The Thieves of Ostia (Roman Mystery #1) [Hardcover]

Caroline Lawrence (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up | Series: Roman Mysteries

It is A.D. 79, and Flavia Gemina, daughter of a successful Roman sea captain, is about to celebrate her birthday. Then the dogs in her neighborhood start dying mysteriously, and there are rumors of burglary in the houses on Flavia's street. Set in the graveyards, houses, and alleyways of an ancient Roman city, here's the first in a series of fast-paced, informative, and satisfying mysteries.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this atmospheric debut novel, the first installment of a planned series, readers are whisked to the first century A.D. to help girl detective Flavia Gemina solve a brutal crime in the Roman port city of Ostia. When the guard dog belonging to Flavia's secretly Christian neighbors is slaughtered, Flavia sets out to find clues. She is accompanied by four trusty companions: Jonathan and Miriam, the Christian children; Nubia, a slave girl whom Flavia has recently acquired with her birthday money (with the purpose of emancipating her); and Lupus, a mute beggar boy. Many adventures later a pack of wild dogs chases them, they narrowly escape malicious slave traders and discover that their chief suspect has committed suicide by jumping from a lighthouse the children catch the culprit. Those looking for thrill-a-minute entertainment will find their fill of near-catastrophic events here, but the violence may be hard for some readers to stomach. Red herrings emerge too conspicuously and dialogue is sometimes stilted. Nonetheless, this historical mystery offers an intriguing glimpse into the customs, attitudes and class systems of the Roman empire. Ages 9-14.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-6-This story takes place in the Roman port city of Ostia in the year A.D. 79. Flavia Gemina, daughter of a sea captain, is an accomplished amateur detective. Her companions include her neighbor, Jonathan; Lupus, a young beggar; and Nubia, an African slave about her age. When Jonathan's dog is beheaded and other canines are slain, Flavia and her friends set out to find the killer. Running from slave traders and wild dogs are only some of the dangers that they encounter. The book is fast paced, but another strength is its description of Roman life. The author provides a glimpse at the various classes that make up this society, and through the lives of the characters, readers learn about the attitudes, beliefs, and customs of the period. The treatment of slaves and the confusion about Christians are just some of the facts that are included. Vivid descriptions of the architecture, economy, and politics lend an authentic note. The information is skillfully woven into the story, providing details that heighten readers' interest. An enjoyable mystery, and more.
Lana Miles, Duchesne Academy, Houston, TX
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Roaring Brook Press (May 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0761315829
• ISBN-13: 978-0761315827
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,026,135 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The theives of ostia, July 7, 2003

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The Thieves of Ostia (Roman Mystery #1) (Hardcover)

The Theives of Ostia is the first of an amazing series of 6. It begins in Ostia, port town of rome in about 90 ad. 4 children meet up to solve a mystery, this book contains many cliffhangers and shocks that will send your mind reeling. Secrets and lies tangle up in this book and at the end all ends meet. The Theives of Ostia contains magnificent historical detail, many classic teachers use these books as reference for their teaching. This book also shows how the tension mounted between pagans, jews and christians in the great roman empire. This book is marvellously entertaing as well as educative! The most entertaining part in the books is when you expect something to happen but it always happens in the opposite way that you would have imagined. The theives of Ostia even contains slight humour. But this book is not all about adventure and small children, it has love and the feelings of rejections. Some deaths in this book have brought me to tears, this is a truly emotional novel. The reason I chose this rating is because this book contins a touch of every style of writing possible and merges it together, it combines the best with the best! A competiter worthy of J.K. rowling. A must read for all children intrested in the roman empire!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining and Educational, April 12, 2006

By 

Mary E. Po (San Bruno, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Roman Mysteries #1: Thieves of Ostia (Mass Market Paperback)

Flavia is a Roman girl with a nose for danger. With her gang of friends, she sets off on an investigation to find the real answers for the sudden and very questionable deaths of the dogs in her neighborhood. This is first and foremost a historical fiction novel. However, it is also very much a mystery caper and spine-tingling and bone-chilling adventure all rolled into one. The Thieves of Ostia is an academically-enriching experience. Perhaps the best part of Lawrence's book is that the educational aspect of this story is wrapped under a guise of entertainment, thereby making it easier for children to not only learn about Roman life in the year A.D. 79, but also to WANT to learn more about it. In fact, even adults will find Lawrence's book fun and amusing to read. Lawrence succeeds in providing a balance of a good story with a good dosage of factual information.

The Thieves of Ostia has italicized vocabulary words such as bulla and much more within its pages. In this way, children will learn new terminology that relate to Roman life. Librarians and teachers will find that though this book is meant for third grade and up, this is a novel with material useful to older kids as well. There are literary allusions to Pliny and references to the Aeneid by Virgil. This is a perfect companion book to a classroom study on Roman life and living.

14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars fast-paced story, but annoying distortions, December 30, 2002

By 

Jenny Sayward - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Thieves of Ostia (Roman Mystery #1) (Hardcover)

This fast-paced story leads young readers through an action-packed adventure while
trying to introduce them to Roman life in the first century CE. While the story
grabs the reader's interest from start to finish, historical distortions abound.
Historical objects and their uses are described well in context, and the violence of
everyday life feels realistic. But social relationships are modern and contrived.
Twenty-first century cultural diversity is forced upon the cast of characters so that a
rich sea captain's daughter, a Jewish/Christian convert boy, a black Nubian slave,
and an abused tongueless beggar boy become instant friends to solve a crime.
Unrealistic depictions of human nature, scientific fact -- even dog behavior --
distract from the story at every turn. The special thrill of historical fiction, of
immersing oneself in a different time, is missing here.