receiving feedback from Hupfer.
After completing one of Hercules’ many tasks, Lt. Col. Hupfer discussed Beal’s,
“…maniacal insistence upon hitting on 150 words. It is a wise choice. Good writing is never done by the numbers…”
Schmidt was right about that. But what he failed to acknowledge is that good writing is ***tight writing***. Good writing is also about knowing when to add periods. It’s also about knowing when to halt a run-on sentence by breaking it up into multiple, manageable sentences.
As I read through the book, I found that I was unable to keep focused on what Schmidt was saying. In one sentence, he used 140 words (other sentences were 104, 73, 66, and 55 words long). To give you one example of these tiresome, run-on sentences that litter the book, I’ll give you one of my own:
- When I was in middle school—or it could have been in high school—it’s hard to tell because it was so long ago, I knew a girl (whose name I’m withholding for obvious reasons) who talked 90 miles a minute; I’m not lying, in fact, when my mom and I picked her up one time and from the minute we picked her up, she talked and talked and talked and talked, and then she talked some more—oh boy oh boy did she talk—and after my mom finally dropped her off at her house, my mom looked around at me and said how she couldn’t believe that (the girl’s name here withheld) didn’t pass out from lack of air, oh boy oh boy.
The run-on sentence above is **only** 126 words, but as you can see, it could easily be broken up into more manageable chunks for the readers. Schmidt would often have an entire, one-sentence paragraph about 50-100 words long (or more), followed by a 1 or 2 word sentence. At other times, the author would have single sentences spread out into 3 or 4 paragraphs when he could have easily packed them into a single paragraph. If I had written college-level papers with run-on sentences like the one above, my professors would have flunked me. No kidding. Instead, they continuously pressed me to write tight to to keep my readers’ attentions.
You may be saying to yourself: But this book has been given 5-star reviews by the numerous adult reviewers on GoodReads! Yes. But the one review that you should really focus on is the single 3-star review already given by a librarian. In that review, the librarian claimed that the MG kids in her library don’t pick up his books and read them. Yikes! As adults, we think like adults, so we will usually write adult reviews. But MG kids don’t think like adults and they usually don’t write lengthy GoodReads reviews. If a librarian serving MG kids is saying that kids don’t read Schmidt’s books, then you can be pretty sure that there’s a problem. And both the run-on and distorted, choppy sentences are likely the culprit because, as I stated earlier, the idea for this story was pure brilliance.
Now, a lot of adults read MG books, including me. But MG authors strive (or at least **should** strive) to have **MG kids** as their primary readers, not adults. If I was a publisher and I read a librarian’s review that said that kids weren’t reading the author’s books, I would be horrified. Sure, Schmidt is an English professor at a local college. But that doesn’t mean that he’s immune to good, tight writing (a lot of graduate students and their professors—in numerous fields—are notoriously bad writers). And the issues I listed above aren’t minor, nor are they a one-off. This isn’t Schmidt’s first rodeo—he’s had over 10 books published for this age group.
The book is relatively clean, with only the word “jackass” appearing. The idea for this book was exciting. I adore mythology and I absolutely fell in love with the description. But how the author delivered this story was disappointing, and for that reason, I can’t recommend this book.
June 28, 2025
Oh don't mind me sobbing in the corner like a psychopath-
December 23, 2023
By the end of his Labors, Hercules understood that he had been to hell and come back. That meant a lot—that he had come back. Now he had a lot more living to do—and he was grateful behind anything for that.
How to describe Gary D. Schmidt novels? It’s well nigh impossible, I find, especially because I love them so much. They’re poignant and feel like an honest-to-goodness film of life. And they’re always about learning to heal and change and love your community, with an arsenal of time-honored literature at your side to boot.
So in lieu of an eloquent summary in my own words, The Labors of Hercules Beal contains, in aching realness:
• Mynah birds squawking surnames at middle schoolers
• A limestone gorilla named Ira
• Sugar maples painted autumn yellow
• Cribbage
• An ex-Marine English teacher who makes a point of saying he doesn’t care
• A one-eyed feline named Pirate Cat
• Brothers who can be jerkfaces to each other and can also count on each other to run their family’s plant nursery
• Pink and yellow sunrises from a dune in the frigid Cape Cod dawn
• Maybe you can feel like you’re home, and maybe you can get better, and maybe you can fix some things that are broken, and when you can’t, maybe sometimes you can trust people to carry the sky for you when you’re broken.
It’s so good. So, so good, and so so believable (okay, some of the events that more-or-less parallel Hercules’s Labors are a bit far-fetched, but not too much so), and so very heartbreaking and heart-healing.
I’m also always so impressed with how Mr. Schmidt writes first-person male perspectives in each of his books, where you can tell they’re all written by the same author but are all nevertheless distinct. Holling is different from Carter, who’s different from Doug, who’s different from Herc, but they’re all woven together in this uniquely Gary D. Schmidt style that works. Every single time. And it works well.
I’ve noticed too how The Labors of Hercules Beal is a love letter to language arts teachers, in a way: there’s a distinct English-major-flavoring with the weaving in literature and mythology, yet it’s still very much middle-grade slash young-adult. And the way Mr. Schmidt’s teacher characters (and other adult characters in general) are written…it’s perfect. The jerkfaces are jerkfaces to the max, and the ones who truly care and truly want to help and truly want to challenge the kid protagonists to be better…oh, who wouldn’t want teachers like those? Whether they’re teachers in academia or teachers in the school of life.
The Labors of Hercules Beal is another winner. Another spellbinding slice of life. Another nod to the power of community and literature and loving the place you’re in.
It’s wonderful. I can’t wait for a reread.
🏛️ heads up for content / potential triggers: a couple of uses of jacka** and dumba**. Violence, tragedy, and reference to divorce. Couples kiss non-descriptively. One veiled, possible reference to a couple spending the night together. 🏛️
May 30, 2024
I received an advanced reader's copy of Gary D. Schmidt’s novel that is set to release in May 2023. He has done it again—written a book that takes your heart—characters that are so real you feel that you are walking in the dark morning up the dunes in Cape Cod with Hercules Beal, his dog, and the pirate cat to watch the rising sun and say good morning to his mom and dad who are no longer with him.
Gary Schmidt does something magical as an author. He brings back characters from his other books— ones you know and love and sometimes they are forty years older, and you are so happy as a reader to see them again that if you’re anything like me- you cry.
That’s another thing Gary does. He makes you laugh and cry on the same page. Sometimes even in the same sentence.
The main character, Hercules Beale — who has lost a lot— starts a new school with a new homeroom teacher- Lieutenant Colonel Hupfer (Yes, Danny Hupfer from The Wednesday Wars) who gives him an assignment that is to last the entire school year- perform, do, make, happen, execute, accomplish the Twelve Labors of Hercules— and recognize their relevance in his own life. This sounds like an impossible assignment to Hercules Beal. Capture a Nemean Lion? Go to hell and back?
But with the help of his brother, friends, teachers, and neighbors he realizes that he can survive loss and that he isn’t alone in this beautiful and terrible world.
I loved this book. I did what I do when I get to the end of any of Gary Schmidt’s books. I cried just because it was over. You can bet millions that I’ll be at my little local bookstore buying this book the day it comes out and I’ll read it again in print and I’ll probably love it even more the second read —if that’s possible.
Please do yourself a favor and if you haven’t read Gary D. Schmidt or if you haven’t read ALL of his books- read them now and then in May, you’ll be more than ready for this gem. ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Gary Schmidt does something magical as an author. He brings back characters from his other books— ones you know and love and sometimes they are forty years older, and you are so happy as a reader to see them again that if you’re anything like me- you cry.
That’s another thing Gary does. He makes you laugh and cry on the same page. Sometimes even in the same sentence.
The main character, Hercules Beale — who has lost a lot— starts a new school with a new homeroom teacher- Lieutenant Colonel Hupfer (Yes, Danny Hupfer from The Wednesday Wars) who gives him an assignment that is to last the entire school year- perform, do, make, happen, execute, accomplish the Twelve Labors of Hercules— and recognize their relevance in his own life. This sounds like an impossible assignment to Hercules Beal. Capture a Nemean Lion? Go to hell and back?
But with the help of his brother, friends, teachers, and neighbors he realizes that he can survive loss and that he isn’t alone in this beautiful and terrible world.
I loved this book. I did what I do when I get to the end of any of Gary Schmidt’s books. I cried just because it was over. You can bet millions that I’ll be at my little local bookstore buying this book the day it comes out and I’ll read it again in print and I’ll probably love it even more the second read —if that’s possible.
Please do yourself a favor and if you haven’t read Gary D. Schmidt or if you haven’t read ALL of his books- read them now and then in May, you’ll be more than ready for this gem. ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
April 7, 2024
This story was unexpectedly profound in all its simplicity and depiction of the messiness of life. Schmidt has a way of drawing meaningful, relevant themes out of works of literature such as Shakespeare (The Wednesday Wars) and this book is no exception, with all the insightful connections he makes between reality and mythology. The result is something with both a compelling plot and an undercurrent of enduring wisdom to support it.
It's a beautiful story of community, a tribute to the people you will find in unexpected places. The people who will come to love you far more than you know. The people who surround you and hold you together when you can't do it yourself. And while it's a tribute, it simultaneously serves as a challenge: to endure. To love. To accomplish big things, hard things.
Only you don't have to do it alone.
I wonder if what Hercules was most afraid of when he was holding up the sky wasn't that he was going to have to hold it up forever. It was that he was going to have to hold it up forever while he was by himself. That's a kind of scary thing to think about.
Maybe, the stuff we hold up, we don't have to hold up by ourselves all the time. Maybe sometimes we can let someone else hold it up too. Maybe that's how we can get by. Maybe that's how we can do a whole lot better than just get by.
It's a beautiful story of community, a tribute to the people you will find in unexpected places. The people who will come to love you far more than you know. The people who surround you and hold you together when you can't do it yourself. And while it's a tribute, it simultaneously serves as a challenge: to endure. To love. To accomplish big things, hard things.
Only you don't have to do it alone.
I wonder if what Hercules was most afraid of when he was holding up the sky wasn't that he was going to have to hold it up forever. It was that he was going to have to hold it up forever while he was by himself. That's a kind of scary thing to think about.
Maybe, the stuff we hold up, we don't have to hold up by ourselves all the time. Maybe sometimes we can let someone else hold it up too. Maybe that's how we can get by. Maybe that's how we can do a whole lot better than just get by.
November 2, 2023
Another poignant read from Gary Schmidt. Not my favorite (that would be “Okay for Now”) but still a good one. Schmidt has the uncanny ability to formulate a sentence that can reach in and touch your very soul, all while making you laugh out loud. The way he creates young characters, and the adults that love and support them, warms my teacher heart. I also love how he ties in characters from his other books. Lieutenant Colonel Hupfer is a significant character in “Hercules Beal” but you will recognize him from “The Wednesday Wars” too. And that little back story adds extra significance here (though you don’t need it to read “Hercules.” ) Anyway, thanks to Schmidt for another wonderful read. Here’s hoping he has more coming our way!
June 2, 2024
3.75 stars, rounded up. Four stars for adults, fans of Schmidt's other titles, or those who live on or near Cape Cod and three stars for the tweens and young teens it was written for.
This was an enjoyable story about Hercules and his older brother Achilles who has returned home to Cape Cod to be his guardian and run the family business after the loss of their parents. Whether it's home, school or the family nursery, life is tough. Somehow Hercules perseveres, survives and becomes a better (not bitter) person in the months following the death. Bittersweet and well done.
This was an enjoyable story about Hercules and his older brother Achilles who has returned home to Cape Cod to be his guardian and run the family business after the loss of their parents. Whether it's home, school or the family nursery, life is tough. Somehow Hercules perseveres, survives and becomes a better (not bitter) person in the months following the death. Bittersweet and well done.
August 14, 2023
Gary D. Schmidt fills his books with kids going through incredibly difficult and traumatic situations, but then surrounds them with neighbors and friends and teachers and older siblings who are so stunningly good and kind when you don't expect it that it breaks me every time. Reading his books makes me want to be a better person, and that's some of the highest praise I can give.
October 2, 2023
Gary D. Schmidt is a marvel, and I especially recommend his books for reading aloud. (Apart from the obvious drawback of having to read through tears. When Lieutenant Colonel Hupfer told Hercules, "We will help you hold up the sky," I bawled.)
Further note on narrative voice: My 14-year-old son commented that Schmidt makes you believe a kid really wrote the book. :)
Further note on narrative voice: My 14-year-old son commented that Schmidt makes you believe a kid really wrote the book. :)
May 16, 2025
I mean, Danny Hupfer is in it. If you've read Wednesday Wars, that alone should be enough to make you read this one. It might heal a little more of your trauma from you-know-what. (It's very bittersweet.)
But even when we’re just talking about Hercules’ story, this was good. <3
Some of the things that happen in this book are slightly ridiculous, but also I don’t care. And Gary pulls it off, every time. I’m trying to analyze how. Part of it is that while some plot elements "would never actually happen," his writing consistently remains honest to real life in what matters most. The messiness of grief and human relationships, and the way he depicts characters as real people: complicated and annoying and lovable and unexpected. And that, I think, is beautiful.
Also, that part on page 241. That part got me.
Grade: A- (I’m still mad about Holling)
But even when we’re just talking about Hercules’ story, this was good. <3
Some of the things that happen in this book are slightly ridiculous, but also I don’t care. And Gary pulls it off, every time. I’m trying to analyze how. Part of it is that while some plot elements "would never actually happen," his writing consistently remains honest to real life in what matters most. The messiness of grief and human relationships, and the way he depicts characters as real people: complicated and annoying and lovable and unexpected. And that, I think, is beautiful.
Also, that part on page 241. That part got me.
Grade: A- (I’m still mad about Holling)
April 11, 2025
Third read: Listened to the audiobook with the whole family. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ from the whole family!
Second read: Even better the second time through. (1/28/25)
First read: Gary Schmidt does it again. That feeling you get when you suddenly and surprisingly find yourself holding back tears. That’s the feeling of reading this book. So so good.
“We are here to help you carry the sky when you have to, and we are here to help you put it down when you need to. Why else would anyone ever become a teacher?” (319)
Second read: Even better the second time through. (1/28/25)
First read: Gary Schmidt does it again. That feeling you get when you suddenly and surprisingly find yourself holding back tears. That’s the feeling of reading this book. So so good.
“We are here to help you carry the sky when you have to, and we are here to help you put it down when you need to. Why else would anyone ever become a teacher?” (319)
February 23, 2025
“We are here to help you carry the sky when you have to, and we are here to help you put it down when you need to. Why else would anyone ever become a teacher?”
There are lots of great middle-grade books worth a read as an adult too, simply because they’re a ton of fun. Then there are a few exceptional ones out there, penned with such emotional power and skill that they deserve to be read by as many people as possible, regardless of their age. The Labors of Hercules Beal lives on the intersection of those categories. Fun, emotionally layered, wise and packed with friendship and love: I adored it.
The Story:
Hercules Beal is named after one of the biggest hero’s in Greek mythology, but feels anything but heroic himself. He’s the smallest kid in class at his new school, his parents have passed away recently and his brother is working overtime to hold up the family business and take care of his little brother. You can imagine his annoyance when his new eccentric teacher (a retired lieutenant colonel who insist on being addressed as such, thank you very much!) assigns their class a massive Greek-mythology project, spanning all summer. Each of them gets a personalized assignment, and Hercules’ obviously has to do with his namesake. He is to reflect on the 12 labor of Hercules, and “do, execute, accomplish” them in his own life. This sets off a summer full of adventure, wonder, learning and labors both physically and emotional.
What I loved:
I was initially worried that the “gimmicks” would take away from my enjoyment; the 12-labor-set-up, Herc’s reflection-notes that he begrudgingly turns in to Lieutenant Colonel Hupfer, and his subsequent critiques/responses on those assignments (usually about grammar). I quickly found out that I loved this format for this particular story. Gary D. Schmidt manages to give Hercules an incredibly authentic (age-appropriate) narrative voice, filled with wry and snarky humor, contrasted with wisdoms and reflections that go far beyond what a kid his age should be dealing with. Either one of those elements individually risks alienating the reader, but the way Schmidt contrasts them and balances them out, is done to perfection.
Although Herc’s reflections in writing which he must turn in to his teacher, feel a bit forced: it makes sense because they are. As the story progresses, we see Herc’s outlook on the labors change though, and see the dynamic between Herc and his teacher shift in response through these notes. It’s a subtle and understated way of addressing topics that might otherwise be “too heavy”, and works perfectly in this context.
Herc’s labors are far from mythological. They’re relatable, sometimes silly events in his life, but they force him to show bravery and confront his own personal monsters all the same. I loved how, contrary to the mythological Hercules, Herc doesn’t have to do these labors by himself. There’s a strong focus on community, family, friendship and support systems that is absolutely heartwarming. Over the course of the book, I came to love so many of these side characters. From Achilles’s devotion to continue life and take care of his little brother despite his own grief, to Viola the Vampire, Lieutenant Colonel Hupfer, and the rest of the townsfolk. Again here: their gimmickiness balances out the deep emotional layer and lessons they bring to the story. The phrase "it takes a village to raise a child” truly gets deeper meaning here, and I loved what the author did with that idea in a middle-grade book. More present and responsible adults in children’s literature please!
Overall, this book and its characters weaseled their way into my heart, more so than I was expecting. It was an emotional journey that left me with a smile on my face with every “Oh boy, Oh boy”, and a lump in my throat with equal frequency. Because, like Lieutenant Colonel Hupfer likes to remind us: “It’s a tough world Sugimoto”, but that doesn’t mean you have to carry the world of it on your shoulders all by yourself.
There are lots of great middle-grade books worth a read as an adult too, simply because they’re a ton of fun. Then there are a few exceptional ones out there, penned with such emotional power and skill that they deserve to be read by as many people as possible, regardless of their age. The Labors of Hercules Beal lives on the intersection of those categories. Fun, emotionally layered, wise and packed with friendship and love: I adored it.
The Story:
Hercules Beal is named after one of the biggest hero’s in Greek mythology, but feels anything but heroic himself. He’s the smallest kid in class at his new school, his parents have passed away recently and his brother is working overtime to hold up the family business and take care of his little brother. You can imagine his annoyance when his new eccentric teacher (a retired lieutenant colonel who insist on being addressed as such, thank you very much!) assigns their class a massive Greek-mythology project, spanning all summer. Each of them gets a personalized assignment, and Hercules’ obviously has to do with his namesake. He is to reflect on the 12 labor of Hercules, and “do, execute, accomplish” them in his own life. This sets off a summer full of adventure, wonder, learning and labors both physically and emotional.
What I loved:
I was initially worried that the “gimmicks” would take away from my enjoyment; the 12-labor-set-up, Herc’s reflection-notes that he begrudgingly turns in to Lieutenant Colonel Hupfer, and his subsequent critiques/responses on those assignments (usually about grammar). I quickly found out that I loved this format for this particular story. Gary D. Schmidt manages to give Hercules an incredibly authentic (age-appropriate) narrative voice, filled with wry and snarky humor, contrasted with wisdoms and reflections that go far beyond what a kid his age should be dealing with. Either one of those elements individually risks alienating the reader, but the way Schmidt contrasts them and balances them out, is done to perfection.
Although Herc’s reflections in writing which he must turn in to his teacher, feel a bit forced: it makes sense because they are. As the story progresses, we see Herc’s outlook on the labors change though, and see the dynamic between Herc and his teacher shift in response through these notes. It’s a subtle and understated way of addressing topics that might otherwise be “too heavy”, and works perfectly in this context.
Herc’s labors are far from mythological. They’re relatable, sometimes silly events in his life, but they force him to show bravery and confront his own personal monsters all the same. I loved how, contrary to the mythological Hercules, Herc doesn’t have to do these labors by himself. There’s a strong focus on community, family, friendship and support systems that is absolutely heartwarming. Over the course of the book, I came to love so many of these side characters. From Achilles’s devotion to continue life and take care of his little brother despite his own grief, to Viola the Vampire, Lieutenant Colonel Hupfer, and the rest of the townsfolk. Again here: their gimmickiness balances out the deep emotional layer and lessons they bring to the story. The phrase "it takes a village to raise a child” truly gets deeper meaning here, and I loved what the author did with that idea in a middle-grade book. More present and responsible adults in children’s literature please!
Overall, this book and its characters weaseled their way into my heart, more so than I was expecting. It was an emotional journey that left me with a smile on my face with every “Oh boy, Oh boy”, and a lump in my throat with equal frequency. Because, like Lieutenant Colonel Hupfer likes to remind us: “It’s a tough world Sugimoto”, but that doesn’t mean you have to carry the world of it on your shoulders all by yourself.
July 21, 2024
4.5 ⭐️ Read this for my book club, and let me just say a children’s book had no business making me this emotional.
This book tackled some really tough topics in a way that felt really age appropriate and relatable for kids in late elementary/early middle school. I liked how each of Hercules’ reflections offered more depth than the previous one, and how the author aligned his healing journey with the labors of Hercules. It allows the book to be a little silly and entertaining, while still offering some really poignant moments. I appreciated the more realistic way this book depicted life for kids in its target age group: there are hard things, and traumatic things, and it’s okay to hurt and mourn and feel lost. We’re still here, and we have more to do - and when we look for help, we’ll often find many people who will show up for us.
Totally a book I’d buy for a niece or nephew in the future as they start to get in to more complex chapter books. Very cute and heartfelt.
This book tackled some really tough topics in a way that felt really age appropriate and relatable for kids in late elementary/early middle school. I liked how each of Hercules’ reflections offered more depth than the previous one, and how the author aligned his healing journey with the labors of Hercules. It allows the book to be a little silly and entertaining, while still offering some really poignant moments. I appreciated the more realistic way this book depicted life for kids in its target age group: there are hard things, and traumatic things, and it’s okay to hurt and mourn and feel lost. We’re still here, and we have more to do - and when we look for help, we’ll often find many people who will show up for us.
Totally a book I’d buy for a niece or nephew in the future as they start to get in to more complex chapter books. Very cute and heartfelt.
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