I, Mona Lisa is a historical fiction book

I, Mona Lisa is written and illustrated by: Jeanne Kalogridis.

This book is published by: St. Martin's Griffin October 31, 2006.

This book is appropriate for a more mature reader.

Set against a backdrop of political and religious conflicts in 15th-century Medici-ruled Florence, Kalogridis's bloody historical identifies the subject of Leonardo da Vinci's painting as Lisa di Antonio Gherardini. Lisa was the daughter of Madonna Lucrezia, wife of a wealthy wool merchant who also enchanted both da Vinci and Lorenzo de' Medici's brother Giuliano, murdered by conspirators in 1478. Giuliano's assassination and the later murder of Lucrezia presage a reign of religious terror led by a monk known as Savonarola and the retreat of the Medicis in the face of invasion from France's King Charles. (This summary was adapted from www.amazon.com)

This book would great for a unit on art, France, or the 15th century. While fiction it still contains factual information about the era as well as Mona Lisa herself.

After browsing this book I became much more interested in a well-known painting. The story behind the painting is not as well known.