{My thoughts} – Marcus is a young boy that is forced to be a slave. His father was sold to some other owner a few months prior to the writing of the book. Marcus likes to talk about how he misses his father and wishes he could be with him. He dreams about it on a regular basis.

Marcus starts to feel the ground shaking and sees statues toppling over all around him. He knows something isn’t right. He runs into an older woman that appears to be a beggar. She tells him the world is going to end in fire and it scares him, but he isn’t sure if he should believe her words or not. He decides to disregard them just like his dad would, since his dad only seemed to believe in science, things that can be proven.

As the book progresses he actually encounters his father again. He makes some split second choices that helps to bring them back together. When the ground starts shaking more frequently he and his father climb up the mountain to investigate. What they find is mind boggling and they learn they need to warn the people of the city before it is too late. No one wants to listen to them though, they are slaves, they aren’t worthy of being heard.

When they happen upon someone that is interested in what they say the whole city is warned to get out. To get as far away from the mountain as possible. So much happens after that warning. The words that keep flashing back in Marcus mind are the words that old lady told him, those words may just be the key to his and his father’s survival.

Pompeii is one of those stories you hear as you are growing up. It piques your interest and leaves you wanting more and more information about it. I have studied this specific point in history many times. I’d love to see the actual city that has been uncovered in person. It’s one of those I long to know more about subjects. I really enjoyed reading this book, it made me feel like I was there and I was a part of the story. It pulled me in from the beginning, just like the previous books in this series has done.

I look forward to reading more books in this series in the future. ( )

Written for middle school students, this is the fact-filled, exciting story of Marcus, a slave-boy of that age and his father, Tata [Latin for Daddy], and how they escape the Vesuvius eruption of 79 A.D. and head for Rome. The author also works into the story details of Pompeiian life and civilization. I read this in under half an hour and a a possible Christmas gift for one of my grandchildren. The whole "I survived" series is worth seeking out for young readers of 4th to 7th grade.

Recommended. ( )

Marcus is a slave in ancient Rome. His father has been sold as a gladiator. As Marcus misses his father and feels afraid of the strange earth tremors that have been shaking Pompeii. he wonders how the other residents of the city can just ignore the shaking, continuing on with Gladiator games and parades, shopping in the marketplace, and other daily activities like nothing is wrong. When the mountain starts spewing ash, rocks and heat, Marcus and his father warn the people of Pompeii and then attempt to escape. Can they get out of the city before the mountain explodes?

This series is historical fiction written for middle-grade kids. Each book is a great mix of historical fact and fictionalized story. The main characters are children who tell eye-witness accounts of how they survived a dangerous event in history. Ranging from modern events like 9/11 to ancient disasters like the destruction of Pompeii, this series tells the tale in an age-appropriate way. This series could definitely be used in a classroom setting as supplemental reading on history, exciting stories to tempt reluctant readers or just as part of a classroom or school library. The books would also be great for reading out loud at home. As an adult, I enjoy reading middle-grade books as a bit of a break between heavier adult fiction. I love history so I enjoy this series just as much as most kids! :)

I Survived the Destruction of Pompeii is the 10th book in this series. There are 16 books, with a 17th coming out in September 2018. Each book is about 100 pages long, so the length is perfect for middle-grade students or adults wanting a quick, entertaining read. ( )

Lauren Tarshis' I Survived series is enormously popular among the students at my school library. The Destruction of Pompeii, AD 79 is set shortly before the explosion of Mount Vesuvius. The story quickly unfolds, from the perspective of Marcus, a young slave boy who was separated from his father after their former master died. Now he's in Pompeii and the ground is shaking ominously. Marcus rediscovers his father, but his father is slated to fight in Pompeii's arena. It's a non-stop, suspenseful tale, sure to grip imaginations.

I enjoyed the series leaving the US for once. It was interesting to see peoples from a different time and place dealing with drama. ( )