This kids' book is the tale of boy in ancient Athens who gets hauled off to Sparta after his father is lost in a war. In those days, of course, Athenians and Spartans had different cultures and really didn't care for each other. So you get a nice peek into the different cultures and lives of the typical residents. (Though I have to warn you that the author has a bit of a preference for the Athenian lifestyle.) It's a somewhat interesting tale, but the historical exposition is a bit overboard and the characters rather two dimensional. True, it's only a kids' book, but in the past year I've descovered what good childrens' literature is like. This is only good waiting room material.
--J. ( )