Common Sense Media Review
By Andrea Beach
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Lyrical, epic tale of ancient Greece is emotionally intense.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
AMBER & CLAY tells the story of Rhaskos, who was born into slavery in ancient Thessaly, in Greece. When he was very young his mother Meda was sold to another household in far-off Athens, and Rhaskos, by then called Thrax, was a stableboy spending most of his time shoveling manure. Meda was sold to a family with a rebellious and free-spirited daughter Melisto, who's about a year younger than Rhaskos. Melisto hated her life of confinement, never allowed outdoors and spending all her time learning how to weave. One year Melisto was chosen as part of a group of girls who live for a time in the countryside serving the goddess Artemis, where she had the freedom to discover new things about herself. But her time serving Artemis was cut short. Through Meda, Rhaskos (now enslaved in Athens and called Pyrrhos) and Melisto eventually cross paths and learn from each other about life, death, friendship, freedom, and more.
Is It Any Good?
Author and Newbery medalist Laura May Schlitz does a wonderful job of weaving together lots of different elements into a lyrical, epic story. Amber & Clay's rhythmic free verse of Rhaskos and the gods are well balanced with the compelling prose of Melisto's story and keep the pages turning. Big issues like life, death, justice, freedom, friendship, the afterlife, and more are handled with grace and depth, making for an emotionally moving and compelling read that's never over the top.
The two young narrators as they grow from about age 6 to 12 will bring ancient Greece to life thanks to their believable voices. There's tragedy and dark times, to be sure, but there's also joy and hope. Best for tweens and up who like history, poetry, archaeology, and language, and who can handle emotional intensity.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about violence and slavery in Amber & Clay. Did you read the Author's Note about slavery? Why don't any characters even ask whether it's right to enslave people or not?
Are Rhaskos and Melisto positive role models? What are their character strengths and weaknesses? Did you like them?
Have you read free-verse poetry before? Did you know that's what the parts narrated by Rhaskos and the gods are called? Did you like it? What are some of your favorite poems?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Julia Iredale
- Genre : Historical Fiction
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Adventures , History
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Candlewick Press
- Publication date : March 9, 2021
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 10 - 14
- Number of pages : 544
- Available on : Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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