When my mother suggested I read Detectives in Togas, I wasn't very enthusiastic. I didn't like the cover of the book and why would I want to read a story about schoolboys living in Ancient Rome? In fact, Detectives in Togas is a whodunit which involves seven boys who live in Rome: Caius, Mucius, Rufus, Antonius, Publius, Julius, and Flavius. They all go to the same school and are all good friends. Their teacher is a Greek called Xanthos and he is very strict. One day, Caius starts annoying Rufus by poking him in the back while he's trying to work. Rufus decides to get his revenge and writes "Caius is a dumbbell" on a wax tablet and hangs it on the wall of the classroom. Caius is so angry about this he shouts out that Rufus' father is a coward! The two boys start to fight each other. Xanthos is furious to see fighting in his school and pulls them apart, but he can't understand how it all started. Suddenly, he spots Rufus' wax tablet and what's written on it. He says that that Rufus is a disgrace and that he should go home immediately and not return to the school ever again. Rufus is very upset. He packs up his school things and leaves the classroom, but he doesn't go home. From his desk, Mucius can see him sitting on a barrel by the side of the road. He seems to be waiting for something or someone. Then suddenly, Rufus jumps up and runs off, but not in the direction of his house. The next morning, Rufus and Caius are not at school. More mysterious, Xanthos is nowhere to be seen! The five boys start to search everywhere. Where could he be? And where is Rufus' wax tablet? And who has written "Caius is a dumbbell" on the temple wall in large red writing? Could it really be Rufus? If you enjoy mystery stories, you'll love Detectives in Togas, especially piecing all the clues together. You also end up learning loads of interesting information about Ancient Rome as you go along - and even a bit of Latin!
Detectives in Togas
By Henry Winterfeld
| Interest Level | Reading Level | Reading A-Z | ATOS | Word Count |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grades 4 - 8 | Grades 3 - 8 | V | 5.1 | 46292 |
Yes, Rufus wrote CAIUS IS A DUMBBELL on his tablet at school, but no, he did not break into the schoolroom, did not tie up his teacher, and certainly did not paint his slur about Caius on the Temple of Minerva (even if it is in Rufus's own handwriting). Rufus is doomed unless his six classmates can find out who is really responsible.
Book Reviews (11)
had to read this for school but I got to say it was the best book we read in class
At first, i was also a teensy bit suspicious about Rufus because there were mountains of evidence piled up against him. But in the end everything ended well and the pieces of the puzzle were all put in. It finally made sense. If you like reading mysteries or greek stuff than you should read this.
My dad read this to us kids for school cause i am homeschooled. Highly recommend!!!!!!
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This book is a recommendation for anyone who likes a good mystery, and comedy.
awesome book. every chapter leaves u hanging
i think it is a good read
In the book Detectives in Togas, the main idea was working together as a group. They as worked as a team and had success. The story was mainly about who wrote on the temple and who framed rufus everything. Did they get in trouble? If you like humorous mystery than you should read Detectives in Togas by Henry Winterfeld. I personally did not like this book because it was boring and pointless.
Rufus was a rascal,but he didn't vandalize the temple, and he certainly didn't deserve to go to jail. The boys are on a search to find the culprut. Will they find who it is or will rufus be doomed forever? Some people may of liked this book, although i hated it. Overall it was a horrible and pointless. The names were hard to pronounce and it was hard to focus. I would not reccomend this book.
In the novel, Detectives in Togas, Rufus and Caius are having a fight in the beginning. Rufus writes ‘Caius is a dumbbell’ on a wax tablet and puts it on the classroom wall. The next day Rufus does not show up at school. They go looking for him and find he’s in jail for writing ‘Caius is a dumbbell’ on the temple wall, but is it really his fault? Will they find the real culprit, or will Rufus be behind bars forever? In my opinion, the novel was not very good. I did not understand the long, hard to pronounce names. I never was really wondering what was going to happen because it was very predictable and pretty obvious. I also did not like how the author kept dragging out the ending, it took really long time to get to the point. In my opinion, this book is not a good, structured mystery.