The Labors of Hercules Beal and Grief

Lynn: What, you might ask, do the Labors of Hercules, grief, and middle-grade books have to do with each other? Everything, if it’s in the hands of masterful author Gary Schmidt. In his new book, The Labors of Hercules Beal (Clarion, 2023),12-year-old Hercules Beal is laboring under a heavy burden of grief and loss after the hit-and-run accident that killed his parents. His older brother has returned from his dream job to take over the Beal Brothers Farm and Nursery and care for Hercules. Neither brother can talk about their pain and daily life is a question of survival. To add to Hercules’ burdens, his brother switches him to a new school he can walk to AND his new teacher, ex-marine, Lt. Col. Hupfer’s assignment of the Classical Mythology year-long project is to consider the Twelve Labors of Hercules and how they would be performed today.

As Hercules labors over the project, life adds much more to his burdens but he also discovers the powers of friendship, love, trust, and being able to heal—and the ability to write in ways that satisfy his demanding teacher.

Hercules and all the characters around him on Cape Cod won my heart and half the fun was seeing how he tackled the 12 Labors and how that affected him. Hercules is a kid that young readers can relate to and his voice is wonderfully authentic. Schmidt understandably writes often of grief and. sadly, its heavy weight is carried by many of today’s kids. Hercules’ struggles to manage that burden are deeply moving and accessibly depicted. His ultimate management of that pain is one every reader can cheer for.

Another reviewer I read has dismissed Schmidt and his books because the readers in her library won’t pick them up to read. That is a criticism of books that I have heard often over the years and while that may be true, it is also true that there are many readers for whom this book will be a truly memorable and enjoyable experience. We live in a world where young people often have little experience with books that take some time or are of places and people far different from their own. Part of our role as teachers and librarians is to open those doors for kids and help them to experience different worlds. Schmidt’s books beg to be read aloud in a classroom, to be discussed and to enable readers to walk in other people’s shoes. I feel it has always been crucial and, especially so today where focus and empathy are lacking, all the more important.

Libraries should have a wide range of popular books and formats and they should also have masterfully written stories that are deeply rewarding and that take time to unfurl. Gary Schmidt’s newest is one of those. Will a lot of kids know anything about the Labors of Hercules? Not at the beginning, but do they know about grief and sadness and the daily struggle to get through a day? Absolutely! And here, a wonderful writer reflects on those issues in ways that will make young readers laugh and cry and perhaps help them in their own struggles. I think this is a must-purchase and a wonderful book to share.