The fictionalized backbone of this engaging and informative first novel in the Adventures in Time series is the journey, 2,000 years ago, of a single bolt of blue silk from China to Rome. A likable set of characters appears on each leg of the silk's travels (illustrated in a series of handsome black-and- white maps)—from Changan to Merv, Merv to Palmyra, Palmyra to Petra, Petra to Alexandria, and finally on to Rome. Among the players is Han Tzu, the first to trade the silk, who sets out on his caravan as leader, leaving behind a bitter family. Young Pacorus, next to handle the bolt, takes his first steps toward becoming a trader at the age of 11. Fiesty Julia Sabina, a young Roman noblewoman, is the last to purchase the silk, which is to be made into her wedding dress. Schneider is adept at coloring ancient Rome and China with vivid descriptions; her attention to detail extends to authentic and pungent cuisines, to the evoking of a blistering sand storm, and to the use of technology appropriate to the era. Readers will share in the anticipation as 60 men, their camels, and 30 pack animals prepare to begin their trek. In short, this is history brought joyfully to life. (Fiction. 11-14)