The Trojan War

I used this book in my 6th grade classroom for 6 years. The reading level is challenging, but within the scope of average 11+ year olds. While there's not as much dialogue as I might like, the story is fairly complete, including backstory that Homer didn't have and continuing past the death of Hector to the end of the war. Unfortunately, when I read the original Iliad, I discovered that Mr. Evslin had been somewhat liberal in his designations of which god/dess performed some of the relevant acts. Even where he had included the characters who had done certain things, he attributed those actions to other characters, especially Odysseus, whom Mr. Evslin credits with much more than Homer did. As a teacher I was disappointed to discover that I had been teaching my students inaccurate information for so long. I'm still looking for a version true to the original that has the backstory, the adventure, the correct characters doing the correct things, the aftermath of the war, and is written in a style that will engage 6th graders....

This is essentially an easy-to-read abridged version of the story of the Trojan War as told by Homer in The Iliad, except that where Homer ends his epic with the death of Hector, Bernard Evslin carries the tale all the way through to the Trojan Horse and the fall of Troy. The Trojan War lasted ten years, but this book, just like The Iliad, covers only the last six weeks or so of the war.Evslin does a great job of portraying the characters themselves in the same way Homer did -- the brashness of Achilles, the maturity and wisdom of Odysseus (called Ulysses in this version), and also the whimsy and deception of the gods and goddesses, all come through in this book.Evslin took some liberties in fleshing out certain scenes, making up some dialogue and minor events, but on the whole stayed admirably close to the original. His storytelling is uneven at times, which is why I gave this book four stars instead of five. For example, sometimes Evslin provides intimate details of particular scenes, but at other times, when adding some detail would add a lot of personal drama to the story (and where such detail is included in Homer), Evslin simply glosses over the scene with only a sentence or two. This is especially evident near the end when King Priam goes to Achilles to request the body of his dead son Hector. It's a painfully personal scene in Homer, but almost a footnote here.There's no way Homer's epic can be condensed to a version this short without losing something, but by focussing on Achilles, Evslin's retelling feels complete in its own right. Most of what he cut were the storylines of the supporting characters, particularly the interactions between the Greeks themselves. I have to say these were wise choices, however, because they allow the story of a very complicated war to be told clearly in the small amount of space he has to tell it.This book is published by Scholastic Inc, and is 160 pages of fairly small type. The reading level is not indicated, but I'm guessing it's about 5th or 6th grade level. The storytelling itself is fairly simple and easy to read -- Evslin does an amazing job sometimes of drawing a young reader through the material -- but there are a lot of unfamiliar names and places which, along with the small type size, may put off some young readers. And although I said this is a great version for kids, adults will enjoy reading it as well, whether they're already familiar with The Iliad or not.

I think this book was really good. It told about history and greek mythology all in one. It also told the story of the greek hero. I won't tell you who wins this war, but I will tell you it is worth your summer reading. This book also won't be what you expected.

THIS BOOK WAS ABOUT THE TROJAN WAR WHICH WAS FAUGHT BY THE TROJANS AND THE GREEKS. EACH SIDE HAD GODS AND GODDESS'S HELPING THEM FIGHT IN DIFFERENT WAYS. SOME GODS REMAINED NUTRAL BUT MOST CHOSE A FAVORITE SIDE. THERE WERE MANY GREAT WORRIERS THAT FAUGHT IN THE WAR BUT A FEW WERE AGAMEMNON, HECTOR, ACHILLES, AND ODYSSEUS. THIS BOOK DID A GOOD JOB OF SLIGHTLY REVIEWING THE PREVIOUS CHAPTER IN THE NEXT CHAPTER. ALTHOUGH IT STARTED OFF SLOW IN THE BEGINING IT MADE UP FOR IT ENTIRELY. IT KEPT A STEADY PACE THROUGH OUT THE ENTIRE BOOK AND MADE YOU WANT TO KEEP READING. I WOULD ADVISE ANYONE STUDYING GREEK HISTORY TO READ THIS. EVEN IF YOUR NOT STUDYING HISTORY IT'S STILL GOOD READING.

This is a great book. It has all the heroes in Greek history. It's truly a wonderful book. It's so full of action and exitment. This is a must!