Favorite Fiction for Ancient Rome?

[Heather in Neverland]

This is for a rising 5th grade boy with a low "boredom" threshold. :D I've already picked "The Aeneid for Boys and Girls". Any other ideas? Thanks!

[AmyTompkins]

The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare

 

Haven't read this one in years, but I recall it being excellent. A boy named Daniel witnessed his father's execution by Roman Soldiers.

</div>

[TracyR]

If you want to keep interest . Detectives in Togas by Henry Winterfield

My girls love this book and honestly its a page turner , each chapter leaves you wanting to find out what happens next.

There is also the sequel , Mystery of the Roman Ransom which I am getting ready to buy .

[Faithr]

A really wonderful but out of print book (but try the library or used books store) is I Marched with Hannibal by Hans Baumann.

 

I also highly recommended Detectives in Togas and Mystery of the Roman Ransom. I'm getting ready to read the Boys and Girls Aeneid to my rising 4th grader. I read it aloud to my next oldest son (rising 8th) a year or two ago, just to have a neat read aloud. He thoroughly enjoyed it.

 

The Bronze Bow, to me, is a darker book and more appropriate for slightly older kids. Maybe 7th grade? It's a wonderful book but my older kids definitely got more out of it than my youngers who found it a little too heavy. That just my humble opinion. Still, it is definitely a keeper!

[Kareni]

A fun read which incorporates a little Latin in the story line is Aquila by Andrew Norriss (the book seems to be out of print in the US but Amazon.ca has it in stock). My library has the audio version.

 

Here's a blurb from Amazon.ca:

 

" From AudioFile

What if you were 12 and you stumbled across a wonderful flying machine that could do anything, including cloaking itself and you in invisibility? You'd do exactly what Jeff and Tom, a pair of underachieving British schoolboys, do in Aquila. You'd keep it a secret from the adults who would certainly take it away from you. Brian Cant gives a crisp British read to this tremendously likable story of two junior high students, who, stuck without an owner's manual for the good ship Aquila, find that only such long-avoided disciplines as physics, Latin, and geometry can give them the answers they need. So much fun, you don't mind the message about the value of learning. M.C. © AudioFile, Portland, Maine --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition. "

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Myra]

We just listened to this book on tape - it's part of a series!

A bit gruesome - but good!

Myra

 

TitleThe thieves of Ostia [sound recording] : [a Roman mystery] / Caroline Lawrence

[mom31257]

I'm so glad you asked! We're doing ancient history next year. I'll be taking a look at these, too.

 

Amy of GA

Darin's wife for 17 years

11yo dd

5yo ds

[Peela]

For that age, the Roman Mysteries series by Caroline Lawrence.

 

I have just read the Bronze Bow before I hand it to my kids, who are 12 and 14. I agree with the person who said they think this book is better saved for older children. It will be perfect for my kids, but I don't think they would have got nearly as much out of it a couple of years ago. It has a deep message.

[Heather in Neverland]

Thanks for all the replies! I think we are going with:

 

The Aeneid for Boys and Girls

Detectives in Togas

Mystery of the Roman Ransom

Aquila

 

Thanks for the advice!