The gray-eyed goddess

Gr 3-6-The fourth volume in this adaptation of Homer's epic details the end of Odysseus's captivity on Calypso's island, his wife Penelope's confrontations with prospective suitors at home in Ithaca, and his son Telemachus's journey to find him. Osborne combines different sections of the original to present a more linear story and pulls together various examples of how Athena helps both father and son. While there's plenty of action here, the characters and their motivations remain a bit distant, which suits the tale's mythic nature. Those unfamiliar with Greek myths will appreciate the appended descriptions of the gods and goddesses, pronunciation guide, and source notes, while the large print will attract newly independent readers. A map and labeled sketches of the deities appear on the endpapers. Osborne's occasional use of formal Homeric language (e.g., "wine-dark" waves, "prized heifer," and the dawn's "rosy fingers") allows her to stay true to the original tone, but it may be confusing for her audience. Purchase this where the series is popular.-Beth L. Meister, Yeshiva of Central Queens, Flushing, NY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

In accessible, easy language, with the text kept to a minimum per page, Osborne retells the [cf2]Odyssey[cf1] scenes in which Penelope and her son Telemachus fend off the suitors in Ithaca. The story has been arranged to help young readers follow along, although the illustrations (a map, portraits of the gods, and a chapter-head ornament) are disappointingly meager. Pronunciation guides are included. From HORN BOOK Spring 2004, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.