The Odyssey of Phoebe Quilliam – at a glance
The School Reading Lists’ five word review: Greek myth, art, travel, illness.
Children’s book title: The Odyssey of Phoebe Quilliam.
Children’s author: Annelise Gray.
Genre: Children’s fiction.
Published by: Zephyr.
ISBN: 9781035911011.
Recommended for children aged: 9+ year-olds.
First published: Paperback September 2025.
This children’s book is ideal for: putting a different slant on some Greek mythological figures and also discussing how illness and loss shape who we are and how we think about ourselves.
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Our review:
Phoebe Quilliam and her nan, Cass, love to draw and paint together, especially in her grandmother’s small, sunny studio. But when Cass becomes unwell, things have to change. With the bungalow sold, Phoebe visits one last time, but magic is in the air and, before she knows it, she isn’t in Cornwall any more. Instead, she finds herself on a Greek beach at the time of Odysseus, with no idea how she got there, or, more importantly, how she’ll get back.
Also on the beach is a young boatmaker called Leander, who is about to begin a quest to discover what happened to his father after the Trojan Wars, and a young girl called Hattie, Cass’s childhood friend, who presents Phoebe with her own quest. Together, Phoebe and Leander set off on his boat, guided only by a map drawn by Cass and Hattie as children.
The journey is full of jeopardy, with attacks from those who want neither child to succeed or who are only interested in their own agenda. As the greatest danger of all confronts them, neither has any idea how they will succeed.
Our verdict:
Phoebe is struggling with her nan’s recent diagnosis and the belief that she is to blame for not noticing it sooner. When the house is sold and she visits for the last time, Phoebe finds herself in the realms of the gods after the Trojan War, with a quest of her own – to destroy the monster Cass and Hattie created during their childhood holidays together.
As the two children undertake their quests, they begin to learn about each other and the situation they find themselves in. With help from some gods, and hindrance from others, they eventually reach their destinations and realise they will be able to face their futures with more confidence.
The descriptions of Phoebe’s grandmother’s dementia are chillingly accurate, and the reactions to it are equally true to life. If the author hasn’t experienced this first-hand, then her research has been detailed and extensive. The solutions and ways of lessening distress for Phoebe’s grandmother are also realistic and considered.
The two subjects initially seem to make strange bedfellows, but the links and reasons are all set in place beforehand, and the story is ultimately one of both hope and acceptance as seen through the eyes of children.
Teaching points and book club discussion ideas:
- Phoebe knows about most of the Greek gods because her grandmother told her the stories. How much do you think this helped her and Leander as they travelled together?
- Morpheia was Cass and Hattie’s imagined monster, and the map they drew was the only way to reach the tower where they had left her. If you had to complete a project where you imagined a dangerous creature and somewhere for it to live, how would you go about it?
- Cass’s friend Hattie died when she was ten, but she guided Phoebe on her quest and gave her useful information. Which part of the story was the scariest, and did you remember the whirlpools?
- Dementia is a very sad illness and is difficult for families and friends to deal with. Why was Phoebe wrong to blame herself for it happening to her nan?
- There are lots of books and films based on Greek myths. Does it matter that everyone has a different idea about who and what the gods were? If you could only write about one creature, which would you choose, or would you be like Cass and Hattie and create your own?
- Did you refer to the list of pronunciations or hope your way of saying things was correct? If you did use it, did it help?
Many thanks to Zephyr for the review copy.
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