If you have a child who loves to explore, has a curiosity about the world beyond your front door, and dreams of far off places, a new series of books brought to you by Carole P. Roman and
Awaywegomedia.com that may be just for you and your little adventurer. The If You Were Me... series is a set of 8 historical books that take your child to different places and times to give him a glance at what the world is or was like for others. We were chosen to review the following four books:
Each book touches on the history of the times the book is set in, the culture, the customs, family life, and much more. They are written in a way an 8 to 10 year old could just pick up the book on their own and learn a lot. Or you could do a family time with multiple ages and use it as a jumping off point. Caleb (8), Castle (3) and I read them together, and both boys enjoyed the pictures and stories they learned about.
Caleb preferred the American West story the best. Here is his review:
"If you were in the American West, you would be a pioneer. You would be travelling all over the place to new lands. Sometimes they had to cross rivers, build rafts, and take dangerous chances to get to your new home. When you got there, though, you were rewarded with lots and lots of acres, or land of your own. Sometimes there were Indians, and you didn't want to play outside alone because of all the dangers. The men and boys did the farming and ranching, and the women and girls took care of the homestead. I liked this book because it was fun. It told me what MY life would have been like if I lived back then. They ate a lot of stew, which is my favorite food!"
If You Were Me and Lived in...Ancient China: The Han Dynasty
Ancient China takes you back to the Han Dynasty, about 150 AD. It takes you to the capital city, as well as what rural life was like then. We learned about the customs of the day, how formal things were, and how important tradition, station and ancestry was to the culture. It talked briefly about slavery, class types, jobs that were respected, and celebrations revolving around their religion. This book is fairly long, and there is a TON of information in it. We didn't do this in one sitting, but broke it up over the week. There was just so much about this time period that Caleb found interesting, I will probably go back and do some activities revolving around the food, kites, dragons and symbols, and warriors.
If You Were Me and LIved in...Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece begins by comparing the ruins of Greece today and then a picture of what it may have looked like in 350 BC. This book talked a lot about Greek mythology, the clothing and housing of the time period, and the importance of education in the most civilized nation of the time.
If You Were Me and Lived in...Renaissance Italy
The late 1400's were a time of great change in Europe, especially in Italy. This book shows the reader how much influence Italy had over clothing, music, art, culture, food, lifestyles and practically everything all over the world. Some of the greatest artists, musicians, and architects were living and creating in this time, and it is fascinating to see some of their creations still around today.
The If You Were Me... series is a great way to do history with younger children. I see many unit studies coming out of each of these books for my kids, and I can't wait to read the other books in the series. I highly recommend this way of open ended teaching. It gives you so much freedom to learn and explore with your children in new and creative ways.
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