Intoxicated by Pompeii even as a child, Kathyrn Lasky sets her dramatic tale for ages 11 and up on the streets and byways of ancient Pompeii in the days just before the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. The rich, crippled Julia and her beautiful slave Mitka struggle to discover new meanings of beauty and freedom, even as the world seems to be collapsing around them.  (ITL819, $15.99)