the thieves of ostia by caroline lawrence

But as long as you warn kids about these limitations, these are books based on a true story, someone’s account of their life more than century ago, and completely readable. They’re an idealized account of her childhood-and have come under fire for their depiction of Native Americans, which is a problem. These are for younger kids, but completely engrossing. They’re about her life as part of a pioneer family, travelling further and further West with her family in 19 th century America. One final series to read-that most Americans have heard of, but not everyone else- the books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. They’ve led to an embarrassing situation in our household where though I have a history degree from Oxford, my kids seem to know a lot more about, say, George IV than I do. Two other educational series that look at history (but are quite UK-centric) are Horrible Histories and My Story, both of which are mentioned in our interview on the best history books for young kids. Caroline Lawrence, the author, studied Classics at Berkeley and won a Marshall Scholarship to Cambridge, and she seems to use genuine sources (eg Pliny) to recreate the Roman world she describes. The second book, The Secrets of Vesuvius, is our favourite. The first book, The Thieves of Ostia, introduces the characters and the town they live, Ostia, whose ruins you can still visit near Rome’s main airport, Fiumicino.

Although the premise is unlikely, this series is genuinely educational, in that you really learn a lot about ancient Rome. Like Harry Potter, it’s a group of friends working together, led by Flavia Gemina, who solve mysteries. These are for kids up to around age 12, and offer an entry into the ancient world. For example, if you’re interested in the Roman world and want to learn more about it, there is the Roman Mysteries series. There are now many series for kids that are educational.

The entire series has, in fact, been translated into Latin. It’s also true that Latin comes up a lot in the Harry Potter books, via myths, names and spells. Also, in having the diligent, hardworking Hermione as a hero, and her knowledge of books and dedication to schoolwork a big part of why she’s so effective, the series does set a good example: it’s no longer uncool to be a swot. That said, in encouraging many thousands of children to read who might not have otherwise, they were extremely effective. The Harry Potter series was not written specifically to improve your grades at school.

Lastly we wanted to mention a couple of series that are educational.

Foreign Policy & International Relations.

The thieves of ostia by caroline lawrence