The much-honored McCaughrean opens a series featuring heroes of antiquity with a characteristically rousing retelling of The Odyssey. Rearranging the original's flashbacks into a linear narrative, she follows Odysseus and his rapidly slaughtered crew from the Island of the Lotus Eaters to his final journey inland to appease the enraged Poseidon for good. Meanwhile, she occasionally shifts the scene to Mount Olympus or back to Ithaca, where Penelope cleverly fends off aggressive suitors while pining for her beloved, who "did not come and did not come and did not ever come." Younger readers may be drawn first to Neil Philip's sumptuous but more abbreviated version of the epic (1996) or Mary Pope Osborne's ongoing, multi-volume rendition--but McCaughrean's vivid prose ("Then strings of water, like the stringing saliva in the corners of a mad dog's mouth, joined sea to sky, and waterspouts stood all round") really kicks the timeless, compelling tale into overdrive. (Nonfiction. 11-13) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

For those who aren't ready to tackle Homer's epic poem, this prose adaptation of The Odyssey does a creditable job disseminating the tale. McCaughrean clearly relishes the epic's adventure and drama, and she captures a bit of Homer's style by repeating her phrases and descriptions. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.

Gr 5-9-McCaughrean delves right into the epic story-Odysseus leaves Troy, trying to return to Ithaca, but is waylaid by many adventures and mishaps. When he angers Poseidon by putting out the eye of the Cyclops, things really go downhill-his men are turned to swine, he is kidnapped by a lovely nymph, and he faces Sirens and the churning whirlpool of Charybdis. After nearly 20 years, he returns home to his amazingly faithful wife and son, defeats her suitors, and is King of Ithaca once again. McCaughrean has written a compelling prose introduction to Homer's epic poem. In keeping with the style of the original, she uses Homeric refrains and colorful, poetic descriptions fashioned out of slightly challenging vocabulary. The story is well suited to reading aloud (but recall that Odysseus does spend a lot of time with nymphs and seductresses). Violent events are not sugarcoated, and the narrative is filled with gory descriptions. A list of monsters and immortals and Odysseus's family tree appear at the beginning. With its fast-paced plot and lyrical language, this retelling makes a captivating read.-Angela J. Reynolds, Washington County Cooperative Library Services, Hillsboro, OR (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Gr. 4-8. With mounting suspense, wild action, and simple, rhythmic prose, this dramatic retelling of Homer's classic makes a gripping read-aloud as well as an exciting introduction to the story. Of course, it is the elemental myth of the search for home, but British writer McCaughrean avoids rhetoric and heavy symbolism, leaving the narrative to speak for itself. There's no illustration to overwhelm the words, allowing readers freedom to imagine Odysseus and his crew traveling across the "world-encircled sea," seduced by sirens and threatened by gruesome monsters. Just as dramatic is the story of Odysseus' son and his wife, waiting at home for his ship that "did not come and did not come and did not ever come." After hearing the story in class, students will want to read it alone. Three more books in the Heroes series, Perseus, Theseus, 0 and Hercules0 , are scheduled for publication in 2005. --Hazel Rochman Copyright 2005 Booklist

In this first in a planned four-volume Heroes series, McCaughrean (Stop the Train!) offers a vivid and accessible retelling of the Ithacan king's long, strange trip home after his victory at Troy. Readers unfamiliar with Homer's The Odyssey will likely feel comfortable with this prose version, a straightforward account that hits the legendary highlights. The author does not shy away from a fair number of appropriately gory scenes, as when Cyclops "nibbled [Odysseus's] men like skewered lamb," or when Odysseus, rather than eat the Sun God's cattle, roasts his pet bird to feed his crew. The hero's succumbing to other urges occurs off-stage, as when the goddess Circe leads him to her "white and silver bed." Readers will get a good sense of the peril involved in offending Poseidon and learn the importance of stopping to ask for directions (Odysseus detours to Hades for his). The narrative's rhythm evokes not only the original epic but the ceaseless movement of the "world-encircled sea," as when Queen Penelope looks out the window toward the water and sees only "the waves, arriving, always arriving, always beaching on the shores of Ithaca." Readers will eagerly anticipate Perseus, scheduled to arrive in spring 2005. Ages 9-14. (Nov.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved