The purpose was all too clear. And the audience was not defined very well. ( )

Voyage to the Pharos is a story about a boy's adventure. The main character and his father encounter many challenges along the way, which can be exciting for readers. I think this book would be appealing to students who are interested in the ancient world.

A young Greek boy dreams of seeing the lighthouse of the Pharos in Alexandria, Egypt. His journey on the Mediterranean Sea, however, is stormy and full of adventure and he's eager to do more to help out. Will he find a role as a member of the crew? And will the ship be able to complete the journey? Watercolor and chalk illustrations capture the excitement of the journey.

I saw "Voyage to the Pharos" at the library and snatched it up. Loving history myself, I was thinking that this story would be a great introduction to the ancient world for my 7 y.o. old son.

The story is about a boy whose father is a cook for sailing vessels. He has grown up on the Isle of Rhodes hearing the tales of exotic places from his father. He longs to see these marvels, particularly Alexandria, with it's Pharos lighthouse-- one of the wonders of the ancient world. (It remains THE tallest lighthouse ever built.) One day that permission comes and they set off on the adventurous trip.

Talking Points:::
I really like the artwork by Roger Roth. It's very appealing and done realistically enough, and accurately enough, that kids ought to be able to learn quite a bit just from his drawings.

I thought Sarah Gauch did a good job in not letting facts overwhelm the adventure. I also thought she did a good job of showing what the threats were to such ventures. There's being becalmed, brigands, and storms.

My 7 y.o. unfortunately wasn't gripped by the story. I think though that this reflects more on his age than the quality of the story. Written at AR 4.5 level, I think the book is better suited to older elementary aged children or even middle-schoolers who already have an interest in the ancient world.

If you go to Amazon they have sample pages.

Pam T~
mom and reviewer at BooksForKids-reviews.com