Traditional Fantasy - This is a story about revenge and war. The Greeks and the Trojans went to war against each other after the wife of King Sparta of Greece runs away with the son of the king of Troy. After ten years of fighting the Greeks appear to abandon the fight leaving behind a giant statue of a horse. The Trojans believing the horse to be a good omen bring it into their city. That night the Greeks poured out of the belly of the horse to attack the Trojans and win the war.

As I child I read my dad’s books of the “classics” and this was one of the stories I read. I was fascinated by the fact that two countries would go to war because one man was wronged by another man, and that thousands of people would die. I also learned a lesson about being patient and not rushing things. After all it took the Greeks ten years to win the war.

As a classroom extension I would have my students recreate the story by drawing a before, during, and after, storyboard of the events that took place in the story. I would also have the students discuss the value of being patient and the consequences of taking a “gift horse” or something for free. ( )

Brief retelling of the story of the Trojan Horse. Not totally accurate, but a good introduction. I probably wouldn't buy it, but it would be worth reading as part of a child's study of Ancient Greece. ( )