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Taking Control
Julian is on a class trip to a museum when he meets Mr. Callisthenes, a strange figure who offers to take Julian to the past to teach him about Alexander the Great, a legendary hero who is nothing more than a name to most modern children. Julian, bored with history as dusty artifacts locked in display cases, agrees, and so begins a series of adventures during which Julian travels back in time to find himself present for each of the significant events in Alexander’s life—not just as a witness but as an active participant.
On his first trip, Julian witnesses the now-famous scene of young Alexander gentling the great horse Bucephalus. During his next trip, Julian is present as Alexander’s father, King Philip, is assassinated and Alexander becomes ruler. Later Julian goes with Alexander to Troy to honor Achilles and make his claim as Achilles’s successor. Julian is at the Battle of Issus when Alexander defeats Darius, King of the Persians, and begins to subdue the Persian Empire. He watches the taking of Tyre and the slaughter of the townspeople. He sees Alexander going to consult the Oracle of Ammon in Siwa, and he and his sister Melanie are in attendance when Darius is killed, when Alexander decides to return to Macedonia, and finally when the great leader dies. Each visit to the ancient world provides Julian with a more complete understanding of the brilliant, ambitious, complex man who was Alexander the Great.
On his first trip, Julian witnesses the now-famous scene of young Alexander gentling the great horse Bucephalus. During his next trip, Julian is present as Alexander’s father, King Philip, is assassinated and Alexander becomes ruler. Later Julian goes with Alexander to Troy to honor Achilles and make his claim as Achilles’s successor. Julian is at the Battle of Issus when Alexander defeats Darius, King of the Persians, and begins to subdue the Persian Empire. He watches the taking of Tyre and the slaughter of the townspeople. He sees Alexander going to consult the Oracle of Ammon in Siwa, and he and his sister Melanie are in attendance when Darius is killed, when Alexander decides to return to Macedonia, and finally when the great leader dies. Each visit to the ancient world provides Julian with a more complete understanding of the brilliant, ambitious, complex man who was Alexander the Great.
157 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 1997
4 people want to read
About the author
Ann Love
53 books2 followersJane Drake and Ann Love are a sister writing duo. Together they have published 25 non-fiction titles for junior/intermediate students. Their first book to hit the bestseller list was The Kids Cottage Book published in 1992. Since then they have written many bestsellers and award winners including Cool Woods: A Trip Around the World's Boreal Forest (2003), The Kids Book of the Night Sky (2004), Snow Amazing: Cool Facts and Warm Tales (2004), and Trash Action: A Fresh Look at Garbage (2006), Sweet! The Delicious Story of Candy (2007), Alien Invaders: Species that Threaten Our World (2008). Ann and Jane have shared a lifelong love of the outdoors enjoying everything from snow shoeing, to camping, bird watching, tree planting and photography. They get along magnificently, except on the tennis court.
Ann lives near King, Ontario. She was a teacher librarian for many years but has retired to concentrate on writing. She is an accomplished artist, enjoying painting watercolors of the wild plants near her home. Ann stalks and patrols at least five bird feeders year round, often dropping the phone on her sister's ear to chase her cat away from the chickadees. Skookum, her pup, insists on several walks a day. Ann would love to visit India.
Ann lives near King, Ontario. She was a teacher librarian for many years but has retired to concentrate on writing. She is an accomplished artist, enjoying painting watercolors of the wild plants near her home. Ann stalks and patrols at least five bird feeders year round, often dropping the phone on her sister's ear to chase her cat away from the chickadees. Skookum, her pup, insists on several walks a day. Ann would love to visit India.
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November 10, 2021
This was a great piece of historical fiction that did justice to Alexander the Great. Julian is an engaging character who ends up losing something very valuable to him when he travels back in time. I read this book with my 8 and 10 year old for a piece about Ancient Greece. I felt the history was accurately portrayed, and the fiction was equally entertaining.
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