Book Review | Cathy C. Hall Writes

Okay, let’s imagine you’re in class, or the library, or even sitting in front of your computer, facing the Dreaded History Project, which just happens to be on Ancient Egypt. Oh, and that kid that sits in the back and never says anything got the pyramids and the mummies and the grave robbers and all that other cool stuff. And you got…Cleopatra.

Great. What’s so exciting about Cleopatra? Sure she was a queen and drop dead gorgeous (no pun intended), but that’s about it, right?

Lucky for you, Vicky Alvear Shecter’s here today. And she’s brought her totally awesome book, Cleopatra Rules! The Amazing Life of the Original Teen Queen. Vicky knows everything about Cleopatra, and Egypt, and Julius Caesar and love and murder, and…well, why don’t I let her tell you about it.

Thanks for stopping by, Vicky! First off, I have to say I’ve never read anything quite like Cleopatra Rules! I can’t remember when I laughed out loud, reading history. And there were more than a few surprises in there about Cleopatra. What do you think is the surprise that shocks most people about the teen queen?

What shocked me most was the fact that Cleopatra was the mother of four children. Yup, four. One by Caesar, three by Marc Antony. Only her daughter, Cleopatra Selene, survived into adulthood. She became the focus of my YA novel, Cleopatra’s Moon, coming out this August.

The research for your book is beyond impressive! Did you find any other surprising tidbits when digging around Cleopatra and her contemporaries? (Oops! Sorry for that pun, too)

Thanks! One word about the research—because the “voice” in the book is kind of “out there,” I had to make sure that the research was unimpeachable. I wanted to prove that a fun casual voice could be part of rigorously researched biography. We also had two ancient history experts (archaeologists) and two Cleopatra experts (professors) vet the book.

What is most surprising to many people is that Cleopatra was no great beauty. According to Plutarch she was “okay” (my words, not his!), but had an amazing charisma that made her irresistible. I hate that Hollywood makes her into a bombshell because here we have the classic case of an ordinary-looking young woman who—by the force of her intelligence, wit, and personality—changes the history of the world. That is WAY more interesting, don’t you think?

Absolutely! And when you consider what she accomplished in such a short span of history (um, how many years was that again?) it’s easy to see why Hollywood’s made so many movies about her reign as Pharaoh. But I’m wondering if there’s ever been a movie that accurately depicted Cleopatra. Why change the story when the real story is so amazing?

I have yet to find an accurate depiction of Cleopatra in the movies for the reasons stated above—Hollywood needs to sell tickets and they figure people will only pay to see a great beauty on the screen rather than a great mind. Also, it’s really hard to convey the political situations in both Egypt and Rome so it becomes easier to frame her story as a love story. It’s not. It’s the story or a brilliant young woman who gambled on creating alliances with the powerful in Rome in order to keep her kingdom independent and strong.

But who wants to see that when you can watch Elizabeth Taylor snog Richard Burton?

Oh, and she ruled for 22 years, by the way.

Only 22 years! Imagine how the world might be different if she’d lived longer. I don’t want to give up too many of the juicy details from Cleopatra Rules! but I can’t let you go without asping, er, asking about that famous death scene. So, what really happened?

Ah, the dead scene. So classic, isn’t it? The thing that really cracks me up is that there are people STILL arguing about it. Just months ago, there was a prominent scientist who crowed that he had proved that Cleopatra died by a cocktail of poisons rather than a snakebite.

Really? Without a body on which to perform toxicological tests?

We have to remember that the only account of her death was written 90 years later by a Roman Greek (Plutarch) who didn’t want to anger the Roman emperor. He HAD to make Cleo look bad. It was his job. Plutarch himself said he didn’t know whether it was by snake or poison.

Snakes, however, were powerful Egyptian symbols of both royalty and eternal life. Cleopatra knew how to make a dramatic entrance. Why not a dramatic exit too?

I go deeper into what I believe, in the book, of course!

Indeed, you do. Cleopatra Rules! is a riveting read!

Vicky, thank you SO much for sharing your wit and wisdom here. And Vicky’s also graciously given a copy of Cleopatra Rules! to Finders & Keepers for one lucky commenter to win. So if you’re a librarian, looking for a way to get kids excited about history, you’ll want to comment. And if you’re a kid with the Dreaded History Report to write, you’ll want to leave a comment. And especially, if you’re the parent of the kid with the Dreaded History Report to write, leave a comment. (But honestly, you might just want to run out and buy Cleopatra Rules! Because how often do you find a history book that’s this much fun?)

Thanks so much, Cathy! This was fun!

P.S. Here’s another keeper for you: History with a Twist! You’ll find a ton of interesting historical facts and fun at Vicky’s blog. And if you’re penning your own non-fiction book, you’ll want to check out Vicky’s writing tips over at my other blog, Cathy C.’s Hall of Fame. She’s giving away something over there, too. Finders, keepers. Losers, weepers. So what are you waiting for?

Rachel Dillon is a gifted artist and author who’s kicking off the inaugural feature PEEK-A-BOOK here at Finders & Keepers! When her picture book, Through Endangered Eyes, came in the mail, I sat down right then and there to read it.

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Here’s what I loved (and what you’re going to love, too!), and your PEEK into this wonderful book!

zebra-spread_page_12 Rachel uses a unique artistic technique to capture the beauty of the animals.

zebra-spread_page_2 Each endangered animal is accompanied by a short, lyrical poem, just the right size for little ones to learn something new!

At the back of the book, Rachel gives even more information. It’s not every book that can save the world, or at least a few animals therein. But Rachel’s Through Endangered Eyes gives little ones a chance to see how every animal, from the smallest to the largest, impacts our planet and how very important it is for everyone, from the smallest to the largest, to protect our endangered friends!

And since we’re all about finding stuff here at Finders & Keepers, I asked Rachel what feelings she found during the journey of her book. Here, in her own words, is what Rachel had to say about her experience:

Surprised – It was very surprising how easy the book of poetry and paintings came into my head. I really didn’t sit down and say, “I’m going to write a children’s book,” it just simply happened. It is hard to explain, other than saying the book has been inside me for a long time. I am just glad a publisher took a chance and published my book.

Inspired – After my daughter was born, I felt a desperation to do more than my marketing job. I wanted to make a difference in the world, no matter how small. I put together all that I love in my book: writing, painting, teaching kids and helping animals.

Impressed – When my daughter was two she stepped on an ant – on purpose. I scolded her and told her that the ant had a purpose on Earth and she didn’t have a right to end its life. Yes, maybe a bit harsh for a two year old, but the message got across to her. Two years later, my son was two and my daughter was four. My son stepped on an ant – on purpose. My daughter looked at her brother in horror and started to cry, “Don’t step on ants! They have a purpose on our Earth!” My heart was filled with joy at how passionate my daughter had become about animals, and I felt a glimmer of hope for the world!

Touched – When my book was finally delivered, after six years of hard work, my daughter took it to her teacher as a gift. She clutched the book to her chest all the way to her classroom. When she handed the book to her teacher she said, “This is my mom’s book. She wrote it and painted it.” I think what touched me the most was the pride she had in her face and voice. That moment made the emotional journey of getting published, all worthwhile.

Words to keep in any writer’s heart. And now, though I dearly love Rachel’s book, I’m giving you a chance to win Through Endangered Eyes. Because this is a book that should be shared with little ones and my little ones are all grown up (though my all-grown-up son LOVED this book…I guess you never really outgrow wonderful picture books!)

So, leave a comment here anytime before May 1st. Tell me what your favorite animal is, and I’ll randomly draw a winner (okay, I’m just going to say that Sally the crazy dog will probably draw the winner. That’s always an adventure!). I’ll even mail you the book. And who knows? Maybe Rachel will include your favorite in her next picture book. Because this is an artist and author that I think may write more books we’ll want to PEEK into!