This is a nice, basic book that does not cover the adventures of Aeneas as much as it provides a broad view of the history of mythology as it applies to the prince of Troy. For example, the book discusses the background of Aeneas' birth, how Zeus caused Venus to fall in love with Anchises, and then explains that "[S]tories about heroes like Aeneas are called "quest" myths."

Virgil's wishing that his poem be destroyed and Augustus' refusal are also covered.

Written at the 4.2 Accelerated Reading level, chapter headings are:

Aeneas
Quest Myths
Aeneas' Birth
The Trojan War
Flight from Troy
Adventures of Aeneas
Aeneas in Italy
Greek and Roman Mythical Figures
Roman and Greek Myths
Mythology Today
Places in Myth
Glossary
Read More
Useful Addresses
Internet Sites
Index

Personally, I think the best use of this book would be as an accompaniment to a unit on Aeneas and/or the Trojan War that includes a book with more story-telling. This book gives a very good broad background to the story, but as a bedtime tale it would be a failure.

One of the highlights I especially want to mention is the artwork that the author includes. The book contains many classic pictures by Poussin, da Cortona, Perrier and Brueghel as well as a Roman mosaic and a relief from a clay pot. I think the artwork is important to showing children how the past is connected to the future, and how legends and myths inspire. ( )