If You Were Me and Lived in...Ancient Greece (An Introduction to Civilizations Throughout Time) (Volume 1) by Carole P. Roman [Review & Giveaway]

ISBN13: 9781523234295

My thoughts: History was always my favorite subject to study while in school and then through the years, I have literally consumed as much of our world's history as possible. So when I saw that Carole P. Roman was embarking on a new series of children's books about life in the historical world, I was simply delighted.

Ancient Greece encompasses life prior to the birth of Christ. Life in ancient Greece was from 338-776 BC or approximately 400 years of world-stage domination during which they contributed much to the life of civilized man earning the title "The Cradle of Western Civilization."

Ms. Roman has her book framed around 2300 years ago, or 300 BC bringing the story directly to the child by engaging them in imagining what their name or their sister's name would be like, if they lived then. She goes on to explain a bit about Greece's form of government and their worship of many gods. There were many slaves in Greece and if they could garner enough money, they could purchase their freedom.

I found the tidbits about the gods interesting, especially the god of the hearth. Every home had a fire pit and the embers were never allowed to extinguish. The same was true of the village fire pit. Also, when a new village was established, embers were carried from an existing to the new village. This was in honor of the god Hestia.

There is a lot of information in Ms. Roman's Ancient Greece which will serve as a good introduction to world history. It is interestingly written so it won't bore the child, yet gives a wide range of basic information about the time and country. At the end of the book there is a very nice glossary that will be great for reference. This new series of books is a bit longer than the author's earlier publications and this allows for more indepth information and a richer experience.

The illustrations of If You Were Me and Lived In Ancient Greece are done in very soft pastels with soft definition. The light hearted theme of illustrations is nicely suited for the young reader.

This will be a great read-aloud book or for the more advanced reader to dive into. It is hard to put an age on this one, because it can span a wide age range. Kids will enjoy learning about Ancient Greece in this interesting, non-boring book. I would classify this as non-fiction because of the plethora of information it contains. However, there is a fictional base to it as it places the child reading the book in the story...... "If YOU were ME and Lived in......"

Great for classrooms or home libraries. Sturdier binding would make this a favorite in children's sections of school and public libraries.

About the book: Join Carole P. Roman and travel through time to visit the most interesting civilizations throughout history in the first four books of her new series.

Learn what kind of food you might eat in Ancient Greece, the clothes you wore in 15th century Renaissance Italy, what your name could be in Elizabethan England, and what Colonial American children did for fun. Two great question/answer worksheets to make the book even more productive.

GIVEAWAY

1 grand winner = both books

5 win Ancient Greece

5 win Renaissance Italy

Begins July 14

Ends August 3 @ 12:01 a.m. EDT

a Rafflecopter giveaway

DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy from the author to facilitate this review of my own opinions. I was not compensated nor obligated to give a positive review.