Books by Caroline Lawrence
“The Secrets of Vesuvius is the second book in the Roman Mysteries series by Caroline Lawrence. Lawrence bills herself as a writer of historical mysteries for children, but she studied Classics at Berkeley and won a Marshall Scholarship to Cambridge and the Roman world she recreates is based on historical evidence. This one, about the eruption of Mt Vesuvius, is our favourite in the series, and includes an account of Pliny the Elder, who famously died on a beach after the eruption of Vesuvius.” Read more...
Izzy, Children
The Roman Mysteries series is different from the other books on this list. It offers an entry not into a magical world, but an ancient one. Like Harry Potter, it’s a group of friends working together, led by a 12-year-old girl called Flavia Gemina. It’s another series that I read out loud to the kids: we read all 17 of them together.
The first book in the series, 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. The second book, The Secrets of Vesuvius, about the eruption of Vesuvius, is our favourite. 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. Not only is the series enjoyable and moreish, but you really will learn a lot about life in ancient Rome.
From our article Books like Harry Potter
The Thieves of Ostia
by Caroline Lawrence
The Thieves of Ostia is the first of Caroline Lawrence's Roman mysteries series. Perfect reading to help your child learn about ancient Rome.
Interviews where books by Caroline Lawrence were recommended
Books about Pompeii
On August 24th, 79 AD Vesuvius, a volcano overlooking the Bay of Naples, erupted. The surrounding towns, including Pompeii and Herculaneum, would eventually be covered in ash and preserved for centuries, rediscovered in the 19th century and still revealing new information about the ancient world today.
Best Series for 10 Year Olds, recommended by Izzy
Everyone wants to get their kids reading, and a really gripping series is a great way of developing their inner bookworm. Izzy, a 10-year-old girl living in the UK, talks us through her favourite series for kids.
