Robin Hood: Pyle or Green for an average 10 yr old boy? Did your child like either-and what age?

[HappyGrace]

I want to listen to Pyle on audio for an upcoming car trip, but I looked at the vocab and it looks tough, plus the Old English, especially in an audiobook where they may be speaking quickly (and I'm not sure if the one I got has a British accent, which would make it harder!)

 

Green looks easier-lower vocab level, no Old English-he could almost read that on his own.

 

I know Pyle as a readaloud read slowly with me commenting and/or dramatizing a bit would be best, but I know we'd never get to it!

 

So....read Green now alone and save Pyle for much later (if ever), or give the Pyle audio a try?

[Matryoshka]

We listened to the Pyle audio. It's not that there was any trouble understanding it. But I have girls, and it was pretty much just a long series of episodes of Robin or Little John beating someone up and either taking their money or deciding they were a worthy opponent and adding them to the band. Over and over and over. I tried to get through it by chuckling at the constant use of "La!" as and exclamation by grown men. And where the heck was Maid Marian? Not even mentioned, except one brief mention in passing - she never shows up in the actual story at all, and is never mentioned again. I wish we'd done the Green - I really liked all the other stuff of his I've read (Tales of Ancient Egypt, Tales from Shakespeare, King Arthur) - It had to have been better.

[nmoira]

Pyle! For the sheer exuberance. Keep track of the myriad vessels used to hold wine and beer as you go through. :D

[Jean in Newcastle]

I skipped them both and we watched Errol Flynn :leaving:

[Lori D.]

How about Paul Creswick's Robin Hood, with N.C. Wyeth illustrations?

Or Marshall's shorter version from the Yesterday's Classics series: Stories of Robin Hood Told to Children?

 

 

And do check out this wonderful website of all things Robin Hood -- even two Classic Comic Book versions of Robin Hood that you can read online, plus ballads you can listen to: Robin Hood Tales.

[HappyGrace]

Lori, you are a wealth of information!! Please write a homeschool book!

 

We have seen and loved the Flynn movie, and of course the Disney, read a couple different adaptations...looking to do the "real deal" now :)

 

Thanks for the responses so far-please keep them coming!

[Catherine]

We love the movie too. Another possible resource is the Enid Blyton Robin Hood, though it's directed to younger children-7 or 8 and up-it's a not-too-difficult chapter book. My youngest has loved all the Enid Blyton books and Robin Hood was no exception.

[warneral]

I'm using (well I plan to) the Veritas Press lit guide for my 9-11 year olds and it uses the Green version.

[KellyMama]

We tried Pyle last year with my then 12 yo dd and it was tough for her (she is an excellent reader) so we switched to the Green (Puffin classic) version for the 5th/7th graders, and everyone listened to the Jim Weiss audio retelling in the car. Our 9 yo ds loved it so much he wanted to listen to it over and over!

[RootAnn]

I just got the Green (Puffin Classic) from Amazon the other day, but haven't cracked it yet. Wasn't quite ready for Pyle....

[Violet Crown]

My girls liked Song of Robin Hood at that age. It's the Robin Hood ballads, old and less old, with either their proper traditional melodies or other tunes from the period that fit the meter. The language is modernized just enough, and the art is beautiful.

http://books.google.com/books/about/Song_of_Robin_Hood.html?id=NJmA4oNseRMC

[Mrs Twain]

My 10 y.o. just finished Green. He enjoyed it so much that he couldn't put it down.

[Desert Strawberry]

We are listening to Pyle. I thought my 7 yr old might struggle, but both 7 and 10 are enjoying it.

[HappyGrace]

Well, it's about an even split amongst answers!!!!

 

I think since we've done so much Robin Hood, and the Green would be easy for him to read himself (so what's the point-he knows the story), I think I'll shoot a little higher and do the Pyle. My main purpose for doing Robin Hood is that I'd love to have him hear that language, and maybe a story he is familiar with is a good place to start with throwing in much higher vocab and more difficult language.

 

Thanks, everyone!

[Heidi]

You just never know. Pyle`s Robin Hood is my dd 9`s favorite book, she read it twice, and then begged me to read it out loud so her siblings could enjoy it too. I'm sure she didn't understand it all, but I was surprised at what she did and that she enjoyed it so much. I struggled reading it out loud, but after a while got the hang of it. I think it is good you are taking on the Pyle challenge!