The Trojan Horse: How the Greeks Won the War

This is a very competent introduction to The Iliad and The Aeneid for children (the story really conflates elements of the two epics, e.g., there is no Trojan Horse in the Iliad). The book presents a plausible political back drop for the conflict (that does not appear in either epic but makes sense), as well as Helen's betrothal to Paris, as the catalysts for the conflict. There are battle scenes. The construction of the horse, Sinon's deception, and the ultimate fall of Troy are well dramatized in language easily undertood by children. There are maps to orient the reader to the locations of Greece, Asia Minor, and the Aegean and Black Seas. No, it's not eloquent but it's written in language easily understood by my seven year old boy and even enthralling to my near four year old boy (in combination with the pictures). That's quite an achievement given the relative complexity of the story that's told, I'd say. My boys love it, and nearly have it memorized. They are already enthralled by a seminal element of Western literature and for that I am in debt to this little book.

I read several 'Trojan War' books while trying to decide which to use for my 7-year-olds. I liked this one the best. It had nice illustrations and the story flowed fairly well. The author cut out A LOT, but I felt it appropriate for this age group. No blood and guts here! This is not the definitive story of the Iliad. But it works as a gentle introduction for 1st through 3rd graders. Even my 3-year-old listened in. I found them re-enacting the story for days afterward and it was a constant topic at dinner. The next time around (5th grade) I'll use Rosemary Sutcliff's Black Ships Before Troy and The Wanderings of Odysseus. I think they're fantastic retellings of the story, just a bit much for my little ones right now.

Although it is written in a more no-nonsense, simplistic,and factual style than many other books on the topic, my kids (ages 6-12) were enthralled. They talked about it constantly for many days after.

This is about King Spartas and his wife, Helena. Helena runs off with a Trojan man and she falls in love with him. This angers the king so he gathers an army of Greek troops too to go retrieve his wife. The Greeks made a plan to get into the city of troy and take Helena from the Trojans. They built a huge wooden horse and they set it outside the shores of troy. Once it was inside the city, the Greek troops that were hiding inside came out and attacked the city of Troy. They ended up winning the battle and getting the girl back. I think this book did a really good job at describing the events that took place in the battle to get Helena back. I think it is a good book for children to read cause it can tell them about the story while keeping their attention. I think a lot of books that are about mythology do not good a good job in that aspect but this one did. I think the author was trying to write a book about the Trojan wars that would really grab a child's attention and this one does.

This step into reading book is geared for 2-4 grades. The chapters are short and fully illustrated. The sentences are kept short but the story still remains interesting. There is a pronunciation guide at the back of the book for those unusual names like Menelaus. Great reading for a unit study on Ancient Greece.