Black Ships Before Troy or Children's Homer?

[Rhonda in TX]

I'm looking at AO 6 for next year and see that it has Blacks Ships Before Troy scheduled. I've looked at the sample chapter of BSBT at Amazon and like it, but I already own Children's Homer. Which do y'all think is better?

[Rhonda in TX]

Tales of Troy by Lang is actually AO's first choice. Opinions of that one are needed, too. However, I would have to buy that one because my library doesn't have it.

[In The Great White North]

I read BSBT and Children's Homer. Both are very readable.

However.

I was trying to use selections for Classical Writing and the Children's Homer has weird sentence structures and didn't lend itself to CW as well as BSBT.

[Shari]

I've have both and think Black Ships Before Troy is more readable. My 10yo 5th read Black Ships this year and loved it. We have the hardback version illustrated by Alan Lee which IMHO adds to the story.

[Narrow Gate Academy]

For most students, I would agree with the other posters that Black Ships is more readable. However, for your student who is currently doing AO5, I think he could read Children's Homer and be just fine.

[In The Great White North]

For most students, I would agree with the other posters that Black Ships is more readable. However, for your student who is currently doing AO5, I think he could read Children's Homer and be just fine. Today 08:17 AM

Interesting that you should say that. It was my first impression too. Out of curiousity, I went to one the the websites that provides reading levels of books, and was surprised to find that BSBT was a higher reading level than the Children's Homer!

[Rhonda in TX]

For most students, I would agree with the other posters that Black Ships is more readable. However, for your student who is currently doing AO5, I think he could read Children's Homer and be just fine.

I'm not sure why they don't use Children's Homer.

[nmoira]

Both are very good. We adore Padraic Colum, but BSBT has some great illustrations. It's a toss-up.

[Melissa in CA]

Black Ships Before Troy is an all-time favorite in this house. That and The Wanderings of Odysseus. Both in hard-back version with illustrations. The illustrations make the book...I wouldn't get either without them.

[Pylegang]

We absolutely love Black Ships before Troy. We too own the HB version. The pictures are beautiful and add so much. IMHO BSBT and Children's Homer are somewhat similar in stylistically.

[dymphna57]

Basically because we owned it.We enjoyed it and I think they were enough but I think that the Alan Lee books are so good , I still have them on the wish list. I think they are inspiring and thats what I want!

[anissarobert]

I'm having my ds read both this year, but he is an avid reader. I can't decide either! They are both wonderful. I am thinking about one as a read aloud and the other for him to read on his own.

[Annabel Lee]

Black Ships Before Troy is an all-time favorite in this house. That and The Wanderings of Odysseus. Both in hard-back version with illustrations. The illustrations make the book...I wouldn't get either without them.

I ordered both of these by Rosemary Sutcliffe from Amazon and did not know that the illustrated versions are no longer being printed (at least this is what my library said). I had to go to my library to check out one of the BSBT that is illustrated by Alan Lee. So much better, and worth it.

[Karenciavo]

You may want to consider also that Children's Homer covers more of the story than Black Ships does and it's in a different order. I've never seen AO so I'm not sure if it makes a difference or not.

[Melissa in CA]

I ordered both of these by Rosemary Sutcliffe from Amazon and did not know that the illustrated versions are no longer being printed (at least this is what my library said). I had to go to my library to check out one of the BSBT that is illustrated by Alan Lee. So much better, and worth it.

You can still purchase the illustrated hardback versions through Veritas Press. www.veritaspress.com
They are $19.95 each in my 2008/2009 catalog.