Rome Reframed
(Wish & Wander series, Book 2)
Cover and interior art by Sarah Taplin
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Lucas Duran has been on the trip of a lifetime—six months traveling through Europe with his parents and two younger brothers. That is, the trip of a lifetime for someone else. Lucas wants nothing more than to be home in Austin, Texas, with his friends, and it shows in his schoolwork that he’s been emailing to his teachers. He can't wait to get out of Rome, the last stop on their trip.
When his teachers give him an ultimatum—either turn in a phenomenal last project or you’ll fail the eighth grade—Lucas is going to have to decide whether to give up or to give in to the mystery of Rome. And after a cryptic palm reader hands him a weird-looking coin to throw in the Trevi Fountain, Lucas finds himself transported to ancient Rome at each new tourist destination. As his hops back through time become more personal, it seems the magic of Rome is determined to help Lucas gain more than an A+ project, too. Can he fix his future before his time in the past is over? |
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IndieBound | Bookshop | Barnes & Noble | Amazon US | Goodreads | Kobo | Apple Books | Jolly Fish Press direct
Books2Read
What others are saying:
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"A charming fictional travel companion and inspiring message for burgeoning artists that sharing art takes courage." -- School Library Journal, Laura Dooley-Taylor, middle school librarian
"Who wouldn't love to travel back in time to ancient Rome? Amy Bearce cooks up her own magic with the help of a palm reader, a mysterious coin, and the Trevi Fountain. Another European hit!" -- Cindy Callaghan, Author: Just Add Magic, Sydney Mackenzie Knocks 'Em Dead, Saltwater Secrets. "I loved every single second of this story! A perfect mix of humor, history, adventure, and magic. I've never been to Rome, but after getting to explore the city and her history with Lucas, I feel like I have. Do yourself a favor: read this book!"--Tera Lynn Childs, author of Oh. My. Gods., Forgive My Fins, and Sweet Venom "From gladiators to Michelangelo, Rome jumps off the page for readers of ROME REFRAMED. Kids will love accompanying the good-hearted Lucas on his thrilling and illuminating journey through history."--Brigit Young, author of The Prettiest "Rome Reframed combines all the elements I love in fiction: travel, magic, history, and a little romance! Lucas is less than thrilled to be spending six months traveling through Europe with his parents, especially since his friends back home seem to be moving on without him. But as he tours Rome, an encounter with a mysterious palm reader thrusts him back in time. From gladiators to Michelangelo, Lucas (and the reader!) get to interact with the city’s history. Pre-teens who liked the Magic Tree House books will love this series for older readers!" -- Tara Gilboy, author of Rewritten and Unwritten |
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Fact vs. Fiction in ROME REFRAMED
I took some liberties when historical records were vague, but I otherwise stuck to the facts, based on research and my own travel experience.
The Colosseum has much written about it. It’s true that scholars believe that the thumbs were used to vote on whether or not a gladiator lived. But history is unclear which way meant a vote to let the loser live. I went with the most popular theory in this book. As well, the canvas that is providing shade in this version is sometimes described as only being used for rain, but sometimes described as a sun shade. I made a choice for the sake of the story. The ancient Roman words used for live/die are well-documented. Any errors in that portion are my own. This is first and foremost a story, not a non-fiction text.
The Sistine Chapel really doesn't permit photos taken inside. Michelangelo really did paint it standing up on a tall wooden platform contraption of his own making. He began painting scenes with smaller people (as in the Noah's Arc scene) but decided they were too hard to see from the ground. After taking a year break, he changed to the larger, monumental figures so famous from this work. The ceiling had been blue with stars prior to his work on it. I left half showing the old paint as he worked for the purposes of explaining the history of the building. Fresco painting is an incredibly difficult venture, even when not standing 68 feet in the air!
The Pantheon actually does have the described lighting effect on the equinoxes, though I have not been there at the right day to see it for myself. Hadrian commissioned the third version of this building, but some argue he wasn’t good enough to have actually designed it. Others say differently. What is certain is that he held government meetings there, no doubt to link his own rule with the gods of the Romans, as well as prior beloved emperors who created the first and second pantheons that burned. April 21st is celebrated as the Founding of Rome.
Piazza Navona really was the Stadium Domitiani where the Romans held their Olympics. Today it holds Bernini’s famous fountain, The Fountain of Four Rivers. Vivi’s secret garden near the “Wedding Cake” Monument is a real place in Rome I visited. The bookstore, cafés, ice cream shop and exact B&B are fictional, though there are many little shops, restaurants, and B&B’s all around Rome that are similar.
The Trevi Fountain is, as always, the Trevi, and the myth surrounding tossing a coin in the fountain to return to Rome was the inspiration for this entire story.
The Sistine Chapel really doesn't permit photos taken inside. Michelangelo really did paint it standing up on a tall wooden platform contraption of his own making. He began painting scenes with smaller people (as in the Noah's Arc scene) but decided they were too hard to see from the ground. After taking a year break, he changed to the larger, monumental figures so famous from this work. The ceiling had been blue with stars prior to his work on it. I left half showing the old paint as he worked for the purposes of explaining the history of the building. Fresco painting is an incredibly difficult venture, even when not standing 68 feet in the air!
The Pantheon actually does have the described lighting effect on the equinoxes, though I have not been there at the right day to see it for myself. Hadrian commissioned the third version of this building, but some argue he wasn’t good enough to have actually designed it. Others say differently. What is certain is that he held government meetings there, no doubt to link his own rule with the gods of the Romans, as well as prior beloved emperors who created the first and second pantheons that burned. April 21st is celebrated as the Founding of Rome.
Piazza Navona really was the Stadium Domitiani where the Romans held their Olympics. Today it holds Bernini’s famous fountain, The Fountain of Four Rivers. Vivi’s secret garden near the “Wedding Cake” Monument is a real place in Rome I visited. The bookstore, cafés, ice cream shop and exact B&B are fictional, though there are many little shops, restaurants, and B&B’s all around Rome that are similar.
The Trevi Fountain is, as always, the Trevi, and the myth surrounding tossing a coin in the fountain to return to Rome was the inspiration for this entire story.