The Corinthian Girl
Champion Athlete of Ancient Olympia
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Otter-Barry Books
Published:3rd Jun '21
Should be back in stock very soon
"It was time for the first race to begin. The crowed gasped as the Corinthian girl exploded from the starting point!"
The Corinthian girl has no name...abandoned as a baby, she is now a slave in Athens. But her Master is a famous Olympic champion. He spots the amazing athletic talent of the Corinthian girl, and realises she could be a star at the Games in Olympia. From dawn till dusk she trains - running, jumping, throwing the javelin and the discus. One year later she is at the great Olympic stadium for the race of her life.
Can the Corinthian girl win the crown and find a name and a home at last?
Based on the real-life ancient Heraean Games for women and girls, held at Olympia, this is a thrilling story of athletic achievement against all the odds.
"A slave girl becomes an Olympic competitor in this thrilling story of one girl's achievement against the odds."
-- Fiona Noble * The Bookseller *"Christina Balit’s painterly illustrations have a power of their own, capturing superbly the slave girl’s spirit, determination and athleticism. Although the characters in her exciting, inspiring story are inventions, the details of place and time are accurate."
* Red Reading Hub *"A beautiful book from Otter-Barry Books with a wonderful story bringing to life an event held so long ago, and a girl who rose to fortune by her ability. The illustrations and text are brilliant and whatever age the reader, this will bring real interest and joy."
* The Book Monitor *"Though the story itself is wonderfully woven, it is perhaps the vivid and stunningly detailed illustrations which allow the reader to travel back in time to watch the first women compete in the Heraean Games."
* My Shelves are Full *"Christina Balit’s wonderful illustrations chart the life of this ‘unneeded’ child from birth to glory, drawing attention to the women of ancient Greece. ‘The Corinthian Girl’ is perfect for developing empathy with others as well as exploring this fascinating period of history, offering many opportunities for writing in role, drama and research."
* North Somerset Teachers' Book Award *"This book is superb and, whilst being fictional, it weaves a lot of historical bits and pieces in and has a great section of information about the games at the end and how we know about them."
* Let Them Be Small - via Instagram *"The value of a female life in a male-dominated society is central to this story and is it fantastic to see such a different approach to communicating ancient Greek history... Balit’s prose packs a powerful punch...Her illustrations are equally glorious and marry beautifully with the text. The images burst with historical details, vivid colours and are full of movement."
* The Historian Next Door *"Attractive...informative, entertaining and inspiring."
* Booklist (UISBN: 9781913074722
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown
40 pages