Here is the youth version of Stacy Schiff's biography of Cleopatra, dispelling the myth that it was her beauty instead of her intelligence and personality, that were the vehicles for her dominance and successes. It is important for young women to know that beauty need not be the ultimate asset. The real story of Cleopatra is told here, not the Hollywood version. She was a woman of power and brilliance, a gifted political strategist, and one of the most enthralling figures in history. Thank you Diane Stanley, for making this story accessible to young people, and for telling them the truth. ( )

I have always heard stories from movies about Cleopatra. Many say she was the most beautiful woman that lived. I knew she was the queen of Egypt and that she was a great ruler. I feel like this book did not do her justice. I understand that not much is known about her life because records of her life were destroyed and stautes of her were destroyed but i would have liked to know more. What i did learn was that she married Julius Caesar and then married Mark Antony. Although her biography was not the best, I enjoyed the illustrations. They reflect Egyptian culture very well. I also have to mention the great job the illustrator did in drawing Cleo, Julius Caesar, and Mark Antony. I do wish there was more information on Cleo, the book would have been more enjoyable if it had more information on her. ( )

Cleopatra ruled Egypt for 21 years, she has a reputation of being strong, beautiful, and charming. This book tells the story of her life and her great two loves. ( )

This picture book about Cleopatra spans her life from becoming queen at age eighteen to her romances with Caesar and Antony to her death at age thirty-nine. The book is written in a way to easily convey the political issues Cleopatra, Octavian, and Antony faced in their battles. Taken from the notes of Plutarch, Stanley recreated an accurate portrayal of one of the most powerful women in history. Stanley also informs the reader of the main points of Cleopatra's life and the culture she came from, allowing the reader to have a sense of the queen's personality. Adding dates and historical events, this book is educational for those beginning to learn history. The pictures give the reader an accurate portrayal of how Cleopatra may have looked, showing the Roman culture of the time. With historical facts at the beginning and end of the book, Stanley successfully creates a simplified version of Cleopatra's life. ( )

I would utilize this book in a fourth, fifth, or sixth grade classroom because of the higher reading level of this particular text. Students could use this book to write about misconceptions about various people in history because the book mentions that most stories about Cleopatra are written by her enemies, whereas this text does not choose sides, or at least attempts not to. Every biography is somewhat biased since it is an outside source writing about a certain subject. Students can utilize the timelines and the illustration description boxes in research and as facts from the text about Cleopatra. If a teacher was doing a lesson on Egypt and/or pharaohs and the pyramids, this text could be utilized. Students could utilize the maps provided throughout the text to view where people lived and where certain events occurerd, such as the murder of her husband/brother.