We had the opportunity to review physical copies from the Carole P. Roman books and collections from Carole P. Roman. The books we received are
If You Were Me and Lived in…Ancient China: The Han Dynasty – An Introduction to Civilizations Throughout Time (Volume 2), If You Were Me and Lived in…Ancient Greece: An Introduction to Civilizations Throughout Time (Volume 1 and
If You Were Me and Lived in…the Middle Ages: An Introduction to Civilizations Throughout Time (Volume 6).
I love history and fortunately, my children do too. We are cycling through American History again, but also like learning about other historical periods. Although we never lived through any of those historical periods, reading through the “If You Were Me and Lived in . . ” book series makes the reader feel as though they are there during those times. Author Carole P. Roman answers the question, “What would life be like if you lived during a certain period of time in history?”
We have read other books from Roman in this series and have enjoyed them. The books are written to appeal to children in elementary and middle school. High school students may also enjoy the content, because of the overview that has nice details about the time period. I also enjoyed reading through the books and learned some things I did not know about Ancient China, Ancient Greece and the Middle Ages. You will know quite a bit about life in those periods after reading one of these books.
Carole’s writing career was birthed after a dare from one of her sons. I am thinking she was the winner of that dare with now more than 35 book titles to her credit. Roman’s books make great independent reads for older children and the several series, like Oh Susannah and Bed Time Story Books, are wonderful read-alouds (or independent) for parents and their children.
With the turn of the first page, readers are thrust into that time period. The series allows your child to “visit” a certain period of time and learn about how other children lived in that period. Readers learn about the experiences of the children – common activities, life styles, family, culture and foods. Roman also introduces the child to notable people and a lot of vocabulary that was used during those periods. Children are provided a good overview of what it may look like for them if they lived during any of those periods; taking into consideration that does not include children of color.
At the end of each book is a glossary that reviews many of the cultural words that are introduced in the story. There is even a breakdown of the sounds of each word to be sure you are pronouncing it according to the period from which it derives.
Lily read the books independently and Canyon and I read through the books together. As a group, we discussed some of the vocabulary words and reviewed some of the people from the time periods. There were many people who were already familiar to us. We also discussed some of the cultural differences (and similarities). Lily really enjoyed the books, especially the Middle Ages, because it covered some facts she recently learned in her science study.
Some things we learned:
If You Were Me and Lived in…Ancient China: The Han Dynasty – An Introduction to Civilizations Throughout Time (Volume 2)
1) Everyone had long hair. Short hair was an indication you were being punished.
2) People liked bright colors, but only the emperor could wear yellow. White was the color one wore when in mourning.
If You Were Me and Lived in…Ancient Greece: An Introduction to Civilizations Throughout Time (Volume 1)
1) Girls were not considered citizens and were required to stay at home with their mother and grandmother to learn how to run the house.
2) Some military schools still use the tactics of Alexander the Great when teaching its soldiers.
If You Were Me and Lived in…the Middle Ages: An Introduction to Civilizations Throughout Time (Volume 6)
1) It was thought the four humors (black bile, yellow bile, phlegm (flem) and blood) defined ones personality and behavior.
2) Much like today, going to see a doctor was expensive and many opted to have operations done by barber-surgeons
Just a note, that there is mention of a father having been married three times, due to his previous wives dying. That was not unusual. For many, life expectancy was not long due to poor or no medical care. The make-up of marriages in the five different class statuses is also discussed.
Roman has created a wonderful series that invites the young reader in by sharing bits of information that is applicable to the age of the child the book addresses. The illustrations by Mateya Arkova are wonderfully woven throughout the book to bring the story to life. The pictures are vivid and drawn to appeal to the age of reader.
If you are studying history in your school, you should look through the variety of history and geography books Carol P. Roman has written. There are many and surely, you will find one that fits nicely into your study. Any of the books in the series can easily be used to accompany a history study for your child.
PRICE AND AVAILABILITY
You may purchase If You Were Me and Lived in…Ancient China: The Han Dynasty – An Introduction to Civilizations Throughout Time (Volume 2) for $12.99, If You Were Me and Lived in…Ancient Greece: An Introduction to Civilizations Throughout Time (Volume 1) for $12.99 and
If You Were Me and Lived in…the Middle Ages: An Introduction to Civilizations Throughout Time (Volume 6) for $14.99.
Social Media Links
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