Lynne Benton

Fast-paced, delightful novel on Roman Britain for middle school-aged children. Two children, the good friends Felix and Catrin, work together and solve the mystery of Felix's father's disappearance from the legion and another mystery surrounding the commander at the fort at Isca. Is Felix's father, the Senior Centurion, a deserter as is claimed? Young readers learn something of Roman Britain and the legion, but the novel plays fast and loose with historical detail. I liked the two sleuths and the ending was perfect. The author's information on what you can see in Caerleon [today's name for Isca] was fascinating.… (mehr)

Pirate Pete finds a treasure map and follows it to reveal a chest that holds a surprise.

The highlight of this early reader book are Chapman's illustrations. Though the cartoons have a novice quality, the jewel toned color palette and detailed backgrounds will give readers plenty to look at and engage with on the page. The story of Pirate Pete and his surprise is amusing. Unfortunately, the book is not a great fit for any particular reading level. Each page only has a single sentence on it, leading one to think it is for the earliest reading level. However, it also uses more challenging words-- like treasure, island, and climbed-- which may be too much for readers at that level.

Only recommended for libraries with large early-reader collections.… (mehr)