Book Series · 18 Books

Heroes in Training Books

In order from Zeus and the Thunderbolt of Doom to Zeus and the Skeleton Army.

Young versions of Zeus and other Greek heroes train their powers, face monsters and Titans, and learn teamwork in humorous illustrated adventures.

Reviewed by the Bookroo Editors Updated

Zeus and the Thunderbolt of Doom
Poseidon and the Sea of Fury
Hades and the Helm of Darkness
Hyperion and the Great Balls of Fire
Typhon and the Winds of Destruction
Reading order

How to Read Heroes in Training

Read the eighteen chapter books in numbered order because the team, powers, and conflict with Cronus accumulate.

The four graphic novels retell chapter books #1–4 in full color. A child can choose prose or graphic format for those stories, but the visual line does not yet cover books #5–18.

Sources: Simon & Schuster's main series, Graphic adaptation series.

For parents

What Parents Should Know

Battles, kidnappings, the Underworld, monsters, skeletons, and Titans who threaten to eat people appear frequently, but jokes and wordplay soften the danger for elementary readers. The prose books target younger readers than the full-color adaptations.

Where to start

Where Should My Child Start?

Where the story begins

First Book in the Series

Zeus and the Thunderbolt of Doom
Sale price
$674
Book #1 · Chapter Book · Ages 6–9 · 2012

Zeus and the Thunderbolt of Doom

By Joan Holub, Suzanne Williams, Craig Phillips (Illustrator)

A young boy discovers he is the trueborn king of the Olympians and embarks on a quest to rescue his siblings and defeat the evil King Cronus.

112 pages· 10,888 words· Est. 2 hour read
4.3/7 Bookroo
$6.99Save 4%
Paperback
Summary: Ten-year-old Zeus, tired of his mundane life and frequent lightning strikes, is thrust into an epic adventure when kidnapped by Titans. Armed with a magical thunderbolt, he must decipher its secrets to rescue fellow Olympians and challenge the tyrannical Cronus. Can Zeus embrace his destiny and become the King of the Gods?
In reading order

Heroes in Training Series

18 books · Published 2012–2021

#1
Zeus and the Thunderbolt of Doom
#1 in Series
Sale price
$674

Zeus and the Thunderbolt of Doom

Chapter Book · Ages 6–9 · 2012

A young boy discovers he is the trueborn king of the Olympians and embarks on a quest to rescue his siblings and defeat the evil King Cronus.

#2
Poseidon and the Sea of Fury
#2 in Series
Sale price
$674

Poseidon and the Sea of Fury

Chapter Book · Ages 6–9 · 2012

A young boy embarks on a quest to find a magical trident and rescue his friends from the clutches of the evil King Cronus.

#3
Hades and the Helm of Darkness
#3 in Series
Sale price
$674

Hades and the Helm of Darkness

Chapter Book · Ages 6–9 · 2013

A group of young gods embark on a quest to retrieve the Helm of Darkness and rescue their friends from the Underworld.

#13
Hermes and the Horse with Wings
#13 in Series
Sale price
$674

Hermes and the Horse with Wings

Chapter Book · Ages 6–9 · 2017

A group of young Olympians embark on a quest to defeat the evil King Cronus and his minions, the Cronies, while also helping a young boy named Ron defeat a monster called the Chimera.

The same first four adventures in full color

Heroes in Training Graphic Novels

4 books · Published 2022–2023

Four adaptations covering prose books #1–4. They retell rather than continue the series.

Good to know

Common Questions

How many books are in the Heroes in Training series?

There are 18 books in the Heroes in Training series. It began with Zeus and the Thunderbolt of Doom in 2012, and the newest book, Zeus and the Skeleton Army, was published in 2021.

What order should you read the Heroes in Training books in?

Start with Zeus and the Thunderbolt of Doom and follow the series order — the books above are numbered #1 through #18.

What ages are the Heroes in Training books best for?

The series is best for ages 6–11, based on the age ranges of the individual books.

The people

The Creatives Behind the Books

The people who bring Heroes in Training to life.

01

Joan Holub

Author
JH
02

Suzanne Williams

Author
SW
03

Craig Phillips

Illustrator
CP
04

Tracey West

Author
TW

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