That is why I love children's adaptations, not all of them, but I have some that I really love because in reading them to my kids, I have learned so much that I did not know!
Our library has one such book detailing The Epic of Gilgamesh for kids! It is so interesting! I know that I cannot bear the poem, but at least they will know the basic story that so many believed in the ancient world for thousands of years.
Then there is the series I found by Mary Pope Osborne, of Magic Tree House fame, that tells the tales of the heroes of ancient Greece. Tales of the Odyssey is a series of seven books that retells the story of the Odysseus and his travels at about a fourth grade level.
Rosemary Sutcliff also retold the story in The Wanderings of Odysseus. It's companion, Black Ships Before Troy, retells the story of The Iliad. The pictures are oh so lovely, but I had a hard time with this one too. Maybe I just have lost brain matter over time or maybe I I am lazy and do not want to have to work at reading.
Charles and Mary Lamb have long been THE children's version of Shakespeare, but I would heartily recommend Bruce Coville's picture books. The illusrations are gorgeous, and appropriately dark for some of the stories.
I guess I have to admit that I even enjoyed Terry Deary's renderings in Top Ten Shakespeare Stories .
That is my confession of the day.
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2 comments:
Oh, Lauri, I am SO with you on the poetry! I hated poetry in school. I have found a couple that I actually like when Dave Petersen puts poetry-excitement on his blog. The only poems I like are hymns, so I'm afraid I'm passing on my apathy to the kids; at least I'm not passing on active dislike. Brownie points for that???
I didn't like Lambs either. But I fell in love with those Coville books as soon as I saw them. Andrew loved the Sutcliffe Iliad and Odyssey; his sister turned him onto them; I've never read them. I'll have to see if I can get my hands on the Osborne books. Thanks for the heads up!
EXACTLY! Why have kids memorize poetry when they can memorize edifying hymns?
I had collected about 10 Sutcliff books over the years, sold them all. I didn't like them. If we want to try them again, I'll get them from the library.
Susan, you made my day.
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