Plutarch, Cato, Octavia, Fulvia, Brutus, Castor & Pollux. You'd expect to see these names in history books, but as character names in the hottest young adult (YA) blockbuster? Not so much. And yet, Suzanne Collins, the author of the HUNGER GAMES trilogy, seems bent on making us think about the ancient world.The most obvious classical connection in the trilogy, of course, is … [Read more...] about Classics And The Hunger Games Trilogy
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Wait. Cleopatra’s Neighbors used Antibiotics?
[Addendum: A couple of friends have reminded me that concoctions with antibacterial and antibiotic properties existed in numerous ancient cultures (though I really could have done without that Roquefort reference, PhDiva! *shudders*). What I found particularly exciting about this report was that it involved Nubian culture and we know relatively little about the … [Read more...] about Wait. Cleopatra’s Neighbors used Antibiotics?
Good News on Several Fronts
This past weekend, the Georgia Center for the Book had its celebration for its inaugural list of the "25 Books Every Young Reader in Georgia Should Read"--and my first book, Alexander the Great Rocks the World--was selected! What an honor! It seemed to me as if I were at a great party where I got to hang with a bunch of people I greatly … [Read more...] about Good News on Several Fronts
Did Cleopatra Wear a Wig?
Cleopatra was Greek, so no surpriseher busts depicted her in theHellenistic fashion of the day. According to busts carved during her lifetime, Cleopatra wore her hair in the Greek fashion—long hair wound up in a bun in the back. She was, of course, the last in her dynasty of Greek rulers, so it’s not surprising she preferred to emphasize her Greek … [Read more...] about Did Cleopatra Wear a Wig?
One Writer’s Tips for Interesting Nonfiction
Writing for kids is not for the faint-hearted. After all, kids have absolutely no qualms telling you when they find your work "boring" or "stupid."Ouch. Yet that's also what makes it so much fun. We have to push beyond the obvious or ordinary to grab young readers--which is even more imperative for non-fiction writing because some kids have been "schooled" into thinking … [Read more...] about One Writer’s Tips for Interesting Nonfiction
