The Wanderings of Odysseus: The Story of the Odyssey

My daughter couldn't put the book book down. She truly enjoyed it.

LOTS of illustrations by a master, the writing so good that it will hold listeners/readers of almost any age. You might think that it is too much for the young....remember all those slaughters in Homer....but there are other factors to remember when you judge for the young. For a start, Homer sits at the base of all Western literature, so if you are aiming for a real education and not just developing the desire to read, you can't leave Homer out. Secondly, if you read aloud to your child, you should ALWAYS be reading just a little AHEAD of whatever they could manage on their own. It not only holds their interest and educates, but it will make certain that they will also advance beyond what they would otherwise accomplish. And you can return to Homer over and over again, usually finding something new to discuss or mull over afterwards.

In one form or another, most people are familiar with the story of Odysseus' return from the Trojan War. The Odyssey is a key text at the very core of Western Literature. To be educated, this is one of the few books that a cultivated person must know. Consequently, there is a certain amount of pressure for any author who aims to retell this story for children. Miss some key detail or an important incident and there will be a knowing parent to note its absence.Rosemary Sutcliff spent her entire career writing for young adults. She specialized in books set in the Ancient and Medeival world. Sutcliff understood her reading public and knew how to craft a story to their level of sophistication. "The Wanderings of Odysseus" has just the right amount of detail for young adults.Before starting this book, I finished reading Sutcliff's "Black Ships Before Troy" to my six year old son. It was a very rewarding read but at the end, I had to wonder whether I had done my son a diservice by reading such a violent book to him. To Sutcliff's credit, she included all the violence and cruelty that is it at the heart of The Iliad. In the end, I rationalized reading him this book because I thought it was important to expose him at a young age to such an important book. Fortunately, I did not have this conflicted feeling after reading "The Wanderings of Odysseus". While the Odyssey has its moments of violence, the story lacks the cruelty and savagery of The Iliad. Each parent must judge their own child's level of sensitivity. In my opinion, "The Wanderings of Odysseus" is a book better suited to young children.

This was a great version of Homer’s The Odyssey to use with my middle school ELA class (12 year olds).The language is fairly faithful to the poetic “Homeric epithets” of the original epic, but is much more accessible for younger readers. I also really appreciated that much of the more mature content has been removed, making it appropriate for the age group.The author still managed to capture the adventure, the themes, and the feel of the original.Would definitely recommend for those tween kids looking to explore the story.

This book was a small paperback and I was a little concerned at first that there werent lots of illustrations, but - the story was written in such a way that my two students (grandkids) had no trouble listening to the books as I read them, and they both enjoyed the book very much as part of our ancient history class.

I bought the book to read to my 6 year old daughter as an introduction to the classics and also to refamiliarize myself with an epic that had facinated me since I was a young boy. Marvelous illustrations and accessible language makes my daughter beg for me to read to her each night. This is the story of a man who used his wits to survive. But the story is of the unvarnished brutality of ancient times so some descretion is required.

My 12 year old son doesn't dislike reading, but he isn't a bookworm by any stretch. His reading skills are excellent, but he much prefers to play sports or drums to sitting down with a good book. My son had studied Ancient Greece last school year, and so I thought he might enjoy Greek mythology for his summer reading. After much research, I chose this book and "D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths." Well, he couldn't put either book down and just raved about them. I was thrilled! I just placed an order for "Black Ships before Troy: The Story of 'The Iliad,' another Sutcliff book. "The Wanderings of Odysseus" made "The Odyssey" accessible for my son without dumbing it down or making it too much of a children's book, so to speak, and I am hoping that Sutcliff has done the same for "The Iliad."

My 4th grade son read this and loved it. He was fascinated by it and looked forward to our reading every day (he would read aloud to me). Having read the adult version, I was impressed by this childrens' copy because it stays true to the grain of the story. There is nothing Disneyfied about it. I highly recommend this book to any parent who is trying to introduce classic works to their children, as well as any parent seeking good quality literature. The illustrations are top-rate and further serve to involve the junior reader. Also highly recommended is Sutcliff's Black Ships Before Troy, which is the children's Illiad.

Rosemary Sutcliffe cuenta a los jóvenes de forma admirable las adventures que tuvo que superar Ulises en su regreso a Ítaca junto a Penépole

昔出た時に欲しかったのを我慢して、こちらで見つけて安かったので購入。サトクリフだからというのではなくて有名神話の筋を確認したくて買いました。絵が少ないと言う人もいますが、いや読んでたらすぐ絵が出て来て嬉しいですよ！カラーだし。ちなみに、トロイの木馬は絶版という事で異常に高くなってたので◯ルカリで入手しました。

My boys LOVE this book - and so do I. Rosemary Sutcliffe did a wonderful job re-telling this exciting story - and it is gorgeously illustrated by Alan Lee. It tells the story of Odysseus in wonderful detail - my 8 and 10 year olds read independently, but I am reading to my 6 year old in chapters (4 year old listens as well). There is also a map and pronounciation guide in the back. We have taken this book out of library numerous times and finally have purchased because it is so good. Essential for any study of Ancient Greece and also, just for anybody who loves an adventure.

Beautifully written and illustrated - an excellent , exciting accessible version of the story that can be enjoyed by adults and children alike. Every school should have copies of this and Reosemary Sutcliffe's Dark Ships of Troy, as it opens the door to the classic Greek stories, so central to modern culture. Excellent read . Outstanding.

This was the first book I read through choice as a child. I was enthralled by the book from the start to finish and this is why I chose it for my 12yr old niece. She loves it and is constantly talking about the characters and their journey. I'd recommend this book to kids of all ages up to 99yrs old.