My Odyssey Odyssey

Well, still no decision about which spine to use for our history studies, despite the epic of a post a couple days ago. I have, however, decided upon the books we will read to cover Homer's Iliad and Odyssey. I don't think it is time yet for my 4th or 7th grader to read the originals, so I set out on my own Odyssey to find just the right children's version to introduce it. Surprisingly, there is a wide variety out there! Let's take a look, shall we?


The Children's Homer by Padraic Colum. Fantastic! This book is recommended in all sorts of history programs, and with good reason. Weaving together both tales, Colum relates the story to us as it is told to Telemachus, son of Odysseus, while he awaits his father's return. Charming line illustrations. We are listening to this one on audio book in the car. I'd say it is best for about 6th-8th grade, as there are many "stories within stories" to this version. Complex, beautiful language and a good preparation for reading the real thing in a few years. Since we are listening to this right now, we won't use it again in the fall. My final pick is yet to be revealed!


The Trojan War-Olivia Coolidge. I had a hard time choosing between this book and my ultimate choice. This is a very clearly written version of the Trojan War. I just wish she had a full version of the Odyssey to go with it. The adventures of Odysseus are only briefly described or summarized in The Trojan War, and that was the sticking point for me on using this one in our formal studies. I'd want continuity of authorship in going into the Odyssey and it is not to be had. However, if you are not hung up on that point like I am, this is a fantastic choice, recommended by many on The Well Trained Mind boards and with great reviews on Amazon. Black and white illustrations. Probably best for 4th or 5th grade to 8th.


The Tale of Troy-Roger Lancelyn Green. We usually like Green around here, but for whatever reason his retelling of the Trojan war didn't speak to me. Chalk it up to having previewed too many others already? Maybe. Again, it is mostly a retelling of the Iliad, with brief descriptions of the Odyssey. This one is used in Sonlight's Core 6 program.


Tales from the Odyssey-Mary Pope Osborne. From the author of the Magic Treehouse books. These 6 short volumes telling of Odysseus' return home from the Trojan War are definitely not written in the same simplistic style as her other series! Probably best for ages 7-9, they are well-written and contain enough adventure and gore to satisfy the boys! I've heard that the audio books are very engaging as well. I'm tempted to try them for Charlie in a couple years. As far as introducing the Trojan War, the first book (The One-Eyed Giant) tells the story of how Odysseus is called to fight, and of the Trojan Horse. Plenty for the targeted age.

The Adventures of Odysseus-Hugh Lupton. This offering is from Barefoot Books and has the lovely artwork that is standard fare for their books. This would be a great choice for the younger, or more sensitive set as far as illustrations go, although Polyphemus still "crammed the corpse into his mouth" and brains do "splatter against the walls and the floor". YMMV. We're not using this one, either. Even though the illustrations are quite lush, they seem to not quite match the feel of the tale.


Black Ships Before Troy, The Wanderings of Odysseus-both by Rosemary Sutcliff. Well this is it. The moment you've all been waiting for! These are the books we will be using this coming fall. BSBT tells the tale of the Trojan War, while The Wanderings of Odysseus covers, well, the wanderings of Odysseus! How did I choose? Two complete books by the same author, well-written, with the hands-down best illustrations of anything I've looked at. Beautiful hardcover editions to add to a permanent library. I think we will do these as read-alouds and discuss together. Charlie (who will be 6 in the fall) is always hanging out with us and usually listening in, so if the gore becomes too much for him, my plan B is to have Ben read these independently and give Will the Mary Pope Osborne books to read. He can always catch up with a more sophisticated version later.

In addition to the Sutcliff choices, I will have Ben read Penelope Lively's In Search of a Homeland which is a retelling of Virgil's Aeneid. Put out by the same publisher as the Sutcliff books, I believe this is meant to complete the trifecta of ancient epics for children.