Heavy Medal Mock Newbery Finalist: THE LABORS OF HERCULES BEAL by Gary Schmidt
Introduction by Heavy Medal Award Committee Member Julie Sigmund:
Award winning author Gary D. Schmidt has written another book that is sure to entertain readers with its challenges that turn into silly and outrageous tasks even as it handles tough topics of loss and change.
Hercules Beal hates his name and is working through many changes in his life. He is finally growing into his name…literally growing taller and hoping this means less teasing. I mean with a name like Hercules there are some expectations placed upon you. And so far, Hercules has lived up to none of them.
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He is starting a new school – not by his choice. This means new kids who might actually become friends, but it also means having a former Marine as a teacher. This tough teacher assigns a classical application project. Hercules is given the task to recreate the 12 labors of Hercules that would bring the tasks into present time.
Task #1 – fighting a lion becomes, in the present time, conquering a bunch of stray cats in an abandoned building.
Taks #2 – killing a monster with nine heads that keeps regrowing becomes a quest for numerous plants for school. It doesn’t seem connected, I know. But the trip to get the plants helps Hercules talk about his parents’ accident. It also helps him to begin rebuilding a relationship with his brother, who is now his caretaker.
Task #3 – capture a golden deer..it took the real Hercules a year, so how in the world can he finish this task quickly? The golden deer turns into spray painted leaves. And 9 more tasks with equally entertaining ways to accomplish them.
The fun part of the book is that each task seems impossible. Hercules does things that appear to not be connected to the actual feats of Hercules the god. Then in some weird twist EVERY SINGLE TIME, there is a connection that actually makes sense.
Each feat also helps us understand more and more about Hercules. Once the task is completed, Hercules writes a reflection for his teacher. It is a strange but fantastic development of the character, and a different way to hear what is in Hercules’ mind about the tasks and his circumstances.
Somehow in addition to learning so much about Hercules’ development from mourning son to caring and responsible brother, we learn about the town. The residents all have interesting quirks that make them both annoying and lovable. The Marine teacher who seems like a character to be hated at the beginning of the book becomes the best mentor Hercules could have…especially at this time in his life.
THE LABORS OF HERCULES BEAL has just the right amount of adventure and humor to keep kids reading while including a depth that makes you think as he deals with major life events. It’s a book that adults and children will enjoy for different or maybe the same reasons and gives a lot to discuss. The perfect combination for a potential Newbery Award winner.
Heavy Medal Award Committee members and others are now invited to discuss this book further in the Comments section below. Let the Mock Newbery discussion begin!
Filed under: Book Discussion, Heavy Medal Mock
About Steven Engelfried
Steven Engelfried retired from full-time library work a couple years ago and now works as a part-time Youth Librarian at the West Linn Public Library in Oregon. He served on the 2010 Newbery committee, chaired the 2013 Newbery Committee, and also served on the 2002 Caldecott committee. You can reach him at sengelfried@yahoo.com.
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THE LABORS OF HERCULES BEAL is entertaining to read, but requires a healthy suspension of disbelief for realistic fiction. First, there is the way that each “labor” falls into Hercules Beal’s lap, and magically lines up with one of “Hercules the Myth’s” labors. Also somewhat magical is the appearance of Herc’s dreamed-of dog, and the fact that little attempt is made to find out her origins.
Thematically, LABORS is similar to Kate Albus’ NOTHING ELSE BUT MIRACLES: the neighborhood will take care of you. The quirky cast of the Beals’ Cape town does rise to some occasions, but not others: for all that Hercules is surrounded by nominally responsible adults, including his older brother/guardian Achilles, he is often left to fend for himself AND run the family business, and is beset by disaster after disaster, from storms to feral cats to coyotes.
I do think Hercules’ written reflections, and Colonel Hupfer’s responses, are a strong and illuminating part of the book, and that the setting – both the town, the garden center, and the unique school – is very strong as well. Some secondary characters (e.g. Viola) are well developed, but others, particularly Herc’s new friends, are not.
Despite these points, LABORS is a full, madcap book with a beating heart, good for readers who enjoy a lot of action (12 labors!) and a main character with trauma (parents died in a car crash)(there are also an unlikely number of car crashes in this book). However, for these reasons, LABORS wouldn’t be my top Newbery pick this year.
Jenny’s point about the “suspension of disbelief” that HERCULES BEAL requires seems key to me. If we look at the book as pure realistic fiction, there’s probably too much of that “magic” that she mentions for the book to be convincing. But it’s also possible for a writer to create a realistic world where those sorts of things would happen. There’s a bit of a tall-tale feel to the story, part of which comes from Hercules’ narrative voice. And I think that might ease some readers into that mode of acceptance, where remarkable (but not truly magical) things can happen in that town, with that kid.
As an adult reader of HERCULES BEAL, I confess I fell out on the logical/realistic side…(“ Another car crash?…Seriously?”). But I can see many (maybe most?) young readers worrying less about that and just going with the slightly-stretched reality of Hercules’ world. And if allow myself to forget those unlikely events, I see characters and themes that really shine.
I can’t think of other books from this year right now that do this sort of thing…maybe NOTHING ELSE BUT MIRACLES, but that one’s still a little closer to straight historical fiction. But lots of mostly realistic Newbery books from the past use plot stretches and coincidences to fine effect. I’m thinking of HOLES, A VIEW FROM SATURDAY, maybe HELLO UNIVERSE, and Schmidt’s own WEDNESDAY WARS…there are probably others. The question for HERCULES BEAL is, does the author succeed in bringing readers into that realistic-but-not-completely world, so that they can fully enjoy and appreciate Hercules and his world.
I agree with Jenny 100% that the reflection/response was a “strong and illuminating part of the book.” Also, excellent use of madcap!
Gary Schmidt’s novel, The Labors of Hercules Beal, is my fun favorite for younger middle-grade readers this year (ages 8-12.) It’s a great literary map of the “hero’s journey” that creatively uses the framework of Greek mythology for the story’s plot. Each “labor” served as a creative reference point for character development. The story arcs are mirrored in modern-day middle school challenges in an unlikely way but also just worked. The poignant life lesson of growing through mistakes while managing grief and loss is interwoven into the narrative.
The central conflict in the novel is the character’s grief about the death of his parents. Hercules must use his strengths, manage his grief, and rely on friends and neighbors to solve community problems. As a character, Hercules modeled a reflection of why things happen, why they sometimes go badly to change for next time, and what was going well so he could get stronger. It can help readers to understand more about navigating through challenges, and that change is a normal, expected part of life. Who we become is about the choices we make when faced with impossible problems.
Characterization was a strong point of the story. Hercules is a character I was just rooting for, the underdog who discovers he is the hero of his journey. I was engaged with Hercules from start to finish, but equally impressive were the supporting characters. In particular, the relationship between Hercules and homeroom teacher Lieutenant Colonel Hupfer was memorable. A retired Marine, Hupfer is a strict and disciplined teacher who expects his students to work hard and push themselves to grow. This creates tension and humor. My favorite parts of the book are the “Reflection” assignments that appear in a different font. These are followed by Hupfer’s direct but funny evaluations that also teach vocabulary and grammar. We all need teachers and coaches like Lt. Colonel Hupfer, who encourage accountability while providing opportunities to succeed in life.
This book took many of the elements of popular kid-lit, such as Percy Jackson and Harry Potter, and applied a layer of Newbery. While reading this a second time along side the 15 other HMAC titles and Newbery rubrics I was more critical. Specifically, Steven Engelfried ‘s super helpful list of the year’s contenders really got me thinking. Hercules got 19 HMAC nominations and 2 book award nominations. Why?
https://heavymedal.slj.com/2023/12/11/best-books-lists-and-heavy-medal-a-look-at-the-year-end-picks-from-childrens-book-review-journals/
For Newbery criteria, the Cape setting was precise. The plot was straightforward within a creative frame. “Excellence of presentation for a child audience” from criteria 1b, check. Hercules Beal was a fun, engaging story. I laughed and smiled through the book. I gave it to my sister and knew when she was laughing, she was meeting Col. Hupfer. This book may have gotten 19 nominations because Schmidt is a talented writer who has delivered a great story.
Up against some incredible writing, it is so hard to concede that while this remains a top-five personal favorite for kids in 2023, I think some challengers arguably hit all Newbery rubrics in a more awardable way (this is my honest and toughest blog sentence of the HMAC debate.)
I enjoyed THE LABORS OF HERCULES BEAL, but I found it lacking a bit. I think part of the problem is that it I knew what was coming because Schmidt is a very formulaic writer (with the exception of Orbiting Jupiter, because that book was a wild ride). Take a kid, have some seriously bad thing happen or happening, add in at least two good friends and some other quirky characters that are hard to distinguish from each other, mix in some challenging events that make it seem like everything is going to work out and then at the last minute, everything works out. I understand why The Wednesday Wars won a Newbery Honor in 2008, but I am not sure I see what THE LABORS OF HERCULES BEAL adds to children’s literature. It is an interesting story, with a fun plot.
Comparing it to other books on our list, I think EB & FLOW, ALEBRIJES, and A FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING does a better job with plot. In THE LABORS OF HERCULES BEAL, the book lasts a school year and things get repetitive. Looking at characters, Hercules doesn’t stand out for me. He overcomes stuff for sure, but it all feels kind of forced.
It’s hard, because I did enjoy reading THE LABORS OF HERCULES BEAL, but it is just not my top pick for the Newbery.
Reading the above comments, I also thought about the events in Jack Gantos’ Newbery winner, Dead End at Norvelt. The scenes are over-the-top, but ultimately believable in the novel’s world. Quest books are always at risk of, “This crazy thing happened and our hero overcame it, then THIS crazy thing happened, and then and then and then…” I expected a bit of plodding here (ELEVEN of these assignments?!), but I was always surprised at the twisty, sometimes twisted, way the labors worked out. My belief suspension rule is three eye rolls = strikes. The believability is shot. My eyes rolled when they crashed on the way to Ohio, but that’s it. And even then, Schmidt’s stellar writing made my stomach flip a little. Visceral reactions resulted left and right while living through Herc’s year-in-a-life. I bought into Hercules’s story of grief and rode the wave of his tenderhearted town caring for him. One of the things I keep in mind is that most of our kids/students have NOT read The Wednesday Wars or Dead End at Norvelt to have this suffer in comparison, so the adventures and humor and message here are unique to this particular novel’s audience in 2023 and beyond. Literary merit? Yes. Kid appeal? Yes. MOST distinguished? We’ll see.
I’m with Quade on this one. THE LABORS OF HERCULES BEAL is my favorite of the bunch, but I concede that other books on the list hit the Newbery criteria in more original and sophisticated ways. However, let’s look at the ways it does meet the criteria:
Hercules’ school year is neatly organized according to his completion of the 12 labors, and each of these touches upon a different theme and aspect of grief. My personal favorite was labor #11, The Apples of the Hesperides, in which Hercules’ teachers come through at the last minute and help him deliver dozens of apple trees. Colonel Hupfer’s response to Hercules’ report was so heartwarming: “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?” Gary Schmidt builds up to this moment – the moment when Hercules realizes that he has a helpful community in the people around him – by using the progression of the twelve labors, successfully developing his plot and Hercules as a character.
The choice of using the Cape as a setting was also an appropriate one, as it sets up most of the dilemmas that Hercules faces: saving his neighbors from a collapsing home, taking his dog to the vet in inclement weather, and even orchestrating an autumn leaf hoax! I agree with others that all these events require more than the usual suspension of disbelief, but as someone already mentioned, the same was true with HELLO, UNIVERSE, and – I would argue – with THE HIGHER POWER OF LUCKY and HOLES. For these reasons, I don’t think we should discount THE LABORS OF HERCULES BEAL just yet.
I was really impressed with the setting of this book, and think that’s the Newbery criteria in which it shines. It also helped me, as an older reader, handle some of the less probable parts of the story—it was part of the setting that that sort of thing happened here. I laughed, I chuckled, I cried a little bit–I found this story very moving and even if It doesn’t win a darned thing, I’m glad I read it this year!
This was my favorite of this year’s finalists. The premise here is similar to the one in SIMON SORT OF SAYS and even a bit to the second half of GONE WOLF – protagonists working through the trauma of recent deaths. That trauma is the constant background of each book, but it’s different in LABORS. In the other two, it’s PTSD, it’s a tension that something could make the protagonist snap into panic at any moment. In LABORS, it’s more of a melancholy – there’s a steady hum of sadness going on with Hercules. What’s more is that the entire town knows it’s there, and in a lot of cases, they also have their own sadness. This isn’t a particularly deep analysis, but it’s just nice to visit this small town where people help each other work through their problems when they need it, even if they’re not asking for the help directly.
I agree with Elaine’s assessment – other than the last car accident with Viola, the amount of things that happened and their alignment with the labors worked for me.
I understand with a lot of the faults mentioned here- but I am still impressed with all the plot development that fit into this book and think that even though it all doesn’t fit perfectly that’s what makes it fiction!
also I thought the primary and secondary character development was done very well from hercules to colonel general, to violet, even to the way minor characters like the slacker employees were described– you’re really learning a lot about these people and relationships
The slightly-stretched reality of Hercules’ world and the tall tale feel as Steven stated didn’t bother me. I think Schmidt intended it to be that way. I see it as a ‘hero story’. The plot is creative, engaging, and full of adventure. Schmidt’s choice of words and pacing kept me laughing and at times crying, but also thinking about life situations.
This book especially shines in delineation of characters. I rooted for Hercules, the underdog, throughout the book. The reflections after each task worked well, as they showed Hercules’ growth as he worked through his grief and loss. He realized that he had community that care and support him, and that he has inner strength to ‘keep on being’.
In my opinion Lieutenant Colonel Hupfer and Viola get the supporting actor and actress awards, although Mr. Moby, the grumpy bus driver, is right up their in the nominations. The Colonel, through all his toughness shows his tender side when he gives one of his medals to Hercules just for ‘Being Here’. As the Colonel states on p. 286: “The point of being present and determined in periods of conflict and hardship is something that this marine prizes.” The Colonel was there to help Hercules ‘carry the sky’ when Hercules was overwhelmed. And Viola, ‘Oh Boy, Oh Boy’, though quirky, really shines in caring, loving and carrying through at times when Achilles and Hercules are ‘jerk faces’, working through their issues.
The delineation of setting is well done, with the descriptions of the cold, the wind, the cloud formations, the ocean waves each morning as Hercules climbed the dune with Mindy and Pirate Cat to say hello to his mom and dad. A few examples are on pages 191 and 319. I loved how Schmidt showed the changing seasons through the jobs/chores that needed to be completed at the Beal Brothers Farm & Nursery.
This book shine in themes, such as Hercules discovers, page 319: “There are people to help you carry the sky when you have to, and to help you put it down when you need to.” Hercules understands that he has been to hell and back, but is still standing and has a lot more living to do, ‘Oh Boy, Oh Boy’. This book is high on my list for an award.
I agree and appreciate your thoughtful assessment!
I agree with Emily – the secondary character development was excellent. From Henry to Viola, the characters seemed well-developed and important.
I was surprised at how well the plot points seemed to fit the storyline. Sure, doing however many of these labors in a year seems kind of ridiculous, and the school but not the barns coming down during the storm seemed unlikely, but I think Schmidt did a great job of making the book believable. Maybe not for real life but for a fictional life, certainly.
And then there’s the setting of the book – we get to know individual houses on Cape Cod. It just packs so much detail into the pages. Who has hot chocolate, who has the big tree, who lives too close to the water.
I now understand why everyone was telling me to read it all year. It’s really exceptional and so entertaining.
I was late getting to “The Labors of Hercules Beal” due to a hold list at my public library, but I’m so glad that I got to it right at the end of our time period. I felt that, out of all of our books, “Hercules” plot was one of the best in terms of pacing and structure. I felt like I had an idea of where we were going although each of the labors reminded me that I had no idea of how we were going to get there. The characters were so well written and I feel like the reader gets to know each of them as individuals and not just a sort of place filler “best friend”, “future friend”, “strict teacher”, etc. I loved the growth in Hercules’ reflection letters, but I think that Lieutenant Colonel Lupfer’s responses were just the right move to keep the story from becoming to lofty. I really enjoyed the story itself and I loved how the themes of the Greek myths were woven throughout. This one is definitely a top contender for me.