Ancient Greece (Tales of the Dead) by Stewart Ross Date of Publication: 2004 ISBN: 0-7566-0554-7 Number of Pages: 32

REQUIRED READING ABILITY: Junior: Average Intermediate: Average
GENRES: Non-fiction/Graphic novel
THEMES: Good versus Evil - Life versus Death - Sacrifice and Redemption - Family - Appearance versus Reality - Survival

SUMMARY:
In the graphic novel that runs around each page of the book, Pylades is a young Greek boy helping his strong older brother, Kinesias, train for the upcoming Olympics. As the story begins, the Athenian brothers are feeling positive about Kinesias' chances at winning the "Race-in-Armour" against the Spartan favourite, Lykourgos. What they don't know is that the Spartans have hired the traitor Myrtilos to work behind the scenes to ensure Kinesias is taken out of the race one way or the other. Through a series of misadventures, the two Athenian brothers, helped by their smart sister, Kalonike, figure out a plot is afoot. They manage to escape death and reveal the traitor, but can Kinesias still compete and manage to win the day for Athens?

In the non-fiction body of the book, readers are taken on a journey through related information that covers the people, places, and things Pylades and his siblings encounter on their adventures. With labels, diagrams, captions, maps, cross-sections and an index at the back of the book, readers learn about Greek religion, childhood, theatre, cities and towns, recreation, and many other aspects of Greek life.

WHO WOULD LOVE THIS BOOK? A kid who...
- loves the Eyewitness series of books from Dorling-Kindersley (DK)
- is interested in learning more about Greece
- likes graphic novels
- needs pictures to understand concepts
- enjoys quality non-fiction illustrated to appeal to all

WHAT ELSE?
This book is part of a series that includes books about Ancient Egypt, Ancient China, and Ancient Rome.