Beowoulf : A New Telling by Robert Nye

Hrothgar, King of the Danes, builds a great golden hall, but it is attacked every night by the monster Grendel. All the warriors who fight Grendel are dismembered and eaten. Beowulf hears of Hrothgar's distress and travels to Denmark to fight the monster. Beowulf is a warrior who is not perfect, but he turns the things he knows are limitations (poor eyesight and short stature) into advantages. For instance, to overcome his poor eyesight, he trains himself to be quick and to concentrate. Despite its age, the story of Beowulf has a lesson that is still applicable today : "The truly good man finds good where he can".

Raymond G., grade 8