Julius Zebra: Rumble with the Romans
by Gary Northfield
Interest age: 8 to 12
Reading age: 8+
Published by Walker Books, 2015
About this book
Set in ancient Rome, this is the hilarious tale of Julius, a zebra who is seized from his African watering hole and shipped hundreds of miles away to face the gladiators in combat at the Colosseum.
The plucky zebra fights valiantly and earns the support of the crowd. Emperor Hadrian demands that Julius and his motley crew of animal friends (a lion, warthog, antelope, giraffe and crocodile) be trained at the finest gladiator school in Rome in preparation for their battle with the mighty gladiators to earn their freedom.
Cartoon drawings intersperse the text to create an extremely funny, very readable and surprisingly informative book, with an amusing glossary and a helpful explanation of Roman numerals (which are used throughout as page numbers). Great fun.
About the author
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Lists of recommended reads
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Books about Romans
The Romans left a lasting legacy after over 1,000 years of empire, and we are still discovering more and more about them. This selection of books shows what various aspects of Roman life was like, from gladiatorial action to their religious rituals. It includes fiction and non-fiction and is suitable for primary-aged children.