Marissa Moss is skilled at capturing the voices of young adolescents removed from the modern world in a way that young adolescents today can engage with and understand. In this selection, Galen, she has applied her award winning style of journaling with detailed color illustrations to the life of a 12 year-old slave boy in Imperial Rome. She blends historical facts about Rome including major figures and events with the fictitious life of young Galen and his family, who live and work in the household of Augustus Caesar. He works with his father, a famous artist, decorating Livia’s house. When he discovers a plot to assassinate the emperor and his stepson Tiberius, he reveals the plot saving both and in the process earning freedom for himself and his family. Young readers will gain insight about the daily lives of slaves and members of the emperor’s family- what they eat, where and how they lived. They will be so engrossed in the story that they will hardly feel like they are learning valuable facts about history. The volume is complete with hand drawn maps on the inside front cover and a glossary in the back cover. I would highly recommend this selection for reluctant readers, as the confessional tone and illustrations make for an easy, delightful read. As the first in the Ancient World Journal series, this volume stands out.
Further reading in the series:
Rose’s Journal: The Story of a Girl in the Great Depression
Hannah’s Journal: The Story of an Immigrant Girl
Emma’s Journal: The Story of a Colonial Girl
Rachel’s Journal: The Story of a Pioneer Girl
http://www.marissamoss.com/index.php
Moss, M. (2002). Galen: My Life in Imperial Rome. San Diego: Harcourt. 48 pages. ISBN: 978-0-152-16535-2.
Ages 9-11.
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