Greek Myths by Ann Turnbull and Sarah Young

"Greek Myths" available on amazon

I found this book for Charlie over the summer, but we hadn't really looked at it until the other night—and then we couldn't stop reading. It's a selection of classic stories from mythology (the minotaur, Arachne, King Midas) that's not sugarcoated but perfectly appropriate for a third-grader. Ann Turnbull strikes just the right tone: fantastical, a tiny bit flowery—and then totally down to earth. Sarah Young's beautiful illustrations are perfectly detailed and amusingly gruesome. (We especially liked the bloody bag carrying Medusa's head.) Percy Jackson gave Charlie some familiarity with Greek mythology, and he'd read a bit on his own,* but he was ready for a version with a real viewpoint. It was so nice to relax, regress a bit, and simply enjoy reading to him, not worrying about making him read too.

*If your tastes are a little more old-school, D'Aulaire's Book of Greek Myths is a great introduction to mythology; it's much more comprehensive and totally straightforward in its storytelling.