I immediately re-read the first page of DARIUS THE GREAT thinking that Smaug the Terrible was a train boiler - what a fun start to a book! Following along with young Darius as he navigates both his job at Tea Haven and his family, readers will likely settle in for a straight through read.
We learn many things Persian, from foods to new word translations (robe, azan, dough, baad air) and eventually enjoy a journey from Portland to Yazd, Iran. Friendship becomes paramount, along with father/son awkward silences, soccer/football, Star Trek, and Lord of the Rings.
A meet-up with the original Darius the Great at Persepolis is memorable.
Seeking out online connections enhances the new locale.
For future editions, two changes would be welcome. First, less repetition, as in the arms around the shoulders. More important, the teen/YA pimple thing has already been way overdone and should be replaced by something as original as the author's many other clever plot variations.
We learn many things Persian, from foods to new word translations (robe, azan, dough, baad air) and eventually enjoy a journey from Portland to Yazd, Iran. Friendship becomes paramount, along with father/son awkward silences, soccer/football, Star Trek, and Lord of the Rings.
A meet-up with the original Darius the Great at Persepolis is memorable.
Seeking out online connections enhances the new locale.
For future editions, two changes would be welcome. First, less repetition, as in the arms around the shoulders. More important, the teen/YA pimple thing has already been way overdone and should be replaced by something as original as the author's many other clever plot variations.