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

by Tim Collins (Author) Isobel Lundie (Illustrator)

The Long-Lost Secret Diary of the World's Worst Olympic Athlete
Reading Level: 4th − 5th Grade

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 unlucky people in unfortunate situations. The accessible, irreverent stories will keep young readers laughing as they learn the importance of not being afraid to learn from their mistakes. Get Real fact boxes featured throughout, as well as a glossary and additional back matter, provide historical context and background.

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School Library Journal

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.

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

A useful package for reluctant readers.—School Library Journal
Tim Collins
Tim Collins is originally from Manchester, but now lives in London. He is the author of over thirty books including Wimpy Vampire, Cosmic Colin and Dorkius Maximus. His books have been translated into over thirty languages and he has won awards in the UK and Germany, including the Manchester Fiction City award (2011 Winner) and the Lincolnshire Young People's Book Award (2012 Winner).

John Bigwood is an illustrator and graphic designer based in London. He has worked across a range of books for children and adults, such as the best-selling Sherlock Bones series and How to Draw People for the Artistically Anxious.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781631634468
Lexile Measure
950
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Jolly Fish Press
Publication date
September 01, 2020
Series
Long-Lost Secret Diary
BISAC categories
JUV019000 - Juvenile Fiction | Humorous Stories
JUV016020 - Juvenile Fiction | Historical | Ancient Civilizations
JUV032040 - Juvenile Fiction | Sports & Recreation | Games - General
Library of Congress categories
Historical fiction
Diary fiction
Olympic games (Ancient)

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