Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.
Do you want to add fun to your homeschool? I know. That is a silly question. No one wants to bore their kids. But you know, it’s easy to add fun into your day with the Carole P. Roman’s assorted book series. Carole P. Roman has books for young readers and for those in upper elementary grades, too.
We were excited to review the If You Were Me and Lived In… series. History will come to life. It will truly capture elementary kids’ attention. Kids will embark in time travel to ancient civilizations through these engaging books. The best part is they won’t realize they are learning.
I was fortunate to review four books in the If You Were Me and Lived in… Civilizations Throughout History books. These books focus on major civilizations around the world. They were great. Even my preteen and newly turned teen enjoyed them. Let me tell you why.
Using Carole P. Roman Books in Our Homeschool
Currently, our family is studying Ancient History. When I saw If You Were Me and Lived in books for Ancient studies, I was excited. We love adding living books and other literature to history.
Even though my kids are 11 and 13, I read these book to my kids. I read them during our history time. The books are perfect for read aloud. They have text on part of the page and an illustration that sprawls across the remainder of the page and onto the next one. My kids enjoyed the illustrations, and it is a great way to capture the attention of younger kids.
Older kids can definitely read these books on their own, but it is more fun when you can read it together and share your thoughts about things that surprise you or cool things you’ve learned.
We read the following books:
- If You Were Me and Lived in…Ancient China
- If You Were Me and Lived in…Ancient Greece
- If You Were Me and Lived in…the Middle Ages
- If You Were Me and Lived in…Colonial America
My kids and I LOVE history, so we couldn’t wait to see what these books had to offer.
Travel Back in Time with Carole P. Roman
All of the books we read follow a similar format:
- Introduces the time period and country.
- Shows a picture of what the place looks like now and back in the historic period.
- Gives some historical background of the time period.
- Introduces the child telling about their life during the time period.
- Description of what life would look like for the child in terms of family life, role in society, and other important aspects of the society back then.
- Lists and gives a brief description of important people during the time period.
Kids love the predictable format. It allows them to know what to look forward to. It also allows kids to easily compare the books and the lives of the children in the different time periods.
Stepping Back in Time
Book 1- If You Were Me and Lived In… Ancient China
In the Ancient China book, the story uses a boy during the Han dynasty to explain this time period. The boy explains his position in society and what his life was like along with how it was different for other classes. The book also describes general information about society like the cities, political system, religion, jobs, and customs.
In one part of the book, the child paints a picture of family life. He explains the male and female roles, the food they ate, their house, and how their life differed from others in society. For example, the boy explains how the kitchen was a separate area or building from the main living space. It was an area only for servants and maybe the grandmother.
During the discussion on the kitchen, we learned that you could tell a person’s wealth by the expensive spices they used in their foods. We also read that chop sticks were used to stir food, and the grandmother thought it was funny to hear some people would use them to eat.
Even though we have studied Ancient China before, my kids learned some new information about the Han dynasty the hadn’t learned before.
Book 2- If You Were Me and Lived in… Ancient Greece
The Ancient Greece book was a lot of fun. My son would travel back in time to Ancient Greece if he could. He loves this time period.
I liked how this story nicely wove ancient life and the Greek Gods together. You develop a good understanding of how Greek Gods and Goddesses were important in their every day life.
One example of how the author weaves the gods and goddesses into the story is with a description of the food and table manners of the time. The boy telling the story states that napkins weren’t used; you would have wiped your hands on a piece of bread. It then goes on to explain who Demeter is and her connection to the bread.
Since Ancient Greece had different city-states, you learn a little about how each one differed from the other. Kids learn what this ancient society was like back in 350 B.C.
Book 3- If You Were Me and Lived in… the Middle Ages
The Middle Ages book is told from the perspective of a girl born in 1072. Her family is one of the wealthier families with a “ large house made out of stone called a motte and bailey castle on a man-made hill…” (p 16). Her father had been a knight and was given land as payment for his service.
The book describes the life this girl lives from a well-off family but also describes the life of the average person and the poor. Kids will learn just what life was like for everyone during the Middle Ages.
I’ll admit this book was my favorite. It even taught me a few things I didn’t know. I think the one thing that stuck with me from this book was the origin of the red and white barber pole! You’ve got to read it and find out. Trust me, you won’t forget it either.
Book 4- If You Were Me and Lived in… Colonial America
The final book we read was on Colonial America. This story was told from the perspective of a boy born in 1620 in London, England. The books explains the events that lead up to families leaving England to go to the Netherlands and then later to the New a World on the Mayflower.
The book describes the hardships and accomplishments of the people up to 1627 in this new land. It finishes with how the colony was prospering. They were able to trade with the native people and send valuable furs back to England.
When I originally read the title of this book, I expected it to be about the 1700s. I didn’t expect it to be about the Mayflower and early settlers. Even though kids may have heard this story many times, there are still some new things they may learn. I learned why the settlement was called a plantation and that the people thought milk was unsafe to drink. Everyone can find something new.
Final Thoughts
The If You Were Me and Lived In books allow children to travel back in time and get a glimpse into how people lived in different time periods told by a child of the times.
I find these books to be a nice supplement to our history studies. We enjoyed reading the books one right after the other, though, because we could make great comparisons among the time periods. It was quite interesting and enjoyable even for my middle school kids. As my 13 year old daughter said, “I really loved all the interesting facts in the books.”
I would recommend this series to homeschool families. It will add some fun into your history studies and make history come alive.
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Thank you for reading and reviewing my series. Glad your children enjoyed them! I loved writing the Middle Ages one too! I learned a lot with that one!
I was happy to review your books.?