The Odyssey by Robert Fagles

Old time “juvenile” fiction 1920
Robert Fagles
The Odyssey
About 456 B.C.

Odysseus is finally on his way home to Ithaca, but as the old legend tells he is driven off course and faces many adventures. For the whole of eight years Odysseus is faced with challenges and obstacles before he can return to his family and home. Odysseus encounters Poseidon’s son the Cyclops, cannibals, seductive goddesses and the wrath of the Gods. Through his adventures Odysseus grows but reveals us his weaknesses, which proves to us that certain qualities can lead us to ruin and stunt our progression.

Pgs 560
Classic
Age Group: Young Adult - Adult
Interest Level: 14+

-A superb translation of the famous The Odyssey
-A great insight to the culture of the Greeks in that time
-Beautiful language with wonderful rhythm

Song of the Sparrow by Lisa Ann Sandell

Lisa Ann Sandell
Song of the Sparrow

When Elaine’s mother is murdered before her and her brother’s eyes her father takes his three children to join the camp of Arthur. Elaine grows up running wild like a boy and creates a bond with the soldiers of Arthur as she matures among them. To the men Elaine is a sister; she mends clothes and bodies and is whom they go to for an ear of compassion; they are her brothers. But as the old legend tells, Elaine falls in love with the handsome Lancelot. He was her friend when her world flipped, but when he fetches the lovely Gywnivere to make Arthur’s wife his heart is captured. Heartbroken, Elain finds comfort in Tristan, who attempts to make her smile. When the men must go to fight the Saxons, Elaine knows she must sneak away from the camp and follow them. What finds her is a weaving of discovery when she is capture by the Saxon men. Elaine attains a friend in her enemy, she discovers her own strength, and she finally understands what true love really is.

Pgs 416
Historical novel, Adventure novel
Young Adult
Interest Level 12+

-Sandel uses beautiful lyrical language that is easy to understand while having it in the same format as the old classics like The Odyssey.
-Good for young girls
-Great story
-Has some romance

Three Cups of Tea by Mortenson & Relin

Mortenson & Relin
Adapted by Sarah Thomson
Three Cups of Tea
2009

In 1993, Greg Mortenson attempted to climb K2, the world’s second highest mountain in honor of his sister who passed away. He becomes lost and ill and finds aid in a Pakistan village called Korphe. He promised to repay his generous host by building a school. This was the beginnings of the Central Asia Institute (CAI) which now provides schools for children in Pakistan and Afghanistan. This version is retold for Young Adults; the story relates the hard work of one American determined to make lives better through schooling. It follows the interesting adventures he goes through for the sake of a people who need his help.

Pgs 240
Nonfiction, Memoir
Young Adult
Interest Level: Young Adult

-A quick and interesting read.
-Inspiring.
-Helps the reader understand the ways of the Muslim (they’re not terrorist).
-Gives insights to the lives of Muslims and their customs.
-A great read.

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne

Historical Fiction

John Boyne

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

2006

In Berlin during the year 1942 young Bruno comes home to discover the maid is packing his belongings. His father was promoted, and now the family has to move from their home to a house far from Berlin. Upset, Bruno attempts to convince his father that moving is a bad idea. He won’t have friends or anything to do in their new house, but when Bruno arrives at the new house he goes exploring and eventually discovers a fence, which brings him a new friend whose life is very different from Bruno’s. A friendship is created, but the consequences of this naïve bond leads to devastating consequences.

Pgs 216

Children, historical

Young Adult

Interest Level 12+

-This is a quick read, with easy text.

-The innocence of Bruno is accurate and takes the reader on an adventure through the eyes of someone who is young and ignorant to what is the real world.

-Excellently written.

-Do not read if you are not prepared to be broken hearted at the end.

Peter and the Wolf by Sergei Prokofiev

Audio Book
Sergei Prokofiev
Peter and the Wolf
1939

Peter lives with his grandfather who loves him and wants to protect him, but Peter wants adventure and is disobedient. He leaves the safety of his garden to an unknown world of the meadow. Peter has some animal friends who help him on his adventure.


Fairytale
Ages 9 – 12
Interest Level: 9 +

-A fun story
-Better listened to then just read
-The music is a great story teller

The Rose and the Beast: Fairy Tales Retold by Francesca Lia Block

Francesca Lia Block

The Rose and the Beast: Fairy Tales Retold

2007

A collection of fairytales retold with a “funky edge”. No longer are the fairytale Princesses waiting for a Prince to come save them from monsters and death. Though Block stays true to the idea of the fairytales she rewrites, they have a new twist that shows them in modern situations that teens find themselves in today, and provide options for them to get themselves out (some are realistic while others we hope will not be used). Filled with lovely, lyrical text, this is a quick read, not graphic or full of detail that readers might become impatient with. These are strange fairytales that inform the reader that, whatever their trial is, they can get through it.

Pgs 240

Fantasy

Young Adult

Interest Level 12+

-Simple fast read

-For readers who enjoy fairytales in their short versions and are twisted into stranger tales.

-Some language, some disturbing content: rape, porn, drugs etc…

-Shows hope for those who think they are stuck in an awful situation they cannot get out of. Though challenged, this book has heroines that readers can look to.

Good Masters Sweet Ladies! By Laura Amy Schlitz

Laura Amy Schlitz
Good Masters Sweet Ladies!
2007

Short tales of maids, monks, and other young people that belong to the medieval times. Good Masters Sweet Ladies is a collection of short stories about children, and are cleverly linked. There is the lord’s nephew, forced to prove himself by hunting a wild boar; Nelly, a girl who supports her family by selling living eels; Mogg, the peasant’s daughter who discovers how to hide a good cow from a greedy landlord. These are only a few of the delightful and real characters that are introduced in this short collection of portraits, and are written with lyrical text audiences will want to hear out loud. They are filled with beautiful images that aid the witty stories, and with great historical links, readers will learn things of history without ever knowing it.

Pgs 96
Fantasy
9-12
Interest Level 9-12

-I’m torn on whether I like this one or not. I do like it, but the fact none of the stories have conclusions is disappointing, though also serves a purpose.
-Easily read in an hour, fast and interesting with some good points about history.