Geoffrey Trease wrote children’s historical fiction about many different times and places. In this one, set in Athens in the fifth century B.C.E., a boy named Alexis finds his world getting larger and his views of things changing through his encounters with two people: the philosopher Socrates – who questions everything and talks with everyone – and a girl named Corinna, the flute-playing daughter of a cook, whose lower-class upbringing and extensive travels have given her a different perspective on Athenian life and a strikingly independent attitude.

This is partly an adventure story: Alexis and Corinna uncover and prevent a plot to overthrow the Athenian democracy. It’s also the story of how Alexis writes a comedy (“The Gadfly”) to try to correct the damaging ideas people have about Socrates. Everything comes together in a very satisfying way at the end, with an unexpected turn in Corinna’s story. This book is old, but not old-fashioned, and should appeal to kids (10, 11?) who like historical adventures. The story is well told, and Alexis and Corinna are engaging characters; readers will join them in being drawn to Socrates’ curiosity, warmth, and eccentricity. – Deborah Roberts