"Here and listen well, my friends, and I will tell you a tale that has been told for a thousand years and more..."
Beowulf is a tale of a hero that came from nowhere to help save the People of Denmark from the foul and devilish Grendel, who stalks the night, taking anyone he pleased.
So with his fists at the ready, Beowulf declared that he would rid the monster from King Hrothgar's kingdom... With his bare hands!
I would tell you more, but that would be ruining it.
This book is absolutely amazing at gripping the reader as it has three distinct chapters. Therefore it will also be very easy to read and analyse in schools as the class could focus on each chapter separately as they are three separate battles.
I've noticed that in children's literature there is a set story structure that is followed with an introduction, a problem, a climax, a resolution and a conclusion. Most noticeably in the conclusion of typical children's books are that "they all lived happily ever after" (as seen in many fantasy stories and fairytales). However, I like this book because it doesn't follow the normal of having a happy ending as, spoiler alert, our hero perishes at the end.
By having this ending it shows that Beowulf was only human, but it was through his persistence to do the right thing all the way to his end days, by helping and saving others whilst sacrificing his own life, we can see that the message that was trying to be shown in this book was to be a hero without expecting any thanks or reward. Although, I would advise against battling a 20ft dragon!
This book has had many adaptations to it, but the one that I read was by Michael Morpurgo as it is an easier read for children. There are some violent chapters when describing the battles, so take that into consideration if you were wanting to read that book to a child. However, it is truly a great book and really puts you into the shoes of our hero, Beowulf.
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