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Detectives in Togas??
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I’ve scheduled Detectives in Togas as a read aloud for our 1st and 2nd graders. It seems to be recommended by everyone under the sun, including Sonlight, Veritas Press, and SCM. However, when I look at it and started pre-reading, it seems so shallow and is based in a traditional school like setting. From what I’m gathering the whole story revolves around someone writing so and so is a dumbbell. It really seems like “twaddle”. We are scheduled to start reading it tomorrow and I’m in a bit of panic as to whether or not I should substitute and what exactly that substitution should be.
Can anyone shed some light on this for me? Thanks so much for your time, MelissaMelissa, it ISN’T high literature. But we did find it a fun and engaging look at Roman life. Yes, the boys are in a school. We never found it necessary to ban books showing schools–the Little House books do, and most others. So this did not bother us. Yes, there is some treating of one student poorly but the students do learn a lot over the course of their adventure. We did not do it FOR school so much as a fun read-aloud when we were in the period, though. It’s not the Iliad, but we did not really consider it twaddle as much as a lighthearted look. I liked the sequel book a bit less.
I didn’t like it, but my kids did. It’s not bad, but not really good either. 🙂 It’s an ok introduction to the Roman life if your kids are just starting to learn about it.
My boys enjoyed Detectives in Togas very much when they were little. Twaddle? Maybe, but not quite. Enjoyable for the kids? Absolutely. From time to time this is acceptable to me, just not as a main diet.
Our Little Roman Cousin of Long Ago is a possibility.
I downloaded Our Little Roman Cousin on my Kindle a couple days ago.
I’m excited to use it when the time comes. We have just discovered The Roman Mysteries by Caroline Lawrence. It is a series of 15 books I think. We have just started the first one The Thieves of Ostia and the kids are hooked. It is set in Ostia/Rome AD79 and has 4 children as the main characters – a Roman, a Jew, a slave and a beggar who become friends and solve mysteries together.
We read Detectives in Togas first and the kids enjoyed it. It was an easy read and the kids did pick out things we had already learned about, such as the different types/styles of houses, the temples, going to school, clothing, food etc. Definitely a lighthearted look at Roman culture.
Our 21yo loved Detectives in Togas and The Roman Ransom when she read them in 6th grade, but our (now) 13 yo could not get through the first. I couldn’t bring myself to torture her, as she was quite a compliant reader at all other times, so I searched for an alternative and found the Lawrence series. They were a huge success, and she read through the entire series. Normally, I try to prsevere through books which get a reluctant response at first, as they often turn out to be worth the effort, but in this case I was glad I sought a more agreeable alternative. The Lawrence books are quite good.
Can anyone shed some light on this for me? Thanks so much for your time, Melissa
I’m excited to use it when the time comes. 
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