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Greek Myths
Odysseus and the Cyclops
After 10 years of battle, Odysseus and his men capture the city of Troy. They set sail for home. When they come upon an island, Odysseus is curious. He and some men climb the mountainside and enter a cave. Little do they know the cave is home to a giant Cyclopes! Will Odysseus and his men make it out alive?
- GenresFiction
32 pages, Library Binding
First published August 1, 2011
2 people are currently reading
13 people want to read
About the author
Cari Meister
478 books50 followersCari Meister lives on a small farm in Minnesota with her husband, four sons, three horses, one dog and one cat. Cari enjoys running, snowshoeing, horseback riding, and yoga. She loves to visit libraries and schools!
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
December 31, 2018
A great adventure book that any child will love. The curious and clever Odysseus like the proverbial cat gets his warriors into trouble with a Cyclops and then successfully gets most of his men to freedom.
June 6, 2022
A tale from Odysseus’s 10-year voyage home and how he found the island of the cyclops and escaped them.
March 27, 2016
Hero Book:
Odysseus and the Cyclops: A retelling by Cari Meister (2012)
Target audience: Ages 8-10
Setting: An island in Troy, sometime after the Trojan War
Character(s)/Plot/Summary: Odysseus is a strong and clever warrior who is leading his soldiers’ home after a long and arduous war. On their journey, they run into a terrifying Cyclops named Polyphemus. Odysseus asks for Polyphemus’ hospitality, but the ruthless Cyclops laughs and eats two soldiers. Odysseus develops a plan to escape the giant’s cave. He carries out his plan, outwits Polyphemus, and manages to get the remainder of his men out safely.
Illustrations: The watercolor paintings use dark colors that enhance the scary story plot. The faces of the soldiers clearly demonstrate how they feel as they encounter the ferocious Polyphemus.
Personal critique/strengths/weaknesses: The story plot moves at an appropriate pace. The author uses vocabulary that is appropriate for the age group. The descriptions of characters, definitions of important words, and background information about the main character establish the setting and familiarize readers with Odysseus. The last page provides additional resources on Odysseus mythology, which can be useful for readers who want to learn more about Greek Mythology.
Odysseus and the Cyclops: A retelling by Cari Meister (2012)
Target audience: Ages 8-10
Setting: An island in Troy, sometime after the Trojan War
Character(s)/Plot/Summary: Odysseus is a strong and clever warrior who is leading his soldiers’ home after a long and arduous war. On their journey, they run into a terrifying Cyclops named Polyphemus. Odysseus asks for Polyphemus’ hospitality, but the ruthless Cyclops laughs and eats two soldiers. Odysseus develops a plan to escape the giant’s cave. He carries out his plan, outwits Polyphemus, and manages to get the remainder of his men out safely.
Illustrations: The watercolor paintings use dark colors that enhance the scary story plot. The faces of the soldiers clearly demonstrate how they feel as they encounter the ferocious Polyphemus.
Personal critique/strengths/weaknesses: The story plot moves at an appropriate pace. The author uses vocabulary that is appropriate for the age group. The descriptions of characters, definitions of important words, and background information about the main character establish the setting and familiarize readers with Odysseus. The last page provides additional resources on Odysseus mythology, which can be useful for readers who want to learn more about Greek Mythology.
November 3, 2016
Awards: None
Grade Levels: 3rd to 5th
Summary: Odysseus and his men are on their way back home from fighting in the Trojan War when they came across an island with goats and stopped to have something to eat. Odysseus noticed a fire burning at the top of the mountain and was curious to see who lived up there. When the men got there they were captured by a giant cyclops and struggle to figure out a way to escape.
Review: This was a good retelling of the story of Odysseus and the Cyclops. It tells the story correctly and includes all of the important details using words students will understand. Again, this book has a lot of text on each page, so I would recommend it for more advanced readers.
In Class Uses: Class Library, Read Aloud, Split students into groups and have each group read a greek myth, then each group will retell and act out the story for the class.
Grade Levels: 3rd to 5th
Summary: Odysseus and his men are on their way back home from fighting in the Trojan War when they came across an island with goats and stopped to have something to eat. Odysseus noticed a fire burning at the top of the mountain and was curious to see who lived up there. When the men got there they were captured by a giant cyclops and struggle to figure out a way to escape.
Review: This was a good retelling of the story of Odysseus and the Cyclops. It tells the story correctly and includes all of the important details using words students will understand. Again, this book has a lot of text on each page, so I would recommend it for more advanced readers.
In Class Uses: Class Library, Read Aloud, Split students into groups and have each group read a greek myth, then each group will retell and act out the story for the class.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews