The ILIAD

Illustrated and written by Gareth Hinds

The main characters are: Hector, the captain of the Trojans, Achilles the best at war, and Agamemnon, leader of all the Achaeans.

All the way back about 3,000 years ago, in the Greek days, there was a Trojan war. And the Iliad tells about the suffering from both sides.

What is the book about?

When the Achaeans (the people that came all around Greece to fight at Troy) sailed to Troy, they waited years on its beach. In the 9^th year the war was really getting started. There was a bitter fight with Achilles and Agamemnon (Both from the Achaean). Then Achilles got really mad and swore that even when Agamemnon lost his men by the thousands, he would not come to help.

What do I like about this book?

I love reading this story because I keep coming up with questions like why would Odysseus fight on his own? Why did Ajax yell at the God of the sea? It’s also really eventful and can make you read the story over and over and over and over. Like I did!! It’s really cool that it is one of the oldest European stories in literature and it can still surprise you!

What is the book’s theme or message?

This book is about bravery because it’s crazy that Agamemnon led all 1,500 ships to Troy, and Hector led all the Trojans. It is cool how these people survived those wounds and still made it. For example: Odysseus pulled Socus’s spear free from his chest, and blood flowed from his wound. Then Odysseus kept fighting.

Why would others like it?

I don’t know about others, but I like a good old suspense-filled story. If you like those, be my guest.

About the author

Gareth Hinds rewrote (and illustrated) the Iliad from Homer. He said, “This book was the biggest challenge of my career due to its enormous scope and complexity.” He lives in Washington, D.C. Homer also wrote the Odyssey which Gareth Hinds rewrote and illustrated.

Copyright Alexander

When we went to Ger-many

it was with a plany-wany

when we got out of the plany-wany

we were in ger-Many!

Then we got in a cary- wary and it drove us very fary!

Then we were at the fary, and it was very heart-y. 🙂

Although there was no snowy-woye, my toey-woey was still coldy-woldy!

Then my Oma-ola, and my Opa-wopa came.

After that all was good and then we went back to homy-womy.

Once there was a kid that loved planes and it all started with a tiny one.

One time Alex and his dad were walking down to the barn and Alex said, “Sooo, I saw this tiny RC plane on Amazon and it’s only $15.” “Cool,” said his dad, “but I saw an old guy selling his whole collection of big RC planes for only $X.” “How many planes?” Alex asked. “I don’t remember,” said his dad, “but we can drop by and see if you want them, ok?” The next day Alex was all hyped up and REALLY wanted to see them. His dad already called the guy to see when they should drop by. Then at breakfast he said they would go there in 3 days and see the collection. 3 days! Alex thought, 3 whole days!

Three days later… “Are we going?! Are we??” said Alex. “Calm down,” said his dad. “We’re leaving now.” At the man’s house… “Hello,” said the man. “Hi,” Alex said back. The man talked to Alex’s dad a bit and said that he (Alex) needed to sign up with AMA (a company that provides insurance in case someone crashes) and find a club to fly in. So, after all that, Alex and his dad finally go inside. They go to the man’s basement, and there the planes are. But they are much bigger than expected.

There was an Electric Extra 300, another electric T-28, a glow engine Space Walker 2, a glow engine Katana, and a glow engine Twister. Most of them were about 4 feet long. They talked about them a little bit and then Alex’s dad said, “Okay, Thanks. We need to go now but we will call you back and tell you if we want them after a little bit of thinking.”

That night, Alex and his dad were talking in the car and his dad said, “If you really want to get this how about you pay half and I pay half?” “Okay” said Alex, “And I think I really will be paying half because I really want those things.”

About a week later, they signed up with AMA, found a club, and picked up the planes. “I really like that guy,” said Alex. “He sold us planes, 3 remote controls, 4 boxes of supplies, for only $X. Usually all this stuff, not including the supplies costs 3 times that.” So after all this, Alex got in the club and found a nice trainer and was all happy the rest of his life.

Thanks to one little plane.

Copyright by Alexander

Dear Santa, I know you are very busy and no pressure. Just to think about when you are reading, I would really really like a RF9 R.C. flight simulator. Anyway, how are things going by you? Are the ice caps melting because of global warming caused by youknowwho. Is Mrs. Claus baking too many cookies or are you just fine? How much do you pay those elves of yours? 🎅 And is there a polar express that comes every year? So how is that RF9 going through? Sorry sorry I am just excited about it.

Oh and did I tell you that we are going to Germany this winter?? Well we are and last year, we went for 3 weeks and this year we are only going for 2. And I am REALLY bummed out by that and to make up that I am going to do two things: go to bed late, and next time we for SURE go for 3 weeks. Any way I need to go now!

Signed, Alexander

Copyright Alexander

(a short spelling word story)

My ancient brother was a butcher and had a caravan. He even got an abscess in his bureau! Well! Anything can happen in a circuit!!

This week we went to the Gingerbread House Display. First, we did school and school and school. Then we got in the car and then we drove to the place, and then we tried to find a parking spot. Then we asked a lady and she said that we needed to go to the parking house. Then we went to it, and we got out of the car, and went to the elevator. But it was too slow so we took the stairs and finally reached the top.

Then we looked at some kid gingerbread houses and then my sister whined about not wanting to carry her doll and then my mom finally carried it and then she said we could not buy some water and to suck it up. (She also said to “drink your spit!”) Finally, there was a water fountain near and I took a sip. It was really cold (I like that). Then we went to the teen section and it was a little more creative because some of the kids (in the kid section) just took some kits and added stuff to them.

But the adult section was crazy. There were so many cool things to see. But the winner was… stupid. There were so many awesome things – like a three story mansion and the Apollo 11 lunar lander – but the winner was a barn with a few weird animals around it. I felt kind of sorry for the other contestants that they had built huge things and the little barn won.

One Friday, Mama, Juliette, and I went to the most BORING art gallery and most FUN fun museum. So first we went to an art gallery in Asheville, and it wasn’t BAD but it wasn’t GOOD. There was about 10% naked stuff, 0.001% cool stuff, and 89.999% boring stuff. (Also, the closest estimate rounding to a hundred is 100% boring). The prices was what really got my attention. They sold a vase for $8,000, and a 1 in x 1in painting only filled with orange for $2,000. Oh, and that HUGE canvas with one big DOT in the middle for $10,000. But the thing with the museum, was that they had a PLAY PLACE. It was so awesome, there was no guard, no other kid, just ME (and my sister). But I have to end this and I need to say what my favorite stuff was. So, my favorite thing in the gallery was a few blocks on top of each other, and in the museum, it was a painting of a flying sandwich.

BYE-BYE!!!!

COPYRIGHT: ALEXANDER

I eat eat eat eat

and eat eat eat eat eat eat

until I am dead.

Down goes ice river

It goes down fast and swiftly

And in the ocean