In the bustling world of Elizabethan London, Jack is an orphan boy making his living as a street singer. But his beautiful voice attracts attention and he is snatched away to join the Blackfriars singing troupe. When the boys give a concert at the royal court, Jack is spotted by William Shakespeare.

At the Queen’s command, Jack starts work at the Globe Theatre, fetching, carrying, helping, learning. But Shakespeare has plans for this talented boy. In those days boys played the parts of women and girls on stage, and the playwright needs a “special boy” who can act and sing as the proud Queen Titania in his magical new play, A Midsummer Night’s Dream.  Is Jack up to the challenge?

Travel back in time to view the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in the Roman Empire.

Join Tranio, the son of an actor, and his friend Livia, the baker’s daughter, in witnessing the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD79. Tranio, like most Roman boys, likes to watch whatever is going on: tradesmen selling their goods, ships unloading their exotic cargoes, politicians making speeches in the forum. But one hot August day a very different scene unfolds. The ground begins to shake, the sky to darken. People run gasping for air. Heading for the harbor, Tranio and his friend Livia hide on a boat and witness one of the most terrifying moments in recorded history-the eruption of Mount Vesuvius and the destruction of their beloved city, Pompeii.

Although this book handles the sensitive subject of a tragic natural disaster, this book  perfectly pitched for years 2 and 3.  It is great in explaining the daily life of Romans from a child’s point of view.

Perfectly aligned to the KS2 curriculum, for those studying the Romans in school.