Amber & clay / Laura Amy Schlitz ; with illustrations by Julia Iredale.
"Welcome to ancient Greece as only genius storyteller Laura Amy Schlitz can conjure it. In a warlike land of wind and sunlight, 'ringed by a restless sea,' live Rhaskos and Melisto, spiritual twins with little in common beyond the violent and mysterious forces that dictate their lives. A Thracian slave in a Greek household, Rhaskos is as common as clay, a stable boy worth less than a donkey, much less a horse. Wrenched from his mother at a tender age, he nurtures in secret, aided by Socrates, his passions for art and philosophy. Melisto is a spoiled aristocrat, a girl as precious as amber but willful and wild. She'll marry and be tamed-the curse of all highborn girls-but risk her life for a season first to serve Artemis, goddess of the hunt. Bound by destiny, Melisto and Rhaskos-Amber and Clay-never meet in the flesh. By the time they do, one of them is a ghost. But the thin line between life and death is just one boundary their unlikely friendship crosses. It takes an army of snarky gods and fearsome goddesses, slaves and masters, mothers and philosophers to help shape their story into a gorgeously distilled, symphonic tour de force. Blending verse, prose, and illustrated archaeological 'artifacts,' this is a tale that vividly transcends time, an indelible reminder of the power of language to illuminate the over- and underworlds of human history."-- Amazon
Record details
- ISBN: 9781536201222
- ISBN: 1536201227
- Physical Description: 532 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm
- Edition: First edition.
- Publisher: Somerville, Massachusetts : Candlewick Press, 2021.
Content descriptions
Bibliography, etc. Note: | Includes bibliographical references (pages 528-532). |
Target Audience Note: | NP Lexile |
Study Program Information Note: | Accelerated Reader AR MG+ 5 13 511953. |
Search for related items by subject
Subject: | Gods, Greek > Juvenile fiction. Goddesses, Greek > Juvenile fiction. Fate and fatalism > Juvenile fiction. Friendship > Juvenile fiction. |
Genre: | Ghost stories. Novels in verse. Fantasy fiction. Historical fiction. |
Available copies
- 22 of 24 copies available at Missouri Evergreen. (Show)
- 1 of 1 copy available at North Kansas City.
Holds
- 1 current hold with 24 total copies.
Show Only Available Copies
Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
North Kansas City Public Library | J SCHLITZ (Text) | 0001002438941 | JUV Fiction | Available | - |
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Amber and Clay
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Summary
Amber and Clay
The Newbery Medal-winning author of Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! gives readers a virtuoso performance in verse in this profoundly original epic pitched just right for fans of poetry, history, mythology, and fantasy. Welcome to ancient Greece as only genius storyteller Laura Amy Schlitz can conjure it. In a warlike land of wind and sunlight, "ringed by a restless sea," live Rhaskos and Melisto, spiritual twins with little in common beyond the violent and mysterious forces that dictate their lives. A Thracian slave in a Greek household, Rhaskos is as common as clay, a stable boy worth less than a donkey, much less a horse. Wrenched from his mother at a tender age, he nurtures in secret, aided by Socrates, his passions for art and philosophy. Melisto is a spoiled aristocrat, a girl as precious as amber but willful and wild. She'll marry and be tamed--the curse of all highborn girls--but risk her life for a season first to serve Artemis, goddess of the hunt. Bound by destiny, Melisto and Rhaskos--Amber and Clay--never meet in the flesh. By the time they do, one of them is a ghost. But the thin line between life and death is just one boundary their unlikely friendship crosses. It takes an army of snarky gods and fearsome goddesses, slaves and masters, mothers and philosophers to help shape their story into a gorgeously distilled, symphonic tour de force. Blending verse, prose, and illustrated archaeological "artifacts," this is a tale that vividly transcends time, an indelible reminder of the power of language to illuminate the over- and underworlds of human history.