Candlewick Press, 2006
ISBN: 9780763632069
Available: New
High school English teachers will cheer to see this accessible, visually attractive retelling of Beowulf by the British Children’s Laureate, Michael Morpurgo. The language used in translations and retellings is often a barrier preventing teens from experiencing the impact of the dramatic battles between heroes and monsters. While Morpurgo’s writing does still use challenging vocabulary, it is told more as a narrative story than as a long poem, and Morpurgo’s fine storytelling, accompanied by vivid color illustrations, will be a more comfortable way for most readers to engage with the text.
I was surprised to discover the many references to Christianity in the story, because the title character certainly isn’t turning the other cheek! If violent struggles to the death with cannibalistic monsters, evil sea-hags, and death-dragons are your cup of tea, you’ll want to spend some time revisiting the story of Beowulf as retold here. Collection promotion note: This book is considered nonfiction and falls into the 820s. Pairing it with fiction with similar themes could encourage its checkout. Highly recommended for middle and high school library media centers and for young adult collections in public libraries.
Contains: Violence, gore, cannibalism, decapitation, references to Christianity.