Mark of the Cyclops: An Ancient Greek Mystery

Description

A thrilling mix of Sherlock Holmes and Ancient Greece from prize-winning author Saviour Pirotta, with stunning illustrations from up-and-coming illustrator Freya Hartas. This exciting adventure will have readers gripped from start to finish. Young scribe Nico's new friend Thrax has a strange knack for figuring things out. When they travel to wedding with their master, a valuable vase is broken and Thrax's special skills might just come in useful. Can the boys prove that slave girl Gaia is innocent, and discover what the mark of the cyclops means? Winner of the North Somerset Teachers Book Award for Quality fiction, this dramatic and mysterious tale is packed with wonderful characters and insight into the daily life of the ancient Greeks, which is a required topic in the KS2 History curriculum. Perfect for fans of the Roman Mysteries, or anyone interested in ancient Greece.

Saviour Pirotta is originally from Malta and now lives in Scarborough, Yorkshire. He is the author of nearly one hundred titles, ranging from non-fiction about pirates to short novels, as well as stories for Barbie magazine, Disney and educational material for the Teletubbies franchise. He is the author of The Orchard Book of First Greek Myths which has been published successfully around the world in countries as diverse as Italy, Greece, Brazil and Korea.

Complex themes of friendship and loyalty mix in with the adventure to make a cracking story... the first in a series you should definitely put on pre-order. * Dawn Finch, An Awfully Big Blog Adventure * ... a mysterious adventure set in ancient Greece that really had us gripped with some fantastic use of factual settings mixed in with the fictional tale. * Read It, Daddy! Blog * The story is fun and exciting, and at the same time brings the world of Ancient Greece vividly to life...plus there are excellent black and white illustrations throughout from Freya Hartas which again help readers picture the characters and setting. Children, and even their parents, will pick up a lot of historical facts without even realising! * Maryom, Our Book Review Online * I love the way the author introduces the playwright Euripides and brings in characters from Greek mythology in an entirely natural way... I'm looking forward to more Nico and Thrax Ancient Greek Mysteries. * The Historical Novel Society * The Ancient Greek Mysteries make up a fun and action-packed series of stories that are perfect for introducing readers in KS2 to the topic of Ancient Greece. The books can be enjoyed as reading for pleasure but they are also absolutely packed with details about daily life in Ancient Greek times, including food, clothing and jobs. Each story opens up conversations about wider issues like the topic of slavery and attitudes towards class status and gender. * Alison @ BooksForTopics *