Greek Boy
Tony Bradman
Walker Books

This latest story in the “Boy’ series begins in BCE 481 and centres around Nikos. The boy has just encountered his father, Kleon, back from a trip. Kleon is not happy with the fact that his son hasn’t kept up with his studies, nor shown an interest in how the society he belongs to actually works. Having decided to do better, Nikos takes on the role of man of the house, taking care of his mother and sisters when his father leaves once more. But then his father is accused of being a ‘Medizer’ a traitor who has betrayed the Athenians to their enemy, the Persians who are threatening to invade. However Nikos and the rest of his family are also dubbed as traitors and he agrees to accept help from Themistokles, a friend of his father, who offers his country house as a safe place for the rest of his family.

He meanwhile intends to do all he can to prove his father’s and his own loyalty to the city state. Thus he signs up to become a marine in the Greek Navy and ten days later he’s off in The Sea Serpent, destination Artemisium, the Hot Gates and thence into the middle of the fighting; and pretty brutal it proves to be.

Nikos is told he should be proud of himself: can he do enough to save not only himself but his loved ones, father included, from the threat of execution, especially when he learns of Themistokles’s betrayals?

A thoroughly captivating story with themes of loyalty, treachery and betrayal, a wealth of memorable details and some splendid black and white illustrations by Alessandro Valdrighi, as well as a historical note at the end. Highly recommended for Y4 readers and beyond.