2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Adventure and History Made Fun - a review of Voyage to the Pharos (Gauch), October 5, 2009
This review is from: Voyage to the Pharos (Hardcover)
I saw "Voyage to the Pharos" at the library and snatched it up. Loving history myself, I was thinking that this story would be a great introduction to the ancient world for my 7 y.o. old son.
The story is about a boy whose father is a cook for sailing vessels. He has grown up on the Isle of Rhodes hearing the tales of exotic places from his father. He longs to see these marvels, particularly Alexandria, with it's Pharos lighthouse-- one of the wonders of the ancient world. (It remains THE tallest lighthouse ever built.) One day that permission comes and they set off on the adventurous trip.
Talking Points:::
I really like the artwork by Roger Roth. It's very appealing and done realistically enough, and accurately enough, that kids ought to be able to learn quite a bit just from his drawings.
I thought Sarah Gauch did a good job in not letting facts overwhelm the adventure. I also thought she did a good job of showing what the threats were to such ventures. There's being becalmed, brigands, and storms.
My 7 y.o. unfortunately wasn't gripped by the story. I think though that this reflects more on his age than the quality of the story. Written at AR 4.5 level, I think the book is better suited to older elementary aged children or even middle-schoolers who already have an interest in the ancient world.
**3.5 Stars** **Above Average!**
Pam T~
mom and reviewer at BooksForKids-reviews
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This book is a perfect blend between ancient Grecian history and imaginative adventure!, December 12, 2009
This review is from: Voyage to the Pharos (Hardcover)
Dino's father was the cook for the merchant ship, "Hermes." He was just a boy, but hearing about the legendary Pharos Lighthouse made him want to sail the seas with his father. It was a place he could only dream about because he was too young to go on such a voyage. His father told him the lighthouse "was one of tallest buildings in all the world, with statues of gods and great kings, a staircase that would round inside . . . " it was a wonder of the world he just had to see! It made Dino's year when his father finally consented. They would soon leave the island of Rhodes to travel to Alexandria.
He helped his father do things like chop onions and wash beans and cabbage, but was secretly hoping there would be more for him to do. Finally the rigging got tangled and he was able to help with that. It was infinitely better than helping with cooking chores. Excitement soon awaited the ship because some brigands were sighted in the distance. All hands "on the `Hermes' worked feverishly, trying to capture the strongest gusts in the ship's sails." Dino ran to help them, bringing much needed water as they rowed. It looked like there would be more for him that just washing vegetables. There was adventure to be had in sailing and soon they hoped to reach Alexandria, or would they?
This book is a perfect blend between ancient Grecian history and imaginative adventure. The story was well told and the reader gets a nice sense of what went on in ancient Greece. I liked the way the story relayed a young boy's desire to be with his father and the excitement he felt when he was offered the chance to do a man's work. The illustrations reminded me a bit of the work of N.C. Wyeth with their beauty and spirit. The reader need not be one interested in Grecian history or ships to appreciate this "magical and memorable voyage back in time!"
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