Caroline Lawrence

Million-selling author Caroline Lawrence writes books with the double aim of entertaining children and teaching them. Combining fast-moving plots with historical accuracy means her history mystery stories and action adventures are beloved of children, parents and teachers.

Caroline's first book, The Thieves of Ostia, was published in 2001. It introduces Flavia Gemina, the daughter of a sea-captain who lives in Rome’s port, Ostia. In the course of this first book set in the year of Vesuvius's eruption, Flavia meets three other children from different backgrounds: Nubia, an enslaved girl from Africa; Jonathan, a Jewish boy; and Lupus, a mute beggar boy. A further sixteen books follow the adventures of these four as they solve mysteries and have adventures in Pompeii, Rome, Greece, Turkey and North Africa.

The series was televised by the BBC in 2007 and 2008 with ten half hour episodes per season. Filmed in Tunisia, Bulgaria and Malta, it was the most expensive BBC children's TV series to date.

In 2009, Caroline won the Classical Association Prize for 'a significant contribution to the public understanding of Classics', an honour shared by Classicists such as Tom Holland, Mary Beard and Natalie Haynes.

Since then Caroline has written many more books, mostly (but not always) for children, mostly (but not always) fiction and mostly (but not always) set in the Classical world.

Caroline says: "I want to know everything about the past, especially the exciting things. Also the sounds, smells, sights and tastes. I write historical novels because nobody has invented a Time Machine. And I write for kids because 11 is my inner age."

Other titles by Caroline Lawrence

THE ROMAN MYSTERIES (for ages 8+)

I The Thieves of Ostia - the friends meet and solve their first mystery

II The Secrets of Vesuvius - a riddle and danger as Vesuvius erupts

III The Pirates of Pompeii - who's taking children from the refugee camp?

IV The Assassins of Rome - Jonathan's search takes him to Rome

V The Dolphins of Laurentum - sunken treasure and Lupus's past

VI The Twelve Tasks of Flavia Gemina - romance & mystery in Ostia

VII The Enemies of Jupiter - plague and fire in Rome, early AD 80

VIII The Gladiators from Capua - opening of the Colosseum, AD 80

IX The Colossus of Rhodes - the four friends take a cruise in May...

X The Fugitive from Corinth - then pursue a fugitive around Greece

XI The Sirens of Surrentum - the Bay of Naples for poison & decadence

XII The Charioteer of Delphi - a famous racehorse goes missing

The Code of Romulus - a World Book Day booklet

The First Roman Mysteries Quiz Book - Roman fashion, food, music & more

XIII The Slave-girl from Jerusalem - courtroom drama in Ostia

Trimalchio's Feast and other Mini-Mysteries - a collection of short stories

The Second Roman Mysteries Quiz Book - Roman medicine, love, marriage & more

XIV The Beggar of Volubilis - a caravan across North Africa

From Ostia to Alexandria with Flavia Gemina (a Travel Guide)

XV The Scribes from Alexandria - Egypt and Nubia in Roman times

XVI The Prophet from Ephesus - the four go to Asia Minor (Turkey)

XVII The Man from Pomegranate Street - who killed Titus & whom does Flavia marry?

The First Roman Mysteries Omnibus

The Legionary from Londinium and other Mini-Mysteries

The Roman Mysteries Treasury

THE ROMAN MYSTERY SCROLLS (for ages 7+)

I The Sewer Demon - Threptus the ex-beggar boy must overcome a creature from below

II The Poisoned Honey Cake - Threptus gets in trouble when he steals a cake from an altar

III The Thunder Omen - During the Saturnalia, Threptus and Floridius try to rig the omens

IV The Two-faced God - Threptus sees the god of the new year: Janus! Or does he?

THE WESTERN MYSTERIES (for ages 10+) set in the Wild West in the 1860s

1. The Case of the Deadly Desperados, the first of P.K. Pinkerton's adventures

2. The Case of the Good-looking Corpse, the shoot-outs book

3. The Case of the Pistol-packing Widows, Carson City shenanigans

4. The Case of the Bogus Detective, the stage-coach book

THE ROMAN QUESTS (for ages 8+)

1. Escape from Rome

Juba and his siblings Fronto and Ursula flee from Rome to Britannia

2. The Archers of Isca

Fronto joins the Roman legion to learn to be brave

3. Death in the Arena

Ursula finds herself performing in the arena

4. Return to Rome

The three siblings and their British friend Bouda return to face the Emperor Domitian

TIME TRAVEL DIARIES (for ages 8+)


Time Travel Diaries


Time Travel Diaries: Adventure in Athens
 

NISUS AND EURYALUS, THE NIGHT RAID (ages 10+)

Retelling of a story from book 9 of Virgil's Aeneid for teen readers

CAMILLA, QUEEN OF THE SILVER ARROW (ages 10+)

Retelling of a story from books 7 and 11 of Virgil's Aeneid for teen readers

OTHER TITLES


How to Write a Great Story
 (any age)

Amarantus & his Neighbourhood 
(ages 8+)

Aesop’s Fables: a new retelling
 (ages 8+)

Pantheon: An Illustrated Handbook to the Greek Gods & Goddesses
 (ages 12+)