Ancient Greece Book List

Join Jason and the Argo crew as they embark on a perilous quest to recover the golden fleece of a wondrous winged ram! Skillfully blending Jason's saga with other classic legends, Padraic Colum creates a compelling introduction to Greek myth for young readers. Recommended for ages 10 and up. A 1922 Newbery Honor book.

The epics of Homer's Iliad and Odyssey have been known by children for centuries. Now powerfully retold by the great storyteller Padraic Colum, these spine-tingling adventures inspired by beautiful Helen come to life again: Achilles' hand-to-hand combat with Hector; the ruse of the wooden horse; the harrowing perils of Odysseus's return home; and more. 256 pages, softcover. Simon & Schuster.

Help to ease your child's transition into reading chapter books with the confidence building "Step into Reading" series. This level 5 book is perfect for children who have just started reading chapter books and still like books with colorful pictures. Read all about the Trojan war in this non-fiction account of Grecian history. 48 pages, softcover. Pronunciation guide included.

This re-telling of Homer's Iliad retains all the splendor of Ancient Troy. Legendary Helen, courageous Achilles, Ajax, Odysseus and Hector are all present in their original grandeur as they fight for Helen's--and Greece's--honor. 149 pages, softcover with pronunciation guide.

This re-telling of Homer's Odyssey retains all the glory, adventure, and honor of Odysseus' journey. The return trip from sacked Troy to Ithaca is fraught with all the perils of ancient Greece-from the flesh-eating Cyclops to the Land of the Dead-is all recounted in this perfect introduction to the Classics! 134 pages, softcover with pronunciation guide.

Introduce your children to the epic tales of ancient Rome with The Aeneid for Boys and Girls. Alfred Church’s classic adaptation of Virgil’s classic brings the heroic adventures of Aeneas to life, making the timeless story accessible and engaging for young readers. With the captivating narrative of how the Trojan hero, Aeneas, escaped the burning city of Troy, traveled to Italia, and founded Rome is a wonderful way to inspire a love for history and literature. 139 pages, softcover. Grades 6 and up.

Imagine a biography, a study of mathematical and scientific concepts, and an overview of the culture of ancient Greece---all rolled into one! Students will love reading this personal account of Archimedes---one of the greatest minds of the ancient world. They'll discover, like Archimedes, the excitement of ideas and learning! Simple illustrations enhance the accessible text. Ages 10 and up. 142 pages, softcover from Bethlehem Books.

For over 3,000 years, the myth of Helen and Paris, Hector and Achilles, Zeus and Apollo, and beauty and betrayal has inspired imaginations. In this retelling of the Trojan War, Olivia Coolidge crafts heroes and gods into real, multidimensional characters, not just the figures of legend. Vibrant storytelling and finely wrought action have made her version of the classic tale of the Fall of Troy accessible to generations of young readers. Recommended for ages 10 and up.

Roger Lancelyn Green's The Tale of Troy is retold from Milton's' The tale of Troy divine" lyric poem. Featuring the classic story of Helen and the judgment of Paris, the siege of Troy, of Achilles and his vulnerable heel, this classic story will thrill young readers. With an introduction by Michelle Paver, author profile, activities, and more. Complete and unabridged. 207 pages, softcover.

One of 19th-century America's greatest authors recounts timeless tales from Greek mythology in Tanglewood Tales. Nathaniel Hawthorne's evocative interpretations of traditional stories about heroes, sorceresses, kings, and other legendary characters provide young readers and listeners with a spellbinding introduction to classic myths. The adventures begin with "The Minotaur," the tale of an Athenian prince's conquest of a monstrous half-man, half-bull. Other stories include "The Pygmies," concerning a friendly giant and his small-minded neighbors; "The Dragon's Teeth," recounting the birth of a team of warriors and the founding of a city; "Circe's Palace," in which an enchantress matches wits with the trickster Ulysses; "The Pomegranate Seeds," a tale of the underworld; and "The Golden Fleece," the story of an aspiring king and his quest for the shining symbol that will win a throne.

Six legends of Greek mythology, retold for children by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Included are The Gorgon’s Head, The Golden Touch, The Paradise of Children, The Three Golden Apples, The Miraculous Pitcher, and The Chimaera. In 1838, Hawthorne suggested to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow that they collaborate on a story for children based on the legend of the Pandora’s Box, but this never materialized. He wrote A Wonder Book between April and July 1851, adapting six legends most freely from Charles Anton’s A Classical Dictionary (1842). He set out deliberately to “modernize” the stories, freeing them from what he called “cold moonshine” and using a romantic, readable style that was criticized by adults but proved universally popular with children. With full-color illustrations throughout by Arthur Rackham.

Fascinated by the myth of Cupid and Psyche throughout his life, C.S. Lewis wrote Till We Have Faces, his last novel, to retell their story from the perspective of Psyche's sister, Orual. With themes of envy, betrayal, loss, grief, blame, guilt, and conversion, it is considered Lewis' most mature and masterful work, as it reminds us of our own fallibility and the role of a higher power in our lives. Part of the "C.S. Lewis Signature Classics" series. 368 pages, softcover with French flaps and deckled page edges. High school and up.

The first new Penguin Classics translation of the Argonautica since the 1950s

Now in a riveting new verse translation, Jason and the Argonauts (also known as the Argonautica) is the only surviving full account of Jason’s voyage on the Argo in quest of the Golden Fleece aided by the sorceress princess Medea. Written in the third century B.C., this epic story of one of the most beloved heroes of Greek mythology, with its combination of the fantastical and the real, its engagement with traditions of science, astronomy and medicine, winged heroes, and a magical vessel that speaks, is truly without parallel in classical or contemporary Greek literature and is now available in an accessible and engaging translation.

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.