Category: | Our Mythical Childhood Survey

Brendan Shusterman , Neal Shusterman

Challenger Deep is an episodic, non-linear contemporary novel that retells the Odyssey, and that draws on aspects of fabulism to inform 15-year-old Caden’s delusions as he is treated for schizophrenia in a juvenile psychiatric hospital. The novel alternates between events that occurred before his hospitalisation and during his stay. While these moments can initially be distinguished by the difference in the setting (the real-world setting and the sea voyage), these settings are increasingl(...)

literary

YEAR: 2015

COUNTRY: United States of America

TAGS: Calypso Odysseus/ Ulysses Penelope Polyphemus The Odyssey

Cinzia Bigazzi, Celina Elmi

Homer for Fun: The Odyssey

This book is part of the Le Novelle della Cipolla series, which provides abridged myths accompanied by lavish illustrations. This book relates the voyage of Odysseus (called in the book by his Roman name, Ulysses), from the end of the Trojan War till his safe return to Ithaca. After opening with the council of the gods, the story follows Telemachus and Penelope and we first meet Odysseus on Calypso’s island. Thus the narrative follows the plot of the Homeric epic quite closely. Odysseus is(...)

literary

YEAR: 2010

COUNTRY: Italy

TAGS: Aeolus Athena/ Athene Calypso Charybdis Circe Odysseus/ Ulysses Penelope Polyphemus Poseidon Scylla Telemachus Tiresias Zeus

Marisa De Castro

Let’s Go to Crete!

Marisa Decastro and Mark Weinstein take young children and their guardians on a sightseeing tour of Crete, which is, as we read in the opening page, Greece’s largest island. Children are encouraged to mark places of interest on a sketch-map of Crete. The exploration of Crete starts with its diverse landscapes. These range from high mountains with gorges to plains with olive groves. Mention is made of the Cretan ibex, the so-called “kri-kri”, an indigenous wild goat. The descrip(...)

literary

COUNTRY: Greece

TAGS: Artemis Athena/ Athene Calypso Crete Daedalus Europa Greek history Greek mythology Hephaestus Ithaca Kronos / Cronus Labyrinth Minos Minotaur Odysseus/ Ulysses Radamanthus Rhea Sarpedon Talos Theseus

Kate McMullan , Denis Zilber

Myth-O-Mania (Series, Book 10): Get Lost, Odysseus!

This is the tenth book in the Myth-O-Mania series. In this series, Hades is the narrator who promises to tell the whole truth about the Greek myth; he claims that his brother Zeus, is a myth-o-maniac (that is, a liar) and that he fabricated the myths and wrote his version so that he and his children will appear noble and praiseworthy. In this book, Hades narrates Odysseus’ voyage. Hades clams that Zeus wrote down that it was he who helped Odysseus get home after the Trojan War. Hades (...)

literary

YEAR: 2014

COUNTRY: United Kingdom

TAGS: Athena/ Athene Calypso Cerberus Circe Hades Hermes Odysseus/ Ulysses Penelope Persephone Polyphemus Poseidon Telemachus Zeus

Manuela Adreani

Odyssey [Odissea]

The book is based on the plot of the original Homeric epic – it is the story of Odysseus, who after the fall of Troy wanders the seas trying to come back to his home island of Ithaca. At the same time on Ithaca, Odysseus’ son Telemachus and his wife – Penelope, are struggling with the suitors who attempt to force the Queen into re-marriage. Telemachus decides to leave Ithaca to find some news about his father. Odissea in the adaptation of Giorgio Ferrero, presents the same thre(...)

literary

YEAR: 2016

COUNTRY: Italy

TAGS: Aeolus Antinous Argos Arnaios Athena/ Athene Calypso Charybdis Circe Cyclops / Cyclopes Demodocus Eumaios Eurymachus Helen Hermes Iros Ithaca Laertes Menelaus Nausicaa Nestor Odysseus/ Ulysses Odyssey Ogygia Olympus Penelope Polyphemus Poseidon Pylos Scylla Sirens Sparta Tiresias Trident Trojan Horse (wooden) Troy Zeus

Rick Riordan

Percy Jackson & The Olympians (Series, Book 4): The Battle of the Labyrinth

The fourth book in the Percy Jackson series finds Percy visiting another prospective school. His time here is interrupted by the appearance of two empousai disguised as cheerleaders. The ensuing battle ends with the school on fire and Percy escaping with Rachel Dare, the mortal he met the previous year at the Hoover Dam. Percy is unable to dwell on the serendipitous nature of her appearance as both Annabeth and the police arrive, with the former suggesting they should return to Camp Half-bl(...)

literary

YEAR: 2008

COUNTRY: United States of America

TAGS: Calypso Daedalus Greek mythology Hekatoncheires Hephaestus Hera Heroic itinerary Janus Kampe Monsters Telkine Theseus

Sulari Gentill

The Hero Trilogy (Series, Book 1): Chasing Odysseus

This is the first book in the author’s Hero trilogy. The story of Chasing Odysseus starts in the final days of the Trojan War. Its heroes are three teenaged brothers (Machaon, Cadmus and Lycon) and their younger sister (Hero). Their adoptive father, Agelaus, is a leader of the Herdsmen, a fiercely independent community, allied to the Trojans, who live on the slopes of Mt Ida. The Herdsmen, traditional protectors of the Trojan people, have been secretly supplying the Trojans with food (...)

literary

YEAR: 2011

COUNTRY: Australia

TAGS: Achilles Aeneas Aeolus Agamemnon Alcinous Amazons Arete Calypso Charybdis Cicones Circe Cyclops / Cyclopes Demodocus Eurylochus Gods Helen Hermes Island of the Sun Lotus-eater Menelaus Nausicaa Odysseus/ Ulysses Pan Pantheon Paris Penthesilea Phaeacia Polyphemus Priam Scamandrios Scylla Sirens Tiresias Troy Underworld

Mark Bergin, Sue Reid, David Salariya

The Voyages of Odysseus

Odysseus' travels and his various adventures: meeting with Polyphemus, the Cyclops; visit at the court of King Aeolus and on the island of Circe; Odysseus' descent to the Underworld; meeting dangerous sirens, escaping Scylla and Charybdis. When after all the adventures, Odysseus comes home to Ithaca, there is danger there as well - the palace is occupied by suitors who try to marry Odysseus’ wife, Penelope. Odysseus defeats the suitors.In this picture book the illustrations and wor(...)

literary

YEAR: 2004

COUNTRY: United Kingdom

TAGS: Achilles Athena/ Athene Calypso Circe Eolus Hermes Ithaca Odysseus/ Ulysses Penelope Polyphemus Poseidon Scylla Sirens Telemachus Trojan War Troy Underworld Zeus