Song of Roland for upper elementary?

[caffeineandbooks]

Does anyone know of a children's version of the Song of Roland written at an easier level than H E Marshall's Stories of Roland Told to the Children?  The language in that one seems a little archaic to me.  Looking for something suitable for a 5th grader to read; bonus points if the 3rd grader would also be likely to enjoy it.

[Quarter Note]

Hi Caffeineandbooks.  The version that we have is part of a collection by Mary Pope Osborne:  Favorite Medieval Tales.  I think that the writing level should be fine for a fifth grader.  

Edited to add more information:  The illustrations add a lot to this book.  There are also very helpful notes on the stories.  One of the things that I most love about this book is that each story is introduced with an actual quotation in the original language, along with its translation. 

Edited June 3, 2021 by Quarter Note

[LostintheCosmos]

I haven't seen H.E. Marshall's version to compare, but there is a Roland retelling by James Baldwin. Yesterday's Classics has reprinted it. 

[Miss Tick]

2 hours ago, Quarter Note said:

Hi Caffeineandbooks.  The version that we have is part of a collection by Mary Pope Osborne:  Favorite Medieval Tales.  I think that the writing level should be fine for a fifth grader.  

Edited to add more information:  The illustrations add a lot to this book.  There are also very helpful notes on the stories.  One of the things that I most love about this book is that each story is introduced with an actual quotation in the original language, along with its translation. 

+1 this is the one we have also. I didn't find it to be a particularly good story, though. Even the "for kids" version we have was still problematic with stereotypes and nonsensical military strategy. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[keirin]

I just read my 3rd grade age twins an English translation of the Song of Roland, no kids version necessary. We did pause to go over unfamiliar vocabulary at times. I think I used the penguins classics version which is translated by Sayer.

[Junie]

I read The Song of Roland fairly recently, but I wasn't thinking about making it accessible to kids.  However, for some reason the rhythm of the poem started flowing through my head as if it were being rapped my Lin-Manuel Miranda.  It really helped me to keep moving through the lines of the poem without it turning into prose in my head.

[Porridge]

Not a children’s version, but the Penguin Classics version translated by Dorothy Sayers has an excellent introduction (written by Sayers). I am learning a lot, and I’m going to use it as a resource to provide context for DD when she reads it.

[caffeineandbooks]

The Hive is awesome.  Thank you, everybody, for your resources and comments on them.  Notes about who translated it, whether you enjoyed it, etc are so much more helpful than mere book lists!  I'll throw in a related title for anybody with a younger kid tagging along:  as well as choosing from the selections above, we will read the picture book The Elephant From Baghdad (link is to OpenLibrary copy), about the friendship that developed between Charlemagne and an elephant he was gifted.

[katilac]

On 6/4/2021 at 6:23 PM, keirin said:

I just read my 3rd grade age twins an English translation of the Song of Roland, no kids version necessary. We did pause to go over unfamiliar vocabulary at times. I think I used the penguins classics version which is translated by Sayer.

I regarded the kids' version of The Song of Roland as a mercy to myself, not a necessity for my children. 

[Porridge]

On 6/3/2021 at 8:22 AM, SusanC said:

+1 this is the one we have also. I didn't find it to be a particularly good story, though. Even the "for kids" version we have was still problematic with stereotypes and nonsensical military strategy. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Yeah there is a lot of racist stereotyping as well as wildly inaccurate portrayal of religious beliefs. But if your kids are old enough, it can be a good chance to talk with them about those types of issues — how does prejudice develop and how is it transmitted within a culture?