Hilarious adventures of the Time Warp Trio, Fred, Joe and Sam, as they are whirled back to Renaissance Italy to look for da Vinci. When they fall into the clutches of Lord Borgia and Nicolo Machiavelli, Leonardo and the trio da Brooklyn cook up an invention to save their skins. (Easy reader)

Breezy, comical adventures of 10-year-old Melanie in Italy, "Or How I Survived Matt the Brat, Michelangelo and the Leaning Tower of Pizza." Perfect to bring on your trip. (Chapter book)

Take a trip through Rome, old and new – ruins of the Roman forum, Emperor Constantine's foot, Piazza Venezia and the "wedding cake" monument, biggest church in the world, St. Peter's, secret passageways of Castel Sant'Angelo, legend of Santa Maria Maggiore, and more. Whimsical illustrations capture the panoramic history and fun in Rome today, this is a classic.
(Picture book)

The Blood Stone
Jamila Gavin

In Venice, Filippo Veroneo's family owns a peerless diamond pendant, the Ocean of the Moon, a jewel created by his father. To escape the clutches of his greedy guardian, Filippo leaves Venice on a fishing boat, but he carries with him the precious diamond, a ransom for his father in far-off Hindustan. A shimmering adventure of 17th century Venice, crossroads of the world. (Chapter book)

Stavaganza Trilogy:
City of Masks
City of Stars
City of Flowers
Mary Hoffman

A dazzling historical fantasy, set in 16th century Italy. Each book is set in a different city that resembles Venice, Siena and Florence. Magical talismans transport teenagers from present day to the Renaissance, where they encounter deadly feuds, legendary horse races, masked duchesses, mystery and adventure. A fabulous series, so captivating, when you visit these cities, you'll feel like you're part of the story. (Chapter book)

A treasure chest full of goodies – mini-bio of Leonardo, (the quintessential "Renaissance man"), plastic flying machine to build, Leonardo's sketchbook, paper model of Santa Maria del Fiore, slider of the Last Supper (before and after restoration). (Activity pack)

Leonardo da Vinci is painting the Last Supper, but it's going very slowy, and must be finished before the Pope arrives in Milan. Seen through the eyes of Giacomo, da Vinci's youthful servant, this is a suspenseful story of Leonardo, the man, the artist, the inventor, set in the turbulent life and times of 15th century Milan.
(Chapter book)

Life and times of a Renaissance genius – the mega-talented Michelangelo, painter of the Sistine Chapel, sculptor of the Pieta, and architect of St. Peter's in Rome. (Picture Book)

Who Can Open Michelangelo's Seven Seals?
(Museum of Adventures)
Thomas Brezina

In the Museum of Adventures, go to the Magic Gallery, where Michelangelo's portrait will take you back in time, to a marble quarry, sculpture studio, Medici tombs and Sistine Chapel. Seven pieces of parchment contain clues to a secret cave, where only the artist can open the door. A fun, lively exploration of Michelangelo's art. (Picture book)

Before you step into museums in Italy, "Go Fish" for the Renaissance. The game is simple, but you really look at the paintings and sculptures on the cards – St. George stabbing a dragon, lady holding an ermine, winged angels, a Madonna and child. Also included, The Renaissance Art Book is a fun, readable introduction to Renaissance artists. (Activity pack)

Mystery adventure set in Umbria, teenage Chiara has been sent unwillingly to a small convent, and young Silvano, unjustly accused of a crime, is hiding out in the friary next door. The convent and friary each supply the painters of the church at Assisi with pigments, providing the perfect occasion for Chiara and Silvano to meet, and solve the mystery. (Chapter book)

16th century Venice. Donata breaks the rigid confines of her noble family to explore her beloved city. Sparkling story of a teenage girl who would rather wear smelly clothes of a fisherboy than silks and parasols, and glows with the light and colors of Venice. (Chapter book)

Essential guide to ancient Rome – history, the emperors (complete timeline), legionaries, senators and slaves, family life, gladiators and the arena, food and dinner parties, music and theater, gods and religion. Fabulous artifacts, detailed photographs, and a model of the Colosseum. (Picture book)

High-quality gladiator action figure (comes with swords, shields, trident, net, helmet, arm and leg guards) and a drawer full of goodies – booklet on gladiators, map of the Roman Empire, cardboard model of the Colosseum, ancient Roman board game. (Activity pack)

79 A.D. Fresh from solving the mystery of the watchdogs in The Thieves of Ostia, Flavia and her three friends are visiting her uncle near Pompeii. Admiral Pliny has given them a Latin riddle to solve, and they need to find a blacksmith called Vulcan, before Mt. Vesuvius pops its top. (Chapter book)

This is a great series, with more adventures in The Pirates of Pompeii, The Assassins of Rome, and The Dolphins of Laurentum, The Enemies of Jupiter, The Gladiators from Capua, and The Charioteer of Delphi.

See 2,000 years of change, through a single house in Pompeii – from a rustic farm to a Roman villa, buried in ashes, and then fifteen hundred years later, excavated and restored. Super reconstruction drawings. (Pictured)

On Etruscan Time
Tracy Barrett

Twelve year old Hector wasn't keen on spending his summer on an Etruscan dig in Tuscany, but when he finds a mysterious stone eye, the dusty ruins around him become a thriving Etruscan village, more than 2,000 years ago. Can Hector protect an Etruscan boy from an evil plot, and keep the archeological dig going? (Chapter book)

If you're planning to visit Rome, Ostia, Hadrian's Villa, Pompeii, Herculaneum or Paestum, this is an essential guide to the ruins. With cool plastic overlays, you can see what the dusty ruins look like today, and what they looked like in Roman times. (Picture book)

Strega Nona, a kindly "Grandma Witch," has a magic pasta pot. Big Anthony gets into trouble when he says, "Bubble, bubble pasta pot, boil me some pasta nice and hot." Fun for little ones. (Picture book)

And don't miss more adventures of Strega Nona (and humorous accidents with Big Anthony) in: Strega Nona Meets Her Match and Merry Christmas, Strega Nona.

Pizza for the Queen
Nancy Castaldo, Melisande Potter

In Napoli, Raffaele has the best pizzeria, so famous the queen wants to taste his pizza. He shops for the finest ingredients – cheese, olive oil, sausage, little fish, and makes three different pizzas. The third pizza, with red tomato, green basil and white mozzarella, the colors of the Italian flag, is the queen's favorite, Pizza Margherita. A charming story, with delightful illustrations. (Picture book)

Loads of fun pictures to color – from l'automobile to la casa (house), il gatto (cat), il pesce (fish), seasons of the year, days of the week, animals and food.
(Coloring book)

Take a trip around Italy, just for toddlers. A grinning boy and his lovable bear splash in the water fountains, visit a farm, explore the ruins, and best of all, eat lots of pizza and gelato. Adorable watercolor illustrations. (Picture book)

Delightful illustrated overview of Italy – maps and regions of Italy, a typical Italian town, school life, what Italians like to eat and drink, history and festivals, useful Italian words. (Picture book)

Each pocket-size book is a scavenger hunt for Florence and Venice. Find portraits in the museums, get your photo taken in front of the "Gates of Paradise," rub the bronze boar, visit a pasticceria, count the bridges across the Grand Canal, and more. Fun for everyone in the family. (Activity book)

This is a wonderful way for kids to travel around Italy and put things in a journal – spot your favorite pasta shapes, pencil in favorite building colors, collect postcards of your favorite landmark, and many fun activities! (Activity book)