Book Club › For club leaders › Club kits › Odysseus and the Cyclops
Odysseus and the Cyclops: a book club kit
Where it comes from. Homer, a poet of ancient Greece, sang this part of the Odyssey about 2,700 years ago.
In short (for the leader; it gives the ending away). Odysseus and his men are trapped by the one-eyed giant Polyphemus in a cave full of sheep. Odysseus tells the giant his name is Nobody, makes him drunk and blinds him with a sharpened pole. When the other Cyclopes ask who hurt him, he says “Nobody!”, so they leave. The men escape under the sheep, but Polyphemus's father Poseidon makes the journey home long.
Reading plan, by the story's parts. Meeting 1: Part One, “The Cave”, pages 1–4 (about 5 minutes aloud); Meeting 2: Part Two, “The Name”, pages 5–7 (about 4 minutes aloud); Meeting 3: Part Three, “The Flock”, pages 8–12 (about 6 minutes aloud). Each stop's own questions, which never give away what comes next: Odysseus and the Cyclops by chapter.
Questions to talk about
- What is a Cyclops?
The story's answer: A one-eyed giant in Greek myth. Polyphemus, in the Odyssey, is the most famous of them and lives in a cave with his sheep. - Why did Odysseus say his name was Nobody?
The story's answer: So that when Polyphemus cried out that “Nobody” was hurting him, the other giants would think he was fine and not come to help. - How did Odysseus and his men escape the cave?
The story's answer: They hid under the big sheep and rams as the blind giant let the flock out. He felt only their backs and did not find the men underneath. - Why is Poseidon angry at Odysseus?
The story's answer: Polyphemus is Poseidon's son. When Odysseus boasts that he blinded the giant, Poseidon makes his journey home long and hard. - What does this myth explain, or try to explain?
Listen for: Many myths explain how something came to be: a season, an animal, a name. - Was the main character right or wrong? Was the ending fair?
Listen for: Myths are often hard on people; let the group disagree.
Did you know?
- Homer, a poet of ancient Greece, sang this part of the Odyssey about 2,700 years ago.
- A Cyclops is a one-eyed giant in Greek myth.
- The trick of the name “Nobody” is the most famous part.
Activity: Make a new myth
Each reader explains something they see every day (why cats purr, why puddles dry up) with a short made-up myth of their own, told round the circle in three sentences.
More to talk about
More facts for the leader
- Odysseus's boast at the end brings Poseidon's curse, so the voyage home takes ten more years.
Words to teach before you start
- Cyclops: one-eyed giant
- hospitality: kind welcome
- embers: glowing coals
- reckless: carelessly bold
- fleece: sheep's wool
Questions leaders ask
How long does a Odysseus and the Cyclops book club meeting take?
Reading it aloud takes about 16 minutes in all, so plan 2 meetings of about 30 to 45 minutes each, with time left for the questions. The reading plan on the sheet says where to stop.
What age is Odysseus and the Cyclops for?
It is written at Peabody level 15, a level 15 reading level, so most children at that level can read it alone. Younger children can listen to it read aloud.
Do the children need to read it before the meeting?
No. Each child can read it free on Peabody, before the meeting or together at it, and the questions work either way. The sheet's short version gives the ending away, so keep it for the leader.
How do I use the questions?
Start with the story's own questions, which have answers in the leader's notes, then move to the open ones and listen for reasons. There is no wrong answer to an open question. Stop when the group runs out of things to say.
Club kits for stories like this
- Theseus and the Minotaur (level 14)
- Gilgamesh (level 17)
- Icarus and Daedalus (level 12)
- Prometheus and the Fire (level 18)
- The Trojan Horse (level 12)
- Arachne the Weaver (level 11)
How this kit is made
The short version, the facts and the first questions with their answers are the story's own, written for its page in Peabody's library and checked against the sources named there. The open questions, the activity and the plan are Peabody's, written for this kind of story. No part of it is written by a computer model.
Running the meeting: the meeting plans (30, 45 and 60 minutes) and the sign-up sheet.