Reviews

There are so many incredible books available at the moment that it is impossible to read them all, no matter how hard I try! Here are my thoughts about some of the books I have read and how I think they could be used in school as well as Q and A sessions with authors and illustrators.

Fiction, Historical, Egyptians Sue Wilsher Fiction, Historical, Egyptians Sue Wilsher

The Crocodile Curse

The second of ‘The Nile Adventures’, ‘The Crocodile Curse’ is set in 1269BCE in the tenth year of the reign of Ramesses II and continues the story of brothers Renni and Mahu and their friend Princess Balaal. Having thwarted the plans of the evil vizier, Paser, and survived, the children find themselves caught up in a new adventure when Balaal asks the brothers to accompany her to Shedet, the City of Crocodiles, to visit the temples dedicated to Sobek. However, when they arrive, they soon realise that their old enemy, Paser, is once more up to no good…

‘The Crocodile Curse’ (like all of Saviour’s historical fiction) offers not only an exciting and engaging story, but the rich descriptions and historical details incorporated seamlessly into the fabric of the tale also make it perfect for being used to support work on the Ancient Egyptians, one of the civilisations suggested for an in-depth study as part of the KS2 work on achievements of the earliest civilisations.

Details about daily life, customs, religious practices, the landscape are easily absorbed whilst the reader enjoys the story, making it perfect as a class read or a guided reading text. The joy of books like this is that, if you want to use them to support the curriculum, they can be used at any time. If the children have not learned about the Ancient Egyptians yet, they will absorb lots of information which they can later pin new learning on; if they have previously learned about the Egyptians, the story will encourage them to recall this learning and use it to deepen their understanding of Renni’s life; if the Egyptians is not the ancient civilisation chosen for in-depth study in a particular school’s curriculum, the story will allow children to encounter the Egyptians, perhaps encouraging them to find out more independently, and allow them to make links and comparisons between the civilisations of the past. A glossary and author’s notes at the end offer additional information for the reader.

Most importantly, ‘The Crocodile Curse’ is a well-paced, gripping read, full of adventure and intrigue, magic and mystery. Renni, Mahu and Balaal are appealing characters, each very different. In this story, Renni learns that he can find courage when he needs it whereas his brother learns that it is sometimes better to think before speaking.

The book is full of black and white pictures by Jo Lindley which help to bring key scenes further to life as they capture details from the text. The children’s adventures continue in ‘The Jackal’s Graveyard’ and you can get a hint about what’s coming in that if you read my ‘Meet Saviour Pirotta’ post.

The Crocodile Curse Saviour Pirotta, illustrated by Jo Lindley

Maverick ISBN: 978-1848868946

You can read my review of ‘The Heart Scarab’ here.

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Meet Saviour Pirotta

Not only does Saviour Pirotta brings history to life with his very engaging and enjoyable historical fiction, he is also responsible for some excellent re-tellings of myths and legends. I first met Saviour when ‘Mark of the Cyclops’ won the 2018 NSTBA Quality Fiction Category and frequently use his books in school. I am delighted that he agreed to answer a few of my questions!

1.       You are well known for your historical fiction, taking readers to Ancient Greece, the Islamic Golden Age, the Stone Age and now to Ancient Egypt. Have you always had a love for history? Which period of history would you most like to write about (that you haven’t already!)?

As a child I used to go to religious education classes where we listened to Bible stories. I became fascinated with the ‘pagan’ civilisations mentioned in the Old Testament: the ancient Egyptians, the Babylonians, the Hittites etc. It was hard to come by information about them, which made them the more alluring. I’m still fascinated by them now. If I had to choose a period in history to write about today, I would go for the Anglo-Saxons. I love the art from this period which, for many years, people called ‘the dark ages’, especially the statues. There’s something about their faces I find almost hypnotic, so I’d probably write a mystery about Anglo-Saxon statues. 

2.       ‘Mark of the Cyclops’ (winner of NSTBA 2018 Quality Fiction category) is the first in your series about Ancient Greece. What gave you the idea for a detective series set in this period?

I’d wanted to write a story set in Ancient Greece for years but I didn’t know what kind of story to write. I just knew I wanted to have a story that showed how people actually lived in. classical times. When I had my first, I treated myself to a holiday on the island of Poros. On the ferry from Athens, I met a real-life detective. He was a fascinating chap with a shaved head, enormous Doc Marten boots and lots of attitude. He became Thrax in the Ancient Greek Mysteries.

3.       Do you have any plans for more adventures for Jabir and Yasmina?

I do have another story planned for Jabir and Yasmina and my agent is in talks to see whether we can make it happen. I get a lot of letters from readers asking if the evil landlord survived his encounter with the snakes at the end of The Golden Horsemen of Baghdad. I can’t answer that question because of spoilers but…watch this space.

4.       I was fascinated by your descriptions of Malta in ‘The Mysterious Island’ and am determined to visit this beautiful island in the near future. What are the ‘must see’ things you would advise any visitor to see whilst there?

Malta is practically an open-air museum. There’s so much to see. If you’re into pre-history there are the Tarxien Temples and the nearby Hal Saflieni Underground Temple, both of which feature in The Mysterious Island. Over on the sister island of Gozo, you can visit the Ggantija Temples. Built around 3600 to 3200BC, experts believe they are the oldest structures in the world. But it’s not all pre-history. Valletta, the capital city, is a baroque masterpiece built by the famous Knights of Saint John. Walk down Republic Street, visit St John’s Co-Cathedral to see the Mattia Preti paintings and then have an ice-cream at Cordina’s outdoor Café in Republic Square, formerly called Piazza Regina after Queen Victoria.

5.       I know the next adventure for Renni, Mahu and Balaal is called ‘The Jackal’s Graveyard’. Can you give any clues about what they are up to?

The Jackal’s Graveyard is going to be another adventure for our intrepid trio. We meet new characters but also find out more about Prince Khaemwaset, who was a real person. He takes Renni, Mahu and Balaal to the new city of Per Ramessu which his father is building. But what starts off as a nice little holiday soon turns into a dangerous mission with spies, jackals and a baddie a hundred times more lethal than the vizier in books 1 and 2.

6.       Apart from ‘The Nile Adventures’, are you working on anything else?

I’m working on several projects at the moment. They’re all very much in the planning stage although I have worked out rough plots for two of them. I can’t give much away at this point but one of the books features the most sought after treasure in the world, and one has ghostly birds in it. Watch this space…

7.       And lastly- and most importantly according to my niece- what is your favourite cake?

Your niece is right that cake is probably the most important thing in the world, and very close to my heart. I have yet to taste a cake I didn’t like and, since moving to Yorkshire fifteen years ago, I have come to enjoy cake with cheese on the side. I especially love Lemon Drizzle and Pineapple Upside Down cake but I’d say my absolute favourite is carrot cake with frosted topping. Give me a slice of that with a nice cup of Earl Grey and I’m all set up for an afternoon of writing and editing.

So much to look forward to! ‘The Crocodile Curse’ (Maverick ISBN: 978-1848868946) is published next week- my review is coming soon!

Thank you so much to Saviour for answering my questions!

You can read my review of ‘The Heart Scarab’ here , ‘The Stolen Spear’ here, ‘Mark of the Cyclops’ here and ‘The Golden Horsemen of Baghdad’ here.

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