Bibliography

Bibliography of Greek Stories for Children

Ancient Greek Stories and Resources for Kids

The Greek myths and the epics of Homer are endlessly fascinating and instructive to children, capturing in imaginative ways the dramatic conflicts of human life. The books below are arranged in order by age, from the simplest versions to the more sophisticated.

• Greek Myths for Young Children by Marcia Williams. Greek myths condensed and illustrated with dramatic, colorful drawings. (ages 4 to 6)
• The Iliad and the Odyssey by Homer, retold and Illustrated by Marcia Williams. The entire Iliad and adventures of Odysseus, in brief, with colorful, cartoon illustrations. (ages 4 to 6)
• The Robber Baby, Stories from the Greek Myths by Anne Rockwell. Tales of Hermes, Apollo, and other gods, heros and adventures. (ages 4 to 6) (out-of-print, see sources.)
• The One-Eyed Giant, and other monsters from the Greek Myths by Anne Rockwell. Ten tales of monsters and the heros who defeated them. (ages 4 to 6) (out-of-print, see sources.)
• Aesop's Fables by Aesop (editor). Short, literate stories, each with a moral, allowing a child to get the idea of drawing a generalization from a story. The brevity makes them understandable as wholes and a manageable size for older children to read. (ages 4 to 6)
• D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths by Ingri and Edgar Parin D'Aulaire. The Greek myths told for young readers. The illustrations and stories convey much of the original, pagan flavor, values and detail. (ages 4 to 10)
• Tales from the Odyssey by Mary Pope Osborne. Odysseus battles giants, sorceresses, monsters and many other challenges in his twenty-year journey from the Troy back to his beloved home, wife and child. (ages 7 to 10) (more:
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• Ancient Greece and the Olympics, Magic Tree House Research Guide by Mary Pope Osborne. A first-reader history book of Ancient Greece, covering the culture, religion, and the olympics. (ages 4 to 6)
• Pegasus by Marianna Mayer, author; K. Y. Craft, illustrator. The young hero, Bellerophon, is condemmed by an envious King to undertake the dangerous mission of slaying the Chimera. First, he must win the trust of the winged steed Pegasus, who can soar through the clouds and has been tamed by no man. Through bravery and skill, Bellerophon triumphs. (ages 4 to 6)
• The Wanderings of Odysseus, The Story of the Odyssey by Rosemary Sutcliff. Odysseus fights ten years to return home to his beloved wife Penelope, encountering ceasless dangers and adventures. On winning home, he metes out justice to those who would steal his wife and kingdom. (ages 10 to 13)
• Black Ships before Troy, The story of The Iliad by Rosemary Sutcliff. Homer's epic poem, The Iliad, is one of the greatest adventure stories of all time. In it, the abduction of the legendary beauty, Helen of Troy, leads to a conflict in which even the gods and goddesses take sides and intervene. It is in the Trojan War that the most valiant heroes of the ancient world are pitted against one another. Here Hectore, Ajax, Achilles, and Odysseus meet their most formidable challenges and in some cases their tragic ends. Rosemary Sutcliff makes such extraordinary stories as those of those Trojan horse, of Aphrodite and the golden apple, and of the fearsome warrior women Amazons, accessible to contemporary young people. (publisher's summary) (ages 10 to 13)

Links

• Ancient Greek History for Kids – Greek history for children. A broad overview, though not a very principled one, so the reasons for Greek achievements are left obscure.
• BBC Ancient Greece for Kids – Short sketches of aspects of ancient Greece for children
• Perseus Project – Resources on Ancient Greek Art