| Author | |
stellamaris
Forum All-Star
Joined: Feb 26 2009
Location: Virginia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2732
|
| Posted: Jan 28 2011 at 9:55am | IP Logged
|
 |
|
We are reading here again this year Mary Renault's book The Lion in the Gateway. This OOP book is an exciting dramatized recounting of the Battles at Marathon, Salamis, and Thermopylae. It is written at about a 4th grade and up level (we are not using it as a read-aloud, but as a history book for my son to read and narrate), although even my husband read it this year and found it very interesting. Included along with the text are a great 2-page map, a glossary, and a timeline. I see that it is pretty expensive at Amazon, but well worth looking for at your library or thrift stores.
Another book by Mrs. Renault that covers the same period of history is The Temple on the Hill. This is a detailed telling of the building and architectural design of the Parthenon. It is also OOP, and I see it is not even available now on Amazon, but again worth keeping an eye out for. I'd say this would be better for 5th grade or 6th grade and up because the level of architectural detail might be difficult for younger readers...although if you have a budding engineer, it would be fine for a littler younger reader, too.
I can't understand why these fabulous books...that have REAL content...are OOP!
ETA: Oops! The Temple on the Hill is written by Anne Rockwell! Sorry about that!
__________________
In Christ,
Caroline
Wife to  dh 30+ yrs,ds's 83,85,89,dd's 91,95,ds's 01,01,02,grammy to 4
Flowing Streams
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
dappledbeing
Forum Newbie
Joined: Aug 08 2008
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 7
|
| Posted: Feb 01 2011 at 10:22pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Caroline-
Thanks for sharing these; they sound great -- makes me sad that so much great literature is no longer readily available. 
As I was looking into these books, I discovered that many of her other books have inappropriate material. Just wanted to share the info in case someone runs across them.
God bless,
Ellen
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
stellamaris
Forum All-Star
Joined: Feb 26 2009
Location: Virginia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2732
|
| Posted: Feb 02 2011 at 3:53am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Thank you for that word of warning, Ellen. These are the only two of her books I have read. I see she wrote quite a few, and some do appear to be directed to adults.
It is a good reminder that an author can have one or two books that are acceptable, and others that aren't. We should always preview!
__________________
In Christ,
Caroline
Wife to dh 30+ yrs,ds's 83,85,89,dd's 91,95,ds's 01,01,02,grammy to 4
Flowing Streams
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Erin
Forum Moderator
Joined: Feb 23 2005
Location: Australia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 5814
|
| Posted: Feb 02 2011 at 4:50am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Caroline
Mary Renault is a wonderful author. We have the 'Lion in the Gateway' and a few others. Ellen is correct in that some of her books are definitely adult, one such one we have is Flowers in Adonis.
__________________
Erin
Faith Filled Days
Seven Little Australians
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
dappledbeing
Forum Newbie
Joined: Aug 08 2008
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 7
|
| Posted: Feb 16 2011 at 8:10pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Caroline-
Thanks again for the heads up -- I found Lion in the Gateway fairly inexpensively at ABE books. It just arrived & looks great
Looking forward to reading it.
God bless.
Ellen
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
stellamaris
Forum All-Star
Joined: Feb 26 2009
Location: Virginia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2732
|
| Posted: April 05 2011 at 2:48pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Just wanted to correct my original post. I took out my copy of Temple on a Hill for my ds (finally, we have arrived at Classical Greece!) to read, and I realized it is written, not by Mary Renault, but by Anne Rockwell. The reading level is lower than that of Lion in the Gateway, but it is still an excellent recommendation. It does begin with the Persian wars.
I have another book by Ms. Rockwell which I haven't yet read about the building of St. Denis: Glass, Stones, and Crowns: The Abbe Suger and the Building of St. Denis We're planning to use this for our study of Gothic cathedrals in the future. I will review this in more detail once I preview it for the children.
She also wrote Filippo's Dome, which is about the Brunelleschi and the building of the Duomo in Florence.
__________________
In Christ,
Caroline
Wife to dh 30+ yrs,ds's 83,85,89,dd's 91,95,ds's 01,01,02,grammy to 4
Flowing Streams
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
|
|
4Real Forums : Across Time and Place
Topic: Two Ancient Greek reads
