Book Review: Surviving Vesuvius

I don’t know why a lot of kids seem to get interested in lost civilizations and ancient mysteries, and the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE is not really a mystery but certainly an unusual story that can get kids interested in ancient history.

Surviving Vesuvius by Beth Waters and Christopher Harrisson is based on the account of Pliny the Younger, who witnessed the explosion when he was 17 years old and wrote about the ordeal years later to his friend Tacitus. It’s the only know surviving eyewitness account of the events that buried Pompeii and other seaside areas.

The citizens of Pompeii believed the god Vulcan’s forge resided in Mount Vesuvius, and the city had celebrated his feast day the day before the eruption began. At that time, people didn’t know Vesuvius was a volcano because it hadn’t erupted in 1,500 years. There were frequent earthquakes in the area, however, that had been growing in frequency and intensity since before Vesuvius blew.

The book walks through the events surrounding the eruption, checking in with real people who lived in Pompeii and elsewhere (though of course the actual events are dramatized, the general idea of what happened is outlined in Pliny’s letter).

It provides a good overview of what happened and how Pliny’s uncle, Pliny the elder, died after sailing closer to Vesuvius in an attempt to rescue friends. The book describes the social situation in the area, where enslaved people lived or died based on whether their masters decided to evacuate.

It also looks at what happened after the eruption. The towns that were buried by ash and debris were left and nature took back over, but excavations over hundreds of years, as well as using plaster to fill the ash molds of people left behind, have given us a glimpse into what life in Pompeii was like.

This book would be fun to add to a unit study of ancient Rome or for kids who have an interest in true mysteries from history.

About the book: 80 pages, hardcover, published 2025 by Wide Eyed Editions. Suggested retail price $24.99.

As if Diwali weren’t colorful and fun enough, The Festival of Lights: A Lift-the-flap Diwali Celebration by Namita Moolani Mehra, illustrated by Darshika Varm, makes it even more fun to read about with flaps and things to lift and pull to see more information or details in the illustrations.

The book is a story about a family getting ready for Diwali and what happens on the different days of the five-day celebration. There’s cleaning, shopping, crafting, food preparation and getting the home altar ready for the big day.

It covers decorating the outside of the house with rangoli, diyas and lanterns, buying sweets to share with family and friends, the sights and scents of the mandir (home temple), getting dressed up in new fancy clothes, the story of Diwali and celebrations with relatives.

Flaps (there are more than 140 in all) give you vocabulary words for different foods and definitions, as well as fun things like what’s inside the shopping basket or where the cat is hanging out. They also help illuminate the story of Diwali, which is the triumph of good over evil as Lord Ram defeated the demon Ravana to save his wife, Sita.

This pretty and colorful book helps kids understand what Diwali is and how it is celebrated, regardless of whether they practice it at home. This would be a nice book to keep in a classroom (it’s rated for kids ages 3-7) or to have at home to teach kids about Diwali even if it’s not something you celebrate. Where I live there are a lot of people from India so we are probably exposed to Diwali more than some other regions of America, but it’s a nice holiday to know about wherever you live.

Combine with the book Diwali and check out some fun lantern crafts and printables for kids to round out your experience.

About the book: 24 pages, hardcover, published 2025 by Wide Eyed Editions. Suggested retail prices $22.99.

Have you read?

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