The Secrets of Vesuvius (Roman Mysteries #2) by Caroline Lawrence Date of Publication: 2001 ISBN: 1842550217 Number of Pages: 206

REQUIRED READING ABILITY: Junior: Average / High Intermediate: Average
GENRES: Historical Fiction/Mystery
THEMES : Life versus Death - Sacrifice and Redemption - Family - Loyalty - Appearance versus Reality - Survival

SUMMARY:
Flavia Gemina is a young Roman girl living in Ostia in A.D. 79. She's bright, inquisitive, and never lets a mystery get the best of her, or her friends Jonathan (son of a doctor and formerly from Jerusalem), Nubia (a recently freed slavegirl from Africa), and Lupus (a mute streetkid who has been taken in by the Gemina family).

When the story begins, Flavia and her friends are swimming at the beach when they see a boat in trouble. Lupus and the children's bodyguard swim out to rescue the unfortunate boaters, and upon their return, Flavia realizes they have saved the famous admiral and writer, Pliny, whose works she admires. In the follow-up from the rescue, Pliny offers Flavia a greater challenge: to solve a riddle he's found, and to locate a missing blacksmith in whom Pliny has an interest. Since the children are about to visit the vineyard of her uncle Gaius, a spot not far from where these mysteries began, Flavia accepts the challenge. Before she knows it, she and her companions are up to their necks in trouble, with secret rituals, new acquaintances, hidden admirers, a missing heir, and even a case of mistaken identity. Unfortunately, these all become much less important when nearby Mount Vesuvius unleashes its deadly force...right in the vicinity of Flavia and her friends...

WHO WOULD LOVE THIS BOOK? A kid who...
- likes mysteries
- likes historical fiction
- is interested in Roman times and/or Pompeii and Herculaneum
- enjoys books that immerse the story in accurate detail
- likes fiesty female characters and brave, heroic male characters

WHAT ELSE?
This is the second of many books in the Roman Mysteries series by Caroline Lawrence, but it isn't necessary to read the first. It does a great job of allowing the reader to live through the terror and horror of Vesuvius' eruption, and it doesn't sugar coat it. Though the main characters all survive, a number of minor characters don't live through the volcano. Their deaths aren't confirmed in some cases, but they are obvious, and might make some readers sad nonetheless.

RELATED LINK:
The website, www.romanmysteries.com , can provide further information.