Customer Reviews

Tales from the Odyssey: The One-Eyed Giant - Book #1

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

We read these books as part of our study of ancient Greece. The kids absolutely loved these stories, and were riveted by the Trojan War and the Cyclops.

The literature loving purist in me was a bit wary of reading "watered-down" classics to my children, but then I read Jessie Wise Bauer's Well-Trained Mind. She advocates giving kids age appropriate versions of classic literature so that they grow to love the stories and are therefore unintimidated by the original texts when they are older. This made so much intuitive sense to me, and so in that spirit, I introduced my children to these great little books.

This book was exciting, tense and kept me reading it. I love Ms. Osborne's style of writing. I ran out and bought the 2nd book the next day, and finished it that day.

My favorite part was when they met the one eyed giant.

Austin
Age 10

We began this series before the 5th and 6th books were completed. My daughter (then 5) absolutely loved the stories and kept asking when we would get to finish the series. Her little sister was enthralled by the books as well. They were thrilled when our set was completed, and both enjoyed the much anticipated ending. Since then, my now 7 year-old has read through this series probably 3 times on her own. A few months ago, she dedicated a weekend to reading all 6 books -- with occasional Barbie breaks. While the Odyssey books are quick reads and by no means comprehensive, the author stays true to the original storyline in an age-appropriate manner and deepens young readers' interest in the epic. After devouring this series, my daughter will definitely enjoy listening to me read The Children's Homer (which is also a wonderful child-friendly version) to her. I'm sorry, but I have to throw this in for those that may not fully appreciate the author's Magic Tree House series . . .the Odyssey series is well written and not sappy like the Magic Tree House books (which, admittedly, my kids love to listen to OVER and OVER again on audio - and they are educational -- just so saccharine). Part of the charm for my daughter, who admires all things beautiful, was the hardback format of the Odyssey series; they are indeed lovely little books. Maybe Mary Pope Osborne should tackle the Gilgamesh epic??? I appreciate that she clearly loves to write accurate works for children and wants them to enjoy reading while learning something new and important.

I have spent weeks trying to purchase a complete set of Osborne's rendition of the Odyssey. I do not need to reiterate what a wonderful job she did in making this appropriate for younger children without ruining the true spirit of the story. You can find that in the many reviews you will find for each book.

What I am trying to do is save others from spending two weeks trying to find out how they can purchase this set without having to pay $125 for a new paperback copy of one book (The Land of the Dead). There are other books in this series that are also way too expensive. I didn't think I needed to break the bank for books that originally sold for $5.99.

So here's the scoop:

The Osborne rendition of the Odyssey was originally sold in separate books as follows:
Book One: One Eyed Giant
Book Two: Land of the Dead
Book Three: Sirens and Sea Monsters
Book Four: Gray Eyed Goddess
Book Five: Return to Ithica
Book Six: Final Battle

I was going crazy trying to find Book Two (Land of the Dead), Book Three (Sirens and Sea Monsters), and Book Six (Final Battle) for reasonable prices.

So, after much research, I discovered the following:

In 2010 the publisher, Hyperion, combined books 1-3 (now called "Tales from the Odyssey, Part One") and 4-6 (now called "Tales from the Odyssey, Part Two").

"Tales from the Odyssey, Part One": ISBN 978-1423128649 $5.99
"Tales from the Odyssey, Part Two": ISBN 978-1423126102 $5.99

I had no problem finding "Part One" on Amazon, but "Part Two" was another story. If you type in the isbn it will take you to their listing but it does not have a picture. It says "Part Two" is in stock but will take up to 2 weeks to get to you. Due to past experience, I didn't want to order "Part Two", wait the two weeks and end up with nothing or another "Part One". If you want to experiment & find out if Amazon can actually get the correct book, please do so and let us know how it works for you.

Here is how I got my hand on both books at the reasonable price of $5.99 each. I ordered "Part One" from Amazon and then went to their competitor for "Part Two". The competitor does not have "Part Two" available online either, but you can type in the ISBN to see if any of their physical bookstores have copies available on the shelves. A few bookstores in our area had the book. I called and asked them to physically get the book while I was on the phone & please hold it for me. They happily did this for me and told me they were willing to hold it for up to three days.

The publisher (Hyperion) is a division of Disney Book Group. Disney is well know for having strange practices with regard to making their old classic movies available. I didn't know this practice applied to recently published and "in demand" book series. Maybe that's not the case. The copies I purchased are "trade copies". Maybe they're testing the market & the mass market publication will soon be released. I really don't know how the book publishing process works so this is just surmising. Maybe someone versed in the book publishing process can enlighten us. I would love that!

Anyway, if you really want a copy of Osborne's "Odyssey", I hope this helps you find it without your having to spend hours on the computer or running from bookstore to bookstore.

Cheers!

Because my kids have learned so much from the Magic Tree House Series, I read this aloud to my 7 year old daughter and 4 year old son. Both were fascinated. We read this in one day, because we all wanted to find out what happened next! (They did find the One-Eyed Giant pretty scary, so I wouldn't recommend it for kids prone to nightmares.)

Also, I appreciated the glossary, to help with pronouncing names. I'll definitely get the others in this series -- Excellent!

The One-Eyed Giant is an Odyssey. So by that you know that it is only for high school and college kids to read. Now let's get to the story. The One-Eyed Giant by Mary Pope Osborne is a very good book. The main character is Odysseus. He is curious. The story shows he is curious when he wants to know what is on the other side of the island that the Cyclops lives on. The other main character is Polyphemus. Polyphemus is the One-Eyed Giant. He is mean. The book shows he is mean when he smashes some of the Greeks against the wall. The setting of the book is the Cyclops' cave. The main problem is that the Greeks might die because Polyphemus trapped them in his cave. I like the book because it is scary. It is scary when the Cyclops gives them a curse. It is exciting when the Greeks go in the horse and they go into the city. People who like Greece would like this story because the story takes place in Greece. I give this story five stars because it is not funny, but it is everything else.

Spencer's Review

Have you ever been on a long trip that you thought would never end? You don't know the meaning of long until you read about the journey of Odysseus in "The One-Eyed Giant by Mary Pope Osborne. I found this book both adventurous and exciting not knowing what would happen on the next page. It all starts on the island of Ithaca in ancient Greece where a brave man started his journey. His name was Odysseus, and he was King of Ithaca and a simple man who loved his family more than anything. Odysseus had many trials to face when he left them to fulfill a promise to wage war on Troy. A promise he wished he didn't have to keep. Athena the Goddess of Wisdom and War tries to help Odysseus and tells him to build a large wooden horse that just may help them take down the walls of Troy, but getting in there will be a big job. In addition to this trial and many storms along the way, Odysseus and his men would face the Island of the Lotus Eaters, where some much needed food could turn into an erased memory, and leaving this island, a big struggle. Upon returning on their ship headed for home the men come upon a shore where the sound of bleating goats promised a much needed meal and sweet wine to drink for Odysseus and his men. But while feasting here they were intrigued by a mysterious shore they saw in the distance where they could see smoke from fires and hear the sound of deep voices. Though he wanted to go home to his family, Odysseus could not resist his urge to find out who might live in this mysterious place and untied his ship there. When he and his bravest men searched around, they peered outside of a cave they had found; expecting to see the island's shepherd..... and this was no shepherd. They trembled with fear at the sight of this one-eyed Giant named Polyphemus who trapped them in his cave blocked with a rock so large, it could not be moved by mortal man. Odysseus and his men were trapped on the Island of the Cyclops inside the cave of a savage beast far away from home. Would they ever escape? Would they ever sail home to their families? If you want to find out, get your hands on this exciting book! But beware!

I think if you like to read adventure stories; you will love this book. It is action packed with excitement around every corner!

I give this book three stars out of five because although I loved the adventures, there were a few frights along the way!

Marcus's Review

The One-Eyed Giant is a book by Mary Pope Osborne. The main characters in this book are Odysseus and Polyphemus. Odysseus is a very brave Greek man who is not a friend of Polyphemus. The one eyed giant is a very big strong giant that eats Greeks. The story begins in Ithaca in a very small house where Odysseus, Telamachus and Penelope live. He leaves Penelope and Telmachus for war. After fighting the war Odysseus lost his way home. I liked the book but some parts I didn't like when Polyphemus smashed two of Odysseus men once a day for breakfast. My mother might like this book since she is studying Greece in school. I give the book three stars.

Bryce's Review

The One-Eyed Giant by Mary Pope Osborne is the coolest book ever! Odysseus is a King, craftsman and carpenter who sails the Greek islands and has many adventures. The setting of the book is ancient Greece in Ithaca, Troy, Cyclops Cave and the island of Aeolus. The most exciting part of the story is when Odysseus and his bravest men sailed to the mysterious island to find out who lived there and they got stuck in the Cyclops Cave. Odysseus was brave and smart to think of a plan to get away from the Cyclops so someday he could see his wife Penelope and his son Telemachus again. I think the people who like Mary Pope Osborne books should read this book. I give this book 5 stars because it was very exciting and full of adventure.

Harrison's Review

The book I'm going to tell you about is One-Eyed Giant. The main characters are Odysseus and Polyphemus. The firstt chapter is about Odysseus getting called to war. The second one is about the battle. The problem is Odysseus can't get home. Odysseus is a great warrior and Polyphemus is a Cyclops. The setting is a cave. I think the book is good. I think it's good because it has lots of action. I think kids who like action books would like it. I give it four stars because it is not the best book I've ever read.

Trad's Review

The main character in the story is Odysseus. Odysseus is curious. Some of the book is about Greeks on an island and sometimes the Greeks are in the ocean. The time is long ago. A bad person is a Greek named Helen. My feelings of this story are happy. People that like Greek tales would like this book because of Odysseus. I would give this book three stars because there is some cruelness.

Will's Review

The One Eyed giant by Mary Pope Osborne is a great book. Odysseus is King of Ithaca and is a loving man. It is in Ancient Greece. He is forced to go to war. I think it is a very scary book because in chapter six the one eyed giant kills two Greeks. I think a person who likes horror books would like it. I think it earns three stars because it is a good book but not the best.

Sreeja's Review

The book I read was the One Eyed Giant. The main character was Odysseus. Odysseus had men to sail with. The One-Eyed giant was the main character too. The one-Eyed giant gave a gift to Odysseus. The setting is in Troy and it is at morning. The problem was Odysseus wanted to get home but his men opened a bag that had bad wind that cannot get Odysseus and his men home. I think this book is scary because there were thunderbolts in this book. The people who would like giants would like this book because there was a giant in the book. I think this is a 4 star book because this is my best but it is not my very best.

Camry's Review

In One-eyed Giant, the name of the main characters are Odysseus and Polyphemus. Odysseus came in almost every page. He is brave. He has a wife and a son. Polyphemus is a big old giant. The setting was on a rocky island and it was in the morning. The main problem is that Odysseus did not know how to pass the giant. I felt sad for the giant because he was blind, and happy because Odysseus got past the giant. I think my family would like it and some other people's families. I want to give this book 5 stars because this was a great book and I think everyone I know would probably love it!

Haley's Review

I am going to tell you about the One Eyed Giant. The main characters are Odysseus and Polyphemus. Odysseus went to war. Polyphemus was the One Eyed giant. The setting for the story is back in time. Odysseus wants to go home. I felt scared reading this book because the one eyed giant screams. He screamed more ! I think adults would like this book. Because it has a giant. I would give this book 5 stars because I love boulders.

Lacey's Review

I am going to tell you about the One-Eyed Giant. The main characters are Odysseus, One-eyed giant, and his men. The One-Eyed Giant is nice to his friends, but he is mean to the humans. Odysseus is very clever. His men just follow him. The setting for the story is really on a boat in the water. Sometimes it's on land. It is sometimes nightime. It is sometimes daytime. Odysseus had to go to war for ten years! I think the One-Eyed Giant proves my feeling. I think a person that likes to sail would like this book. I would say this book deserves four stars because of the details.

When i read this book, i thought it would give me a little bit of information about the greek gods but i was wrong!This book is filled with cool information about all the greek gods like Poseidon and Zeus!WOW!The problem is that the greek gods,Zeus and Poseidon are trying to kill Odysseus, the main charecter, and his crew because they went to a island called Troy to battle them.When they were in battle, they accidentely burned a church and made the gods frustrated.When they were on there way home, the gods were blowing and shaking their ship wich made them go to the island of the One Eyed Giant. That's were the giant killed at least 8 of his men and ate them.When they blided the giant, they escaped the island.Now they are on there way home but the wind god made the water calm so they were heading home.

I would recomend this book to Kids and Adults who are learning about all the greek gods and their powers.This book also shows how people in the days invented the trogan hoarse!This is a great book!

I started reading this to my 6yo before I went to work this weekend. I had planned to read just a couple of chpaters, but she begged for more. We ended up reading the whole thing in one sitting. After it was done, she asked me "Who wrote that, it was great?" I explained that it was a translation of one of the oldest stories that people still read.

This version is perfect for a first introduction to classics for the elementary crowd. It kept the excitement that you would expect, didn't skip over the scary parts, wasn't too gory, and the sentence structure wasn't overly simplified.

I look forward to reading it again this weekend. In the future when she is ready to read Homer herself, she won't be intimidated.

Young readers, especially those who are already fans of Mary Pope Osborne, will enjoy having this collection of books in their library. The series consists of six beautifully bound books. As with the Magic Tree House series, the imagery is great. The chapters are short and captivating. My son quickly read each book until he completed the series. As a parent, I am especially pleased that this retelling holds true to the original myth and has broadened my son's knowledge of Greek Mythology. Trenton especially enjoyed referencing the map of Odysseus' journey, which is presented in the opening pages of each book, and the sketches of the gods and goddesses, which are presented towards the back of each book. His only negative comments were regarding the editing. He found a couple of mistakes (omitted or misspelled words) while reading this series. Also he was baffled that there was one god - Mars - mentioned in the text who appeared to be omitted from the sketches and other references included in the book. However, explaining that Mars is the Roman name for Ares cleared up the confusion. Additional features of this series are a pronunciation guide (a must for youngsters reading Greek Myths) and a brief description of the main gods and goddesses presented in each book.

Mary Pope Osborne is a wonderful author! She has helped to bring so much information to my son in a way that is easy for him to understand. He started reading The Magic Tree House books when he was six and now at age seven he has read each book many times including the Merlin Missions, and he is excited about reading more. They are entertaining and informative. For those who want to spend more time with Jack and Annie as they learn more about the facts presented in the Magic Tree House series, Mary Pope Osborne and her family have many informative companions to the Magic Tree House series. As a parent, I highly recommend all these books.