This is an absolute bargain: buy them for your children and their friends!

[roisin]

Caroline Lawrence's Roman Mysteries series is something I bang on about on here fairly frequently. They are children's adventure stories - mystery, crime solving etc., with a bit of history thrown in, and even a bit of Latin. IMO it's the modern alternative to the Famous Five. It's not sexist or racist, and the writing is much better than Enid Blyton. I would say most 6 yr-olds would enjoy it as a bedtime story, and fluent readers (say 8+) would manage it for themselves.

In addition Caroline Lawrence has a very childfriendly website \link{http://www.romanmysteries.com/indexflash.htm\here}. She responds directly to fanmail, and she also does a lot of touring/book signing etc., mostly in the South of England.

Anyway, the first book is \link{http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1842550209/qid=1144868030/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_2_1/026-6724133-9973231\The Thieves of Ostia} and Ottakars have got a special edition of it for just 99p atm
Go and get yourself a bargain.

My kids love these books. We have most if not all of them!

hmm ds1 not so gripped
i ofudn the writing style ratehr stilted

That surprises me Cod. What does he enjoy reading?

DS1 tends to read a lot of 'young teen' fiction, but recently re-read all of these and enjoyed them. I agree it's not fantastic literature, but it's a great improvement on Blyton, or Captain Underpants, Goosebumps, Fairies, or various other options!

The other books in the series are 3 for 2 at Ottakars too btw.

I remember you recommending it before, roisin (it's on my Amazon wish list - which is itself probably longer than any of the books on it...) - don't have Ottakars near us though.

looks too 'brainy' for my 6 year old

they look good though for older readers once they are more fluent

thanks for that - it's always nice to have recommendations!