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Bodies From the Ash: Life and Death in Ancient Pompeii by James M. Deem. Houghton Mifflin Books for Children. 2005. I believe I bought my own copy. Review originally appeared at The Edge of the Forest.

Photos! Maps! Original sources! Multiple Subjects! Do history books get better than this?

Bodies From the Ash contains many stories. Pompeii: a Roman city during the early days of the Empire. It's also Pompeii: the volcanic eruption of Mt. Vesuvius that buried a city and its people. And Pompeii: the science behind the bodies. And Pompeii: the evolution of archaeology from treasure hunting to science. Finally, Pompeii: the preservation and storage of artifacts.

One of the things that I have always loved about history is the ability to glimpse a different world. Because of the quick destruction of Pompeii, and the way the city was buried, Pompeii provides a unique look into the past. Because Pompeii was covered with dust, ash, gas, and stone, when the bodies of the dead decayed a space was left; when a space is found, plaster is poured in, resulting in detailed plaster casts. We can look on the faces of people who lived more than a thousand years ago. And the buildings were also preserved: we can see their homes, the graffiti on the walls; look at the possessions they chose to take when they tried to flee. Bodies from the Ash is about this history; but it also is about how the first people who realized the ancient city and its treasures were still intact dug holes not to discover the past but to get jewelry and statues. Afterwards came the realization that the plaster process could be done, and that what was below the surface was more valuable than jewels.

All of these stories weave together into one narrative about life and death in Ancient Pompeii. This isn't about history that is dead and buried in the past; it's about history that is alive. It's alive in the unexcavated areas of the ancient city; in the ongoing pursuit to both explore the city and preserve what has been found; and in the still active nearby volcano. And it's photos! I could sit all day just looking at the photos and the maps, planning an imaginary trip to Pompeii to see the excavations for myself.


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© Elizabeth Burns of A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy

Pompeii: Unearthing Ancient Worlds by Liz Sonneborn

Reading level: Ages 9-12
Library Binding: 80 pages
Publisher: Twenty-First Century Books (CT) (December 15, 2007)
ISBN-10: 0822575051
ISBN-13: 978-0822575054
Source: Review copy from publisher


This week's nonfiction selection is part of the new "Unearthing Ancient Worlds" series.

In 79 A.D. Mt. Vesuvius erupted destroying three cities in the Ancient Roman Empire: Naples, Herculaneum, and the most famous of the three, Pompeii.

In 1738, a farmer was digging a well near the town of Resina and dug up marble objects from the ground. Charles of Bourbon, the son of the king of Spain, heard of these finds and sent a member of his army, Joachin de Alcubierre to Resina to find out more about these objects. Pompeii: Unearthing Ancient Worlds details Alcubierre's discovery and excavation of Herculaneum and later of Pompeii.

Through full-color photographs and a detailed and engaging narrative, the book describes many of the treasures that were found as well as the things that went wrong with the excavation under Alcubierre's command. His lack of knowledge of proper excavation techniques, unfamiliarity with art, and desire to win favor with the king resulted in a rushed job, hazardous working conditions, and overlooked artifacts. After decades of backbreaking work and various setbacks, Alcubierre and his crew managed to unearth an abundance of priceless artifacts.

Readers can see many of the treasures that were unearthed, including beautiful frescoes, marble statues, mosaic floors, paved streets, and public fountains. Maps, a time line, a pronunciation guide, a glossary, and a "Who's Who" section in the back of the book add to the richness of the narrative and give readers a wealth of information about these ancient cities buried under the ash. There's even a list of books and online resources where readers can go to find more information.

This would make an excellent resource for lessons about Ancient Rome, archeology, Pompeii, art, volcanic eruptions, and more. Kids who are interested in any of these subjects will find the content easily digestible and the photos and illustrations interesting.

I'm eager to read the other books in the series:




Emperor Qin's Terra Cotta Army by Michael Capek

From the publisher: "A dead emperor guarded by his army for 2,000 years… One day in 1974, a group of farmers in rural China found a life-size clay statue of a man’s head buried deep in a field. When government archaeologists inspected the area, they discovered that beneath the ground were more than eight thousand life-size clay soldiers, each one with a unique face. In nearby chambers, they unearthed clay horses, carefully preserved swords, bronze statues, and other astonishing things." (Read more...)


Palenque by Deborah Kops

From the publisher: "Mysterious ancient ruins, hidden deep in the jungle of southern Mexico… In May 1840, explorers John Stephens and Frederick Catherwood road their mules along a steep, muddy jungle path. They were hoping to find the ruins of an ancient, deserted site in Mexico they knew only from visitors’ accounts. Through the trees, they spied the remains of a crumbling stone palace. Palenque!" (read more...)



The Tomb of King Tutankhamen by Michael Woods and Mary B. Woods

From the publisher: "A royal treasure buried for 3,000 years … On November 4, 1922, a British archaeologist named Howard Carter unearthed a buried staircase in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings. At the bottom of the staircase was a door bearing the name Tutankhamen..." (read more...)






What Other Bloggers are Saying:

A Patchwork of Books: (on the series) "These are great books for visual learning, as well as text reading. They are written in a very flowing manner, rather than dry like a lot of non-fiction books, and read almost like a story. The photographs and paintings depicted in the books are amazing and the huge amount of facts offered is astounding." (read more...)


If you've reviewed any books in the Unearthing Ancient Worlds Series, leave a comment with the link, and I'll post it here.

Author: Shannon Riggs
Illustrator: Jaime Zollars
Published: 2007 Albert Whitman & Co. (on JOMB)
ISBN: 0807557641 Chapters.ca Amazon.com

Classroom shenanigans, expressive illustrations and the delicate weaving of carefully chosen details make this important story a haunting yet hopeful nudge toward breaking the silence of sexual abuse.

Shannon Rigg has supplied the following resources to help start making noise about sexual abuse:

• Darkness to Light
• Center for Disease Control Sexual Violence Fact Sheet
• Child Help USA