Title: “The Wanderings of Odysseus”
Author: Rosemary Sutcliff
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Laurel Leaf
Copyright Date: 2005
Pages in Book: 144
Reading Level: 4-8 grade
Summary: The Wanderings of Odysseus is a story of Odysseus and his men returning from the war in Troy. On their way back, they encounter several different trials including a Cyclops, a lotus flower, and a little battle inside his own home. He and his men stay inside a cave, not knowing that it belonged to the Cyclops. They devise a plan to escape, and after blinding the Cyclops with a beam of wood, they strap themselves to the stomach of the giant sheep that the Cyclops takes care of. Then the men and Odysseus and his men and stuck on an island and every time they eat the lotus flower it makes time slow down, and they forget the purpose of where they were going. Once they reach their home, Odysseus finds his home filled with suitors, trying to marry his wife. She devises a competition, whoever can string Odysseus’s bow, and shoot an arrow through nine rings, will be her next husband. Pretending to be a homeless man, Odysseus watches as countless men try and fail at this feat. Finally he asks for a try, and succeeds. He takes over his home once again.
Reaction: I actually really liked this book for several reasons. One, it was well written and easy to follow along to. Second, it followed “The Odyssey” rather well, and I think it’ll be very helpful to have read before one would read “The Odyssey”. It made (me at least) want to read more, and kept me interested the entire time.
Recommendation: I would highly recommend this book to any child above the age of nine or ten. I think the level of reading is really important here because there are a lot of words that younger children probably wouldn’t know, nor would they understand if this story was being read to them.
Potential Problems/Conflicts: I thought that the book was slightly violent, and I wouldn’t want my younger children reading it, for the fear of it giving them ideas.
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