Books concerning the famous Pompeiian disaster usually fall into two categories: stories and interpretations of how everyoe died, and explanations of what happened on the day of the eruption. This book does both, and does so by splitting things into parts. The main narrative of the book is a sort of speculative history of one Eros, freedman of Pompeii, while the inserts found throughout the book explain and expand upon the various cultural activities described. By acting as the cultural everyman, Eros becomes a guide to the ins and outs of day to day life in an ancient Roman town. The reader experiences his last days and how life might go for what was, essentially, a lower-middle class citizen. The inserts act as the more scientific or clinical part of the understanding of this world, and help explain what the story leaves out, like what garum is (ancient condiment) or what a Roman bath or household was like. This works well as a companion book to any work on Pompeii, especially for younger readers from the 3rd grade onwards. Shelley Tanaka writes a compelling look at the life of the avreage Roman, and although she hasn't many awards to her name, her experience with writing for a young audience while keeeping the story engaging for anyone is well-evident.

This book is about a city called Pompeii in Italy that was buried under volcano ash on August 24, 79 AD. It shows how the whole city was excavated and fixed. There are pictures that show what life was like back then, and also a picture that shows how a volcano works, and how it erupts.

I recommend this book for people who want to learn about the disaster at Pompeii, the archaeological excavation, ancient Roman history, and the science of volcanoes. ( )

An excellent introduction to Pompeii. My children have loved reading this since they were old enough to understand the significance of this ancient city and have now started to read it to their younger siblings! ( )