Produced in association with the British Museum this highly illustrated book gives kids a real sense of what life was like in Ancient Rome. It does so by asking them to put themselves in the sandals of their young forbears and compare aspects of their lives – humorously, mainly the worst bits. For example, they’re asked to imagine how horrendous school maths would be if all the letters were numbers, as they were for the Romans – it gives a whole new meaning to long division. There are sections on food, medicine (SO much better now) and family life too plus an index and glossary. Entertaining, accessible and full of information this merits X out of X.
Written by award-winning author Chae Strathie and developed in consultation with experts from the British Museum, this fascinating book reveals what life was really like for kids in ancient Rome, from washing clothes in wee to snacking on dormice . . . and even fighting in gladiatorial combat!
Packed with facts and fantastic illustrations, this funny and accessible introduction to ancient Rome is a must-read for kids with a passion for horrible history.
Chae Strathie is an award-winning children’s author and journalist who grew up in a tiny village surrounded by a forest in Scotland, which probably explains a lot. His first attempt at professional writing was creating a Star Wars comic at the age of seven. He sold two copies and made a total of four pence. A regular at major book festivals, Chae has toured the length and breadth of the UK and visited schools as far afield as Romania, reading his stories, acting the goat and singing silly songs about worm ice cream and beard-growing. He lives by the sea in Fife with his wife, three annoying cats and a very old goldfish called Lazarus.
