Dante's Divine Comedy as told for young people

I finished Dante's Divine Comedy as told for young people yesterday. What a ride! If you have never read Dante and are somewhat intimidated by a traditional version this is the one for you. The "as told for young people" part of the title is subjective, I think. This is probably not a book you want to read to really young children.

Between being sick (see side bar) and reading this while also reading the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series it has made for some interesting dreams. I have a very vivid imagination that likes to run wild at night.

That being said, I truly enjoyed this book. It is very readable. The Inferno portion is graphic and might be disturbing for sensitive readers. But I wouldn't stop there, the Purgatory and Paradise versions balance out the images from the Inferno.

Z will be twelve when we do this as a read aloud next fall. I made many notes throughout the book and look forward to having some amazing discussions with him. This is not a book I would simply hand to a student and have them read without parental interaction. I would also pre-read at least the Inferno part if there is any question about whether this content is appropriate for your family.

I also think this book would make a nice balance if you are having your student read the "adult" version of Dante's Inferno. It gives a nice, quick summary even if you don't plan on reading the remaining traditional sections.

This book has earned a spot beside our other versions of the classics done for children including
Black Ships before Troy, The Wanderings of Odysseus, and In Search of a Homeland.