These tongue-in-cheek travel guides to Ancient Greece and Rome provide lots of historical information while incorporating plentiful humor, and cartoony illustrations add to the effect. As the jokey narratives cover important aspects of these civilizations, inserts suggest people and places to see during your "trip." Yes, the time-travel conceit is gimmicky, but it makes for entertaining reading. Bib.

Published by Time Corp in the year 2163, this guidebook contains all the vital information needed for the intrepid traveler wishing to go back 2,100 years and partake of gladiatorial matches, Roman legions battling barbarian hordes, and a fight to the death between two captive armies at the Circus Maximus. Depending on which Time Corp package is chosen, one can watch Cicero's head get chopped off and displayed in the Forum or enjoy a weekend retreat in Pompeii before seeing it incinerated by a volcano. Accommodations are rated on availability of such amenities as horse parking and bales of hay for donkeys. Crassus, Hannibal, and Spartacus are recommended as interesting lunch companions. The best vantage points for witnessing Julius Caesar's assassination are cited. There is practical advice on how to avoid being poisoned, beheaded, or torn apart by an angry mob. Factual information embedded in the jokey fictional narrative, often in sidebars, offers some interesting insights into the culture, economics, fashion, history, law, and politics of ancient Rome, but most of the information imparted tends toward the sensational. Among the historical figures introduced are Julius Caesar, Cleopatra, Mark Antony, and Pompey. Amplifying the conceit are ratings pages for the various attractions and accommodations; the Vesuvius Inn does not accept food for barter but does accept plunder, while reviewers of the Coliseum complain of insufficient violence.An entertaining introduction to ancient Rome with kid-friendly humor that may make those convinced that history is boring reconsider. (bibliography) (Fiction. 8-12)

In the year 2163, the past is the new luxury vacation destination: with this travel guide in hand, readers are invited to visit ancient Rome by hopping in their Time Corp Time Machine Sedan. Stokes (the Addison Cooke series) keeps up the tongue-in-cheek conceit throughout, offering readers advice about the perils of the era (-Time Corp-s legal department requires us to mention that if the fires don-t kill you, the floods probably will-) and entertainment options (-Romans also enjoy a great variety of sports and spectacles, most of which involve witnessing violent death, all for a very attractive price-), as well as information on various rulers and conflicts. Sossella brings a droll sense of humor to his engravinglike cartoons, and sidebars offering -helpful hints,- dispatches from Time Corp-s unsavory corporate overlord, and faux Yelp-style reviews (-I only got to eat one family,- complains a lion in a one-star review of the Flavian Amphitheater) round out a very funny tour of Rome-s bloody and tumultuous past. Also available: The Thrifty Guide to the American Revolution. Ages 8-12. Author-s agent: Brianne Johnson, Writers House. (Jan.)

Gr 4-7 Finding the best places to eat and the hottest entertainment in ancient Rome has never been easier. This modern tour guide provides a taste of what it was like for citizens of ancient Rome with Yelp-style reviews of major landmarks, hints from travelers about the culture, and details of events to visit and people one may encounter on their travels through ancient history. It's a unique presentation that's written casually and feels more approachable than a litany of facts. Fans of the "You Wouldn't Want to Be a" series looking for something just a tad more sophisticated will find a lot to love. Detailed illustrations and plenty of maps, diagrams, and jokes make it an enjoyable read while providing plenty of information. Some snarky writing and copious footnotes and references also create lore around the fictional company Time Corp which "created" the guide. It's a cute tie-in that works well with the format, but it can distract from the historical aspects, especially when other fictional events are tied to Time Corp's story. It toes the line of adding too many fictional details, but they never appear in the main text, just in asides. VERDICT This book will find an audience among fans of ancient civilizations but should be supplemented with more straightforward history titles. Thomas Jonte, Pensacola State College, FL