There's so much more to history than memorizing dates.
Few understand this better than Alice Leader, a history teacher whose debut book for children, "Power and Stone," is a carefully researched and riveting story set on the frontiers of the vast Roman empire, along the 177-km-long wall built in northern Britain by Emperor Hadrian in the early 2nd century.
The time is A.D. 130: The Brigantes, once the most powerful confederation of Celtic tribes in Britain, have been conquered by the Romans after their queen, Cartimandua, forged an alliance with the invaders. The wall, a towering statement of Rome's military prowess, has sliced the ancient Brigante lands in two. The familiar world of this pastoral people has been altered beyond recognition: They have switched from sheep farming to cattle raising in order to supply beef to the Roman fortresses along the wall; their folklore is being lost, falling into obscurity as the Roman way of life takes over. For most of the natives, the change is unwelcome; and the fierce Caledonian, Novantae and Selgovae tribes want the Romans to leave.