Queen of the Silver Arrow by Caroline Lawrence

Queen of the Silver Arrow by Caroline Lawrence
Buy Queen of the Silver Arrow by Caroline Lawrence at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
Category: Dyslexia Friendly
Reviewer: Sue Magee
Summary: An elegant retelling of an epidoe from Virgil's Aeneid which had me on the edge of my seat. It's suitable for teens but has a reading age of eight and is dyslexia friendly.
Buy? Yes	Borrow? Yes
Pages: 108	Date: January 2016
Publisher: Barrington Stoke
External links: Author's website
ISBN: 978-1781125267
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King Metabus had not been a good king and his escape from his kingdom was hurried and pursued. When he reached the river he had to make a decision and he thought first of the safety of the baby daughter he carried in his arms and tied her to his javelin, which he threw across the torrent, pledging as he did so that he would serve the Goddess Diana. Camilla should have grown up as a Princess but instead she lived in a cave with her father and ran wild in the forest. In nearby Laurentum, Acca had grown up hearing the story of how Camilla giggled as she swung on the javelin embedded in the ground and dreamed of meeting her, but this didn't happen until after the death of Camilla's father, when the girls became firm friends.

The story is an elegant retelling of a little-known episode from Virgil's Aeneid and Caroline Lawrence brings the story to life. There's more than a little danger in the story and Lawrence doesn't shy away from the fact that the ending is perhaps not quite as you would have hoped, but the friendship and loyalty between five young women who put the independence of the place in which they live before personal safety shines through. If you're wondering whether or not the story will appeal to boys as well as girls, then rest assured that these are not girly girls by any stretch of the imagination.

It's an excellent piece of writing with extras such as how to pronounce some of the names and information about the people and places. There's another bonus with this book too. It's dyslexia friendly. The paper on which the story is printed is thick so that there's no chance of whatever's on the reverse showing through, which can be a distraction. For the same reason the paper has a matt finish - shiny paper can make reading more difficult - and it has a creamy-yellow colouring which is easier on the eye. The font - one specifically designed by Barrington Stoke - is double spaced. Even people who are not dyslexic will find that all these factors make reading easier.

The book has a reading age of eight but the interest age is teen and this would seem appropriate. Some of the themes in the story are quite dark and suited to the maturity of the teenager, but even at many times the target age I still found this to be a compelling tale.

I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to the Bookbag.

For another stunning retelling of Virgil that's also dyslexia friendly we can recommend The Night Raid also by Caroline Lawrence.

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You can read more book reviews or buy Queen of the Silver Arrow by Caroline Lawrence at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy Queen of the Silver Arrow by Caroline Lawrence at Amazon.com.

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