Schools
The Roman Mysteries is a series of seventeen historical novels set in Ancient Rome, along with half a dozen supplementary titles. (For a full list of the books, go to the bottom of this page) Aimed at children aged 7 - 14, the books offer exciting openings for lines of enquiry into almost every aspect of Roman life, including social structure, daily life, mythology, religion, entertainment and leisure. The BBC did a glossy adaptation of ten of the books in twenty 30 minute episodes. These give an excellent idea of the look of ancient Rome and Greece while providing enough variation from the books to stimulate fun discussion and analysis.
BOOKING A SCHOOL VISIT
In order to concentrate on her writing
Caroline generally reserves October and March for author visits in the UK.
November and April are generally set aside for research & promotion in the USA.
(You can see her past & future events HERE)
Caroline is now taking bookings for October 2013.
Available days: 15, 16, 18, 22, 23, 24, 25, 30 & 31
In a SINGLE hour-long talk illustrated by artefacts & images from her travels, Caroline shares her secrets for plotting stories, finding characters and creating a detailed world of adventure. Caroline offers a variety of talks (see below) all basically the same but with different emphases. There is time for Q&A afterwards and book signing if schools want to sell her books.
1. 'How to Write a Great Story' - fun talk with more emphasis on writing plot & characters (8 - 12 yrs)
2. 'Mysteries of Ancient Rome' - exciting talk with more emphasis on Pompeii & Rome (8 - 12 yrs)
3. 'Historical Detectives' - fun talk with more emphasis on The P.K. Pinkerton Mysteries (8+)
4. 'Myth, Movies & Storytelling' - more advanced talk about 'The Hero's Journey' in myth & movie (12+)
(with visual references to Theseus, Jesus, Star Wars & The Hunger Games!)
5. 'Romans on the Bay of Naples' - perfect for school groups planning a trip to Sorrento and its environs
(or the British Museum exhibition: Life and Death in Pompeii and Herculaneum)
The school must provide 200+ children aged 8 - 12.
(Some schools invite in a couple of classes from neighbouring schools to make up numbers)
The school must also have a projector, screen, darkened hall and a lapel microphone, so Caroline can raise and lower her voice dramatically!
Caroline provides her iBook laptop (with mini DVI adaptor), spittoon & sponge-on-a-stick.
The cost is £250 plus VAT & travel (from Clapham Junction).
(Possible surcharge of £100 for journey time of more than three hours)
Schools can either invite in a local bookseller or get books from the publishers at a discount.
For more information, email CarolineLawrence [at] me [dot] com
Here are some free resources for teachers on this site:
THE ENTIRE ROMAN MYSTERIES SERIES: (titles in red are available on DVD)
I The Thieves of Ostia - the friends meet and solve their first mystery
II The Secrets of Vesuvius - a riddle and danger as Vesuvius erupts
III The Pirates of Pompeii - who's taking children from the refugee camp?
IV The Assassins of Rome - Jonathan's search takes him to Rome
V The Dolphins of Laurentum - sunken treasure and Lupus's past
VI The Twelve Tasks of Flavia Gemina - romance & mystery in Ostia
VII The Enemies of Jupiter - plague and fire in Rome, early AD 80
VIII The Gladiators from Capua - opening of the Colosseum, AD 80
IX The Colossus of Rhodes - the four friends take a cruise in May...
X The Fugitive from Corinth - then pursue a fugitive around Greece
XI The Sirens of Surrentum* - the Bay of Naples for poison & decadence
XII The Charioteer of Delphi - a famous racehorse goes missing
The Code of Romulus - a World Book Day booklet (now a collector's item)
The First Roman Mysteries Quiz Book - Roman fashion, food, music & more
XIII The Slave-girl from Jerusalem - courtroom drama in Ostia
Trimalchio's Feast and other Mini-Mysteries - a collection of short stories
The Second Roman Mysteries Quiz Book - Roman medicine, love, marriage & more
XIV The Beggar of Volubilis - a caravan across North Africa
From Ostia to Alexandria with Flavia Gemina (a Travel Guide)
XV The Scribes from Alexandria - Egypt and Nubia in Roman times
XVI The Prophet from Ephesus - the four go to Asia Minor (Turkey)
XVII The Man from Pomegranate Street - who killed Titus & whom does Flavia marry?
The First Roman Mysteries Omnibus (new edition)
The Legionary from Londinium and other Mini-Mysteries
and...
Roman Mysteries TV series Season One DVD
Roman Mysteries TV series Season Two DVD
Roman Mysteries Box Set; Seasons 1 & 2 DVD
THE ROMAN MYSTERY SCROLLS (for 7+)
I The Sewer Demon - Threptus the ex-beggar boy must overcome a creature from below
II The Poisoned Honey Cake - Threptus gets in trouble when he steals a cake from an altar
III The Thunder Omen - During the Saturnalia, Threptus and Floridius try to rig the omens
also by Caroline Lawrence:
THE WESTERN MYSTERIES
1. The Case of the Deadly Desperados, the first in Caroline's Western Mystery series
2. The Case of the Good-looking Corpse, private eye P.K. Pinkerton looks for a killer
*the Sirens of Surrentums, although carefully written for children, contains some Adult Themes