This is what I'm thinking. It had a yellowish orange cover. I loved that book and tracked it down when I had my kid.
OP, here's a link to a cheap edition. If you use the "Look Inside" feature, there's a picture of the original cover.
https://www.amazon.com/DAulaires-Greek-Myths-Ingri-dAulaire/dp/0440406943
It might be an obvious choice but...The Percy Jackson (et. al) series.
I know they are older novels, but I work with students struggling to read and they remain VERY popular and kid ask to read them.
DAulaires-Greek-Myths was also very popular still.
The short answer: no, there isn't. Look at your household practice, break it down into an outline and develop materials and activities that will teach them about piety and engaging the gods.
Like children in Ancient times, modern Hellenist children learn through immersion, by you teaching them via your household religion. If you don't have one, it would be helpful to develop one and teach by example. They'll learn the hymns and prayers you use, you show them how to make offerings, and honor the household gods, how to celebrate the monthly festivals and whichever civil festivals you incorporate. There are plenty of ways to educate them on Virtues and how to cultivate a good life.
There are plenty of teaching opportunities. There are books written at age-appropriate levels. A pretty solid one is D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths. There are child's reading level versions of the Iliad and The Odyssey. Aesop's Fables are helpful too. Teach them how to make different types of foods for offerings, and libations, and use age-appropriate arts and crafts to make votives.
Greek myths are full of Twilight Zone stories about people whose names have become adjectives: Sisyphus, Narcissus, Arachne, Hercules/Heracles. This book was my gateway into a lifelong fascination with mythology.
Well D'Aulaires' Greek Myths is easy, it's a very famous book. But, I doubt Beowulf is included in that, since it's not Greek. You may be combining multiple books together in your memory.
All the other comments are great recommendations if u chose those. If your looking for the easiest possible introduction, D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths is the first book I read when I was in grade school and it got me instantly hooked. Very easy book, but would say it’s probably more focused on illustrations
Expose them early, often, and to a variety of them. This is a good way to engage them on the subject. https://www.amazon.com/DAulaires-Greek-Myths-Ingri-dAulaire/dp/0440406943 (tie it into constellations and astronomy)
Like the immune system, the brain will grow stronger by fighting and winning a number of smaller battles than it would have by avoiding them completely.
>I think I managed to ask total weeabooism because my interest in Japan also had an academic slant to it; I wanted to learn about Japan's culture
I'm not saying your a weeb, but how is this a disqualifier? This is something that weebs say all the time. In regards to other things weebs say:
>I'm 20 years old and I still call very cute things "kawaii" (babies, puppies, Pusheen, etc.) and out of affection I still attach "-Chan"
What's wrong with using the word cute? And do you use other honorifics or only that one? Would you use -sensei for someone you want to learn from? I'm just surprised when people use Gratuitous Japanese but don't bother to learn more of the language and just speak full on Japanese sentences. Do you use them because they remind you of anime, or because you think they sound cool? Do your friends also use gratutitous Japanese/honorifics or is it a one-sided "oh you!" kinda thing?
>I DID submit a chapter of a fanfiction I wrote for a writing workshop class
This isn't weebish, this is just smart. You already wrote something, I hope you got a good grade on it. Writing fanfiction isn't exclusive to weebs, just hardcore fans with a penchant for writing.
>how I was enamored with Greek mythology in 3rd grade
Coincidentally, I was too. I read this book specifically; it was a public school library standard from what I've heard, alot of people have read it.
>and French Canadian fur traders in 4th grade.
That's pretty out of left field. What spurred the interest?
I noticed a trend of wanting to learn about other cultures (unless your French Canadian or Greek). Is that an actual trend in your life or just a coincidence with your childhood? Is your job/current education involved with learning other cultures?
This was my initial inspiration for greek mythology.
This collection of Greek mythology is a classic. It has the most famous tales, and it is easily accessible with nice illustrations.
If you want to read The Odessey, I recommend the Emily Wilson translation. It’s a recent translation, but probably one of the nicest there is. It has more accessible language while keeping the poetic aspects. However, I recommend learning a little about Ancient Greece first before you read this one. It makes it much more enjoyable.
Emily Wilson is currently working on a translation of The Iliad, so I hope that will be available soon.
Every child should have a copy of D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths.
We used to read this together: https://amazon.com/DAulaires-Greek-Myths-Ingri-dAulaire/dp/0440406943
It helped to explain that lots of people have and do believe in lots of gods. The important thing is to be a good person.
D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths and D'Aulaires' Book of Norse Myths are classics I'd add to your list.
A great way to get them thinking about other mythos are D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths and D'Aulaires' Book of Norse Myths (my personal fave). These books were a linchpin in the education that allowed me to free myself from the christian religion at an early age.
This it? This was a classic in high school and is organized similar to what you mentioned
https://www.amazon.com/DAulaires-Greek-Myths-Ingri-dAulaire/dp/0440406943
If your in Utah I would be really careful. If your kids paint the radar, they are going to get shunned pretty bad. Really keep that in mind. Even if your not in Utah, it can really alienate them from their peers. As an adult you can gauge when it's the right and wrong time to say things around other people. Children can't do this. If they are in the middle of that community with all their friends and stuff and something comes up, their whole life is going to be turned upside down.
As far as what would be enjoyable with kids, just anything you do with them they will like. They are not super picky at eight. If you want things for them to read, I would suggest things like greek mythology. There is actually a great book I loved as a kid. https://www.amazon.com/DAulaires-Greek-Myths-Ingri-dAulaire/dp/0440406943 That book is amazing and the drawings are these beautiful color pencil drawings inside. This one is a good one too https://www.amazon.com/Childcraft-Annual-1984-Great-Legends/dp/B000IERLZK
Indirectly. When they were young, I used to read them a lot of stories from this: http://amazon.com/DAulaires-Greek-Myths-Ingri-dAulaire/dp/0440406943
D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths
It seems like there’s two that I haven’t read that are really good starting places! My favorite starting point is my Mythos by Stephen Fry or if your looking for something as just a nice easy read Song of Achilles is amazing. These are the two recommended by other redditors: https://www.amazon.com/DAulaires-Greek-Myths-Ingri-dAulaire/dp/0440406943/ref=nodl_
https://www.amazon.com/Mythology-Timeless-Tales-Gods-Heroes/dp/0446574759
I had this book as a kid which is a fantastic intro to Greek mythology. I reread it often.
What I remember reading and could find on Amazon:
There were 2 books that inspired my love of Greco-Roman myth: one for me as a child and one as a teenager.
Best is subjectively, but the teenager in me loved Edith Hamilton's <em>Mythology.</em>
Me as a kid loved <em>D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths</em>.
Although, I would definitely read The Illiad or The Odyssey as well. The poetical asides in each Homerian work allude to myths, like referencing a political event on a tv show. And since they're so integral to the mythological canon, I would prefer to start there. But the books I referenced are good to whet the appetite.