The If You Were Me and Lived In... series is a fun way to get kids interested in history. We even found the stories educational! The books tell a story from a child's point of view about a specific time period and location. So much information is included about everyday life and culture. Each book introduces people important to the era, and contains a glossary of unfamiliar words. Though there are mentions of enemies, there are not any descriptions of fighting, keeping a very non-violent theme to the books. The artwork in the books is beautiful and adds to the stories.
On Carole P. Roman's blog you can find worksheets to download. These make a great addition to the books and can help if you choose to use the books as part of a unit study or an addition to your curriculum.
The books we received are:
If You Were Me and Lived in...Ancient Greece (An Introduction to Civilizations Throughout Time) (Volume 1)
This book talks about Greece around 350 B.C. It talks about daily life including education, homes, diet, slaves, clothing, trade, the Olympics, the great philosophers, the gods and goddesses, and more.
This book talks about Greece around 350 B.C. It talks about daily life including education, homes, diet, slaves, clothing, trade, the Olympics, the great philosophers, the gods and goddesses, and more.
If You Were Me and Lived in...Colonial America (An Introduction to Civilizations Throughout Time) (Volume 4)
The time period for this book begins in the year 1620. The family depicted in the story is Protestant, and the story follows their journey on the Mayflower and their arrival in Plymouth. It then describes daily life, homes, getting to know the natives, farming, the first Thanksgiving, daily responsibilities, and more. There is a section at the back that introduces many people who influenced the colonies.
The time period for this book begins in the year 1620. The family depicted in the story is Protestant, and the story follows their journey on the Mayflower and their arrival in Plymouth. It then describes daily life, homes, getting to know the natives, farming, the first Thanksgiving, daily responsibilities, and more. There is a section at the back that introduces many people who influenced the colonies.
If You Were Me and Lived in...Ancient China: The Han Dynasty
The time period for this book is the year 150 A.D. The Silk Road, cities, status, professions, homes, food, clothing, family relationships, grooming, education, religions, holidays, toys, and more are described. The back of the book introduces important people in Ancient China. The graphics in this book are pixelated, like an image blown up too big. The images are still nice, but the pixels constantly drew my attention away from the artwork.
The time period for this book is the year 150 A.D. The Silk Road, cities, status, professions, homes, food, clothing, family relationships, grooming, education, religions, holidays, toys, and more are described. The back of the book introduces important people in Ancient China. The graphics in this book are pixelated, like an image blown up too big. The images are still nice, but the pixels constantly drew my attention away from the artwork.
If You Were Me and Lived in...the American West (Volume 7)
This book is set in Oregon, and describes a family's journey on the Oregon Trail and their new homestead that was built in 1843. It talks about those who sought out gold, preparations for the journey to Oregon, responsibilities, food, and trials on the journey, and settling in to their new life. The book introduces famous people from the American West.
This book is set in Oregon, and describes a family's journey on the Oregon Trail and their new homestead that was built in 1843. It talks about those who sought out gold, preparations for the journey to Oregon, responsibilities, food, and trials on the journey, and settling in to their new life. The book introduces famous people from the American West.
The children's thoughts:
I read the books to my kindergartner. She loved looking at the pictures and frequently asked questions about the story. Some of the information was above her level of understanding, but I was able to explain things in a way that made sense. The first time we read a book, she asked me to read a second one, so I know she enjoyed them (rather than running off to do something else). She repeatedly brings one to me to read to her.
My kindergartner says, "I like in the Ancient Greece book that the father could go and serve people. The books helped me understand how other people lived."
My 3rd grader says, "These books are fun. It's like a historical book, but made into fun. I like the Colonial America one best because it tells you about the people who traveled to go find a better life in the New World. Lots of kids would like these books, especially kids who like history. These books make history easier to understand."
My 6th grader describes, "My favorite was the one about Colonial America because it was referring a lot to what we just learned in school, and going over some things that I didn't know. All of the books are pretty good because they teach a lot about history in different places. I wish we had all of the books! These books are good to learn from. The quizzes are helpful to learn from too."
My 8th grader writes, "I like the Colonial America one best, it shows about our nation's history. It describes well how the settlers figured out how to live. It explains their religion well. It shows what England looked like when you would have left it. I like how Colonial America and American West show the clothes separately, it takes up a whole page for boys clothes and for girls clothes, the others books have just a paragraph. All of the books explain really well how life would have been in that time period. They explain the rights of men and women. I think all kids would learn from these books, little kids might need an adult to read it with them."
I think they picked the Colonial America book as their favorite because we just finished studying that time period. I know they loved them all! There are a total of 8 books in this series. Check out the rest of the crew's reviews!
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