Following her dad’s battle re-enactment, Silvia de Luca ends up having to follow him back in time to Ancient Rome. When she’s not writing funny fiction for children, you’ll find her supporting other girls and boys to follow their writing dreams. On top of meeting mythical monster and gods, she finds more than she bargained for - family she didn’t even know she had.

Marie Basting has pulled off a comic but poignant read with a great structure and laugh out loud lines - one of my faves: families that slay together, stay together! My Family and Other Romans by Marie Basting you might also like: our reviews of Circus Maximus: Rider of the Storm by Annelise Gray, Vita and the Gladiator by Ally Sherrick, Adventures in Time: Alexander the Great By Dominic Sandbrook, Our Beautiful Game by Lou Kuenzler, Time School: We Will Honour Them by Nikki Young and Darwin’s Dragons by Lindsay Galvin. Silvia Fortuna Juno De Luca (Livi) has a name to amaze but that’s only half her story as she’s about to find out. She learns to be brave and follow her instincts to make the right decisions that will save the world- past and present.But then something magical happened and Marie finally came to realise that girls like her can do anything they want. Silvia’s dad loves re-enacting Roman battles on Hadrian’s Wall – unfortunately, he’s stumbled through a one-way portal back to ancient Rome and dragged the whole family along for the ride. A fun and funny journey through the Roman Empire and some of its better and lesser-known gods and goddesses, My Family and Other Romans catapults the reader into the enthusiastic world of modern-day historical re-enactment.

There was such attention to detail throughout, showing just how much time and effort the author put into creating this book. A laugh-out-loud funny family caper full of excitemnt and heart: perfect for fans of Who Let the Gods Out !And wait until you meet the rest of her family: her uncle’s raising an army, her mum’s a warrior goddess and her dad . Suddenly Silvia finds herself half-schoolgirl, half-goddess with the fate of her entire family resting upon her. As an amazing adventure begins to unfold, Livi isn’t sure how to decide what to do next, especially as there could be far-reaching consequences whatever happens. Please put in the notes your child first name and class number so we can deliver it to the correct person. This children’s book is ideal for: imagining Roman History through a modern child’s eyes and appreciating people’s innate talents.

Livi's adventures straddle the modern world of cosplay and Ancient Rome - fans of Horrible Histories will LARP this up (see what I did there?

A laugh-out-loud funny family caper full of excitement and heart: perfect for fans of Loki, Horrible Histories and Who Let the Gods Out? If your child is at one of the schools, please DO NOT select any postage as the books are delivered to the schools on the day. Livi and her dad’s favourite pastime isn’t necessarily the same as her friends but, for the most part, she’s Ok with this. Whilst re-enacting a Roman battle at Hadrian’s Wall Silvia’s dad slips through a portal, dragging the whole family back to ancient Rome. Reading the story will encourage discussion about what is cool and what’s not, alongside promoting the enjoyment of different activities with different groups of friends or family.

I am a voracious reader and used to be a learning support assistant in a senior school for eight years before leaving to home school my now adult daughter. I really loved how she found out the she was a demo-god and had some very famous Roman mythology characters for brothers and sisters. Hugely entertaining and educational with lively illustrations and a fun glossary, this is the perfect read for kids studying the Romans in KS2.Marie is the author of modern fairy tale Princess BMX and wants to show children that magic is everywhere even if it’s sometimes hard to find. It highlights how talents don’t just have to be academic or athletic to be worth pursuing and how everyone has something they’re good at.