The Long-Lost Secret Diary of the World's Worst Olympic Athlete

by Tim Collins, Isobel Lundie (Illustrator)

Overview

Meet Alexander—a boy living in Athens, Greece, in 380 BC. The famous Olympic games are just around the corner, and he gets to go and assist one of Athens’ prized athletes. But when the athlete gets sick the day of his competition, can Alexander uncover the plot against Athens and prove himself a hero?

The hilarious Long-Lost Secret Diary series puts readers inside the heads of hapless figures from history stuggling to carry out their roles and getting things horribly wrong. The accessible, irreverent stories will keep young readers laughing as they discover the importance of not being afraid to learn from mistakes. Fact boxes, a glossary, and additional back matter provide historical context and background.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781631634468
Publisher:	North Star Editions
Publication date:	09/01/2020
Series:	Long-Lost Secret Diary
Pages:	208
Sales rank:	1,050,005
Product dimensions:	4.80(w) x 7.70(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	9 - 11 Years

About the Author

Tim Collins worked as a copywriter in advertising before becoming a full-time author. He writes nonfiction books for adults and children’s fiction books, including books designed to appeal to reluctant readers. His work has been translated into forty languages. His books have won numerous awards including the Manchester Fiction City award and the Lincolnshire Book award. He is originally from Manchester but now lives in London.

Isobel Lundie graduated from Kingston university in 2015 where she studied Illustration and Animation. She has always been interested in how to make books interactive so children can lose themselves in the narrative. Having worked as an illustrator, she is particularly interested in how exciting, colorful, and distinctive artwork can transform stories for children.

Editorial Reviews

"A useful package for reluctant readers."—School Library Journal

From the Publisher

10/01/2020

Gr 3–6—An unnamed unheroic lad retells his adventures competing in the Olympic Games with an appealing combination of bravado and humor. As an assistant to the Athenian representative of the ancient games, the hero weaves facts about daily life into the narrative, alongside short factual paragraphs set off with the caption "Get Real." The format is identical to other entries by the same author and illustrator in the series. The humor, line drawing illustrations, and predictability of the plot make it useful to reluctant readers, but it's not a necessary purchase. The whimsical pen-and-ink illustrations are appealing and provide support for readers unfamiliar with ancient Greece, as does the glossary at the end. Fictionalized history proves to be a relatively painless way to discover fifth-century Greece. The time line, which dates from 776 BCE to the 2020 postponement of the Games, combined with a short list of Olympic heroes from ancient and modern times in the back matter add to the value. If the 2020 Olympics had not been pushed back, this title could have seen more demand. VERDICT A useful package for reluctant readers; for reports where the topic is of interest.—Carol A. Edwards, Formerly at Denver P.L.

School Library Journal