Writerdaddy Posted September 8, 2013 Share Posted September 8, 2013 Sorry I did a search first... What are the best books on the Greek gods for children 8 years old? Unfortunately we don't do so well with old classics-- just got off on the wrong foot-- so miss quimby's primer of Ancient Greece for young gentlemen and ladies, or whatever, wont do it for us. I do want it to be factual however. Can you help? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IrishMum Posted September 8, 2013 Share Posted September 8, 2013 D'Aulaire's Book of Greek Myths is our favourite for this age. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurelia Posted September 8, 2013 Share Posted September 8, 2013 I second the D'Aulaire's recommendation. Another good one is Classic Myths to Read Aloud. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsmm Posted September 8, 2013 Share Posted September 8, 2013 Jim Weiss has a few audio books as well that are great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 My DS will be using the McElderry Book of Greek Myths retold by Eric Kimmel plus the Literature Pockets "Greek Myths" book. It's a bit more G-rated than many of the Greek myth books for kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coffeemama Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 My kids loved Mary Pope Osborne's retelling of the Odyssey: http://www.amazon.com/Tales-Odyssey-Part-Mary-Osborne/dp/1423128648/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378686770&sr=1-1&keywords=osborne+odyssey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susie in MS Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 A World of Adventure assigns Classic Myths to Read Aloud. We learned a lot from this one. It stays true to the stories, but softens the gore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momto2blessings Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 I was also going to suggest D'Aulaire's:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abacus2 Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 This book is incredibly silly, but my children checked it out so many times from the library that I finally caved and bought it: Amazing Greek Myths of Wonder and Blunders by Michael Townsend http://www.amazon.com/Amazing-Greek-Myths-Wonder-Blunders/dp/0803733089/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1378698281&sr=8-1&keywords=wonder+blunder+greek+myths Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kubiac Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 1. D'Aulaire's is perfect and a classic. 2. Gods, Men and Monsters from the Greek Myths is an equally dense, reliable, readable and beautifully illustrated resource that will serve for years. 3. Tales of Ancient Greece by Enid Blyton makes for a nice read-aloud. It's had a couple of different illustrators, but both are black-and-white line, so it's less well-suited for immersive poring-over than the first two. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Targhee Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 Several by Hugh Lupton. If you get them read by the author even better, he's an excellent storyteller and I enjoy his voice so much more than Jim Weiss' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Targhee Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 Duplicate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 Usbourne Greek Myths was a huge favorite. Ds kept it in the car and read it many many times. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 Wonder Stories by Nathaniel Hawthorne is wonderful. It makes a fabulous read aloud. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Innocent Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 Another one is Atticus the Storyteller's 100 Greek Myths, by Lucy Coates. Emma Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmilyK Posted September 10, 2013 Share Posted September 10, 2013 The audios of Atticus the Storyteller (there are 3 Cds) are excellent. I love d'Aulaire's on audio as well. And the Jim Weiss Greek and Egyptian mythology audios are great. For some reason, I think mythology is especially good on audio. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mytwomonkeys Posted September 10, 2013 Share Posted September 10, 2013 My son loved "Greek gods, Heroes, and Men". Its a free google book: http://books.googleusercontent.com/books/content?req=AKW5Qaf_pwLr6WVu0WVlXq1Rv0Tok-BmyLu7-KtUytSJyHlkGB5LLXphG5UT0dJtpgqctmsn4kdRhgA4pDd-wmlhpClxAGNKA8eSw2e43Md-LgLFwbyeAV6ZdO-WrbSA3yevRsINK8g_Mb1WoV9LhpGPtdfS-nMqrfvM6PKmx1hVMm_7BwydYbpK-D80fDTF-3TsazpzqbnfW_kJRjPXr0qhdZhViIQnOHzqOLxvPZEan0_JaEhpls69O7H1Is5zuXgp1jfr1cpIOC_Q3TaNWkURQQfWQ2COeg We also own and really like the D'Aulaire book. We also have read the Percy Jackson series a couple of times (and my son enjoys other series by Rick Riordan - which are also mythology based). They are a fun read for my son & a perfect launching pad for other mythology books and discussions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SJ. Posted September 10, 2013 Share Posted September 10, 2013 My boys learned a lot from watching the 90s tv show Hercules :lol: We also checked out a lot of books at the library. We preferred the illustrated picture books to the compilation books. Like these: Pandora The Hero and the Minotaur Why Spiders Spin Why Dolphins Call Hercules ETA: Oops, forgot about the Don Nardo books: The Monsters and Creatures of Greek Mythology The Gods and Goddesses of Greek Mythology The Heroes and Mortals of Greek Mythology Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted September 10, 2013 Share Posted September 10, 2013 I like Alice Low's Book of Greek Gods and Heros, and much prefer it to its direct competitor, D'Aulaire's, which I think is over-rated. http://www.amazon.com/Simon-Schuster-Book-Greek-Heroes/dp/0027613909/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378826124&sr=1-1&keywords=greek+myths+low Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie Smith Posted September 10, 2013 Share Posted September 10, 2013 I like the fact the D'Aulaire's book is avaiable as an audio book. I have trouble with the names so I got Dh to read all the mythology stuff. Now my boys can just listen to the audio version when they want to hear it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted September 10, 2013 Share Posted September 10, 2013 I like Alice Low's Book of Greek Gods and Heros This is a really good one as well. Parents should be aware that the content isn't as sanitized as the McElderry book I recommended earlier, which is why I use the latter in the primary grades. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted September 10, 2013 Share Posted September 10, 2013 This is a really good one as well. Parents should be aware that the content isn't as sanitized as the McElderry book I recommended earlier, which is why I use the latter in the primary grades. I'm searching my memory-bank for material in Alice Low that ought to be sanitized out for children (it being a book that is aimed at kids) and failing to come up with anything. What content are you talking about? Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted September 10, 2013 Share Posted September 10, 2013 Padric Colum's versions of the Odyssey and Iliad are good-and are available as free e-books. Be aware, though-if your DC plans to take the National Mythology Exam, neither these nor the Mary Pope Osborne ones prepare well for those subtests-DD hit a couple of questions that apparently were version-specific on the Iliad one last year. (Realistically, you don't NEED to take those subtests at 8-she did three more tests last year than she needed to do based on age/grade level-but if someone has a mythology crazy kid like mine who wants to do the whole thing, it's worth keeping in mind). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted September 10, 2013 Share Posted September 10, 2013 I'm searching my memory-bank for material in Alice Low that ought to be sanitized out for children (it being a book that is aimed at kids) and failing to come up with anything. What content are you talking about? Bill In the story of Jason, the McElderry book leaves out a lot of the nastier details about Medea that the Low book includes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted September 10, 2013 Share Posted September 10, 2013 In the story of Jason, the McElderry book leaves out a lot of the nastier details about Medea that the Low book includes. Like what? Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted September 11, 2013 Share Posted September 11, 2013 Like what? Bill Medea murdering her brother, King Pelias, her children with Jason, and Jason's new wife Glaucus. I'd have to pull out the McElderry book but their Jason & Medea story glosses over the nastier details. I don't think kids in the primary grades need to hear the full version until they are a bit older. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted September 11, 2013 Share Posted September 11, 2013 We liked the Geraldine McCaughrean version. We also read the D'Aulaire version. Of the two the McCaughrean version was more accessible for the younger crowd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stellalarella Posted September 11, 2013 Share Posted September 11, 2013 This year I have been reading aloud Greek myths to my dc aged 10 down to 6. The two older kids obviously can do it on their own, but what I've found that works for us is first starting out with the Classics Illustrated Comics (Jack Lake productions with forewards by Bill Jones) versions of Iliad, Odyssey, and Aeneid. The language is advanced, but the comic book pictures really help their understanding. My boys really enjoy it. From there we move into upper elementary narratives. The two that I like are Black Ships Before Troy which is the Iliad trans. by Rosemary Sutcliff and illustrated by Alan Lee. I also like The Odyssey trans. by Geraldine McCaughrean and illus. by Victor Ambrus. A third book that I was happy to find at the library this year is The Adventures of Achilles by Hugh Lupton. It is a Barefoot Classics for Advanced Readers. I really like the illustrations. It's the story of Achilles--of course it is not sanitized, but it isn't grotesque imo. Once we finished all those, I was going to turn them loose with something on their own reading level. D'Aulairs? But I might also look up Bill's suggestion. The bottom line for me is that the myths are convoluted because there are so many characters. The only way that I, myself, can keep them straight is if we are reading them in more than book. Quite frankly, the visual cues of the comic books are invaluable. So they might be just comics, but that is where we start. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasmama Posted September 11, 2013 Share Posted September 11, 2013 D'Aulaire's Book of Greek Myths is our favourite for this age. Love, love, love. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasmama Posted September 11, 2013 Share Posted September 11, 2013 Usbourne Greek Myths was a huge favorite. Ds kept it in the car and read it many many times. :) We enjoyed this, as well. As I recall, it is very "G rated". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flux Posted September 11, 2013 Share Posted September 11, 2013 This book is incredibly silly, but my children checked it out so many times from the library that I finally caved and bought it: Amazing Greek Myths of Wonder and Blunders by Michael Townsend http://www.amazon.com/Amazing-Greek-Myths-Wonder-Blunders/dp/0803733089/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1378698281&sr=8-1&keywords=wonder+blunder+greek+myths Thanks for this! My kids were climbing over my shoulder to try and get a good look at the preview. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flux Posted September 11, 2013 Share Posted September 11, 2013 Padric Colum's versions of the Odyssey and Iliad are good-and are available as free e-books. Be aware, though-if your DC plans to take the National Mythology Exam, neither these nor the Mary Pope Osborne ones prepare well for those subtests-DD hit a couple of questions that apparently were version-specific on the Iliad one last year. (Realistically, you don't NEED to take those subtests at 8-she did three more tests last year than she needed to do based on age/grade level-but if someone has a mythology crazy kid like mine who wants to do the whole thing, it's worth keeping in mind). We're reading The Adventures of Odysseus and the Tale of Troy right now and I am head over heels in love with Willy Pogany's illustrations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craftyerin Posted September 11, 2013 Share Posted September 11, 2013 I love A Wonder Book and Tanglewood Tales by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Writerdaddy Posted September 12, 2013 Author Share Posted September 12, 2013 Just an update here: my daughter and deaulaires book are now almost inseparable, and it was hard to get her to fork it over and go to sleep last night. Will also get the Hawthorne because... well, it's Hawthorne. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted September 12, 2013 Share Posted September 12, 2013 Medea murdering her brother, King Pelias, her children with Jason, and Jason's new wife Glaucus. I'd have to pull out the McElderry book but their Jason & Medea story glosses over the nastier details. I don't think kids in the primary grades need to hear the full version until they are a bit older. How does the Medea story make sense if she doesn't lose her mind and murder? Those who prefer their books not be dumbed-down and bowdelerized might look at Alice Low. Much better than D'Aulaire IMO. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chelli Posted September 12, 2013 Share Posted September 12, 2013 You might also check out the Goddess Girls series of books. My dd loved them at that age. In fact, she loved to read a Goddess Girl book, read the real myths and then compare them. We're moving on to Percy Jackson this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sobeknofret Posted September 12, 2013 Share Posted September 12, 2013 D'Aulaires, for the art if nothing else, but the whole book is amazing. This was my fave as a child, and it's still on our bookshelves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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