The Spartan Twins

Twins

by Lucy Fitch Perkins

Under the arcade in the court there was a small wooden table. Chloe and Daphne lifted it and brought it near the fire. Then they brought a plain wooden bench that also stood under the thatch and placed it beside the table. They arranged cushions of lamb's wool upon the bench, and near the foot set a low stool. Daphne brought the dishes, and when everything was ready, Lydia sent Chloe to call her husband and the Stranger, while she herself went out to the farm-yard. She found Dion and Argos sitting side by side on the wood-pile in dejected silence.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Childrens

112 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1918

About the author

From a book jacket: "In 1910, at a crowded school in a poor section of Chicago, Lucy Fitch Perkins found children from twenty-seven different countries learning together. This experience instilled in her a vivid awareness of the task that faced American teachers: to bring out of this potpourri of races one unified nation. Her idea grew into a series of stories, some with geographical backgrounds, others with historical settings. Her goal was to increase sympathy and understanding for the unique qualities of the different nationalities and the heritage left to them and to us by our forebears. The Twins books have received acclaim from librarians, teachers, and parents, but, more important, from the children themselves."

Reviews

[Mir · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm glad to see this reissued! I had my mother's old cloth-bound copy, a greenish color with a simple drawing in gold of the two children. This was my favorite in Perkins "Twins" series. Each book has a different pair of kids in a different place and time. Each book provides a little historical education, a touch of moral lesson, and some adventures. They are pretty easy to under stand so parents can read aloud to child who aren't up to chapter books yet.

[Kristin Murray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Characters- 3
Pace- 3
Plot- 3
Writing Style- 2
Theme - 2
Length- 4
School- 2

2.7 stars

[Anne White]

I borrowed a lot of the Twins books from the library in the 1970's, but I had completely forgotten about this one. Re-reading it now is interesting, but I don't think I'd recommend for family reading--I think some people would find it a bit heavy on gods and omens.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read aloud to kids. It was interesting, but took us a while to get through. The kids definitely perked up during the last few chapters. Other than that, it was pretty slow. (Not that that is always a bad thing.)

[Jaeger Matthias · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the twins series. they are so interesting.

[Tawnda Andrews · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this to my 7 year old. I thought when I started it that it would be “too much” for her but she was quick to tell me we needed to continue to read it. It was a delightful story of twin siblings. An idea of what both family life and gender roles would have been like in the lives of the people from Sparta. This goes for their superstitious beliefs and misdirected prayers to the gods and goddesses of their time. It was a short novel but worth the read.

***Negative: good luck in pronouncing easily and correctly all of the names and places mentioned in the book. While accurate for the time and place, a pronunciation guide would have been helpful.

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a pretty good little book to introduce kids to life in ancient Greece. The characters clearly believe their lives to be influenced by the gods and other supernatural forces, which they try to influence with piety, religious rituals, and even a curse and a spell against the crows eating the crops. The main characters are members a Spartan family that tends the farm of the Athenian leader Pericles on the island of Salamis, allowing for some exploration of the contrast between Athenian and Spartan cultures.

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story

it gave us a good sense for the times and interactions in ancient Greece. The kids seemed to enjoy it, especially the girls who felt empowered by Daphne

[Toby Chapman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alright

[Wahyu Awaludin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simpel, asik dibaca, khas cerita anak anak

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Other than some pronunciation it was an easy and enjoyable read. I liked the story and characters. Twins Dion and Daphne go with their father from their island Salamis to Athens and meet Pericles.

[Kira · Rating 3 out of 5]

Truyện cũng được nhưng phù hợp với thiếu nhi thôi chứ người lớn đọc sẽ thấy hơi đơn giản.

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