storytime-reviews:First Sentence Fridays: The Secrets of Vesuvius by Caroline Lawrence‘Jonathan, loo
storytime-reviews:First Sentence Fridays: The Secrets of Vesuvius by Caroline Lawrence‘Jonathan, look out!’ screamed Flavia Gemina. Long before Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson series existed, I was reading The Roman Mysteries series by Caroline Lawrence. They are historical fiction novels, set in the Roman Empire during the reign of the Emperor Titus. The series follows the adventures of Flavia, a Roman girl living in Ostia, and her friends: Nubia, a slave girl from Africa; Jonathan, a Jewish boy; and Lupus, a mute beggar boy, who all solve mysteries together.Caroline Lawrence studied Classics at Berkeley and then Cambridge, and this is evident throughout the series. Lawrence breathes life into these novels precisely because her research is so thorough, her narratives touching on the lives of real historical figures, as well as recreating ancient Roman life through the everyday lives of Flavia and her friends. The detail and accuracy is spectacular, and well handled for young readers. If you enjoy Percy Jackson, I would certainly recommend The Roman Mysteries. At 23, I still enjoy them, and if you’re looking for a recommendation for the young readers in your lives, then this is it. -- source link