If You Were Me and Lived in...Ancient Greece: An Introduction to Civilizations Throughout Time

If You Were Me and Lived in… historical series

by Carole P. Roman, Mateya Arkova (Illustrator)

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.

If You Were Me and Lived in...does for history what her other award-winning series did for culture.

So get on-board this time-travel machine and discover the world through the eyes of a young person just like you.

Genres: History, Childrens, Picture Books, Education, Nonfiction

56 pages, Paperback

First published March 24, 2016

About the author

Carole P. Roman is the award-winning author of over fifty children's books. Whether it's pirates, princesses, or discovering the world around us, her books have enchanted educators, parents, and her diverse audience of children. She hosts a blog radio program called Indie Authors Roundtable and is one of the founders of the magazine, Indie Author's Monthly. She's been interviewed twice by Forbes Magazine. Carole has co-authored two self-help books. Navigating Indieworld: A Beginners Guide to Self-Publishing and Marketing with Julie A. Gerber, and Marketing Indieworld with both Julie A. Gerber and Angela Hausman. She published Mindfulness for Kids with J. Robin Albertson-Wren and a new joke book called The Big Book of Silly Jokes for Kids: 800+ Jokes!
She writes adult fiction under the name Brit Lunden and is currently helping to create an anthology with her mythical town of Bulwark, Georgia with a group of indie authors. She lives on Long Island near her children and grandchildren.

Her series includes:
Captain No Beard
If You Were Me and Lived in- Cultural
If You Were Me and Lived in- Historical
Nursery series
Oh Susannah- Early Reader and coloring book
Mindfulness for Kids with co-author J. Robin Albertson-Wren
The Big Book of Silly Jokes for Kids; 800 plus Jokes!
Navigating Indieworld- with co-author Julie A. Gerber
Marketing Indieworld- with co-authors Angela Hausman and Julie A. Gerber
Adult Fiction under the pen name Brit Lunden
Bulwark
The Knowing- A Bulwark Anthology

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's so much information in these books. And I was surprised that my four-year-old stayed focused the entire time. I think it was the beautiful graphics and the way the information is shared. Little minds grab on and really enjoy and absorb. I'm in love with this series.

[Miranda Reads (back from hiatus) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Athena is currently the capital of Greece, and the first people settled there around the 11th-7th century B.C.

Ancient Greece has been popular for thousands of years, but there is still a ton that's not well-known.

If you are the curious sort, then this book is for you.

You get to learn a little bit about all of the neat quirks of the cities such as free fireplaces!

Every Ancient Greek city had an open fireplace for all citizens.

(this was thanks to one of the ancient Greek goddesses)!

And all the more at-home quirks!

Beard trimming became an art...the beard was a sign of manhood and strength.

I really liked how this book tied the traditions and various aspects of Ancient Greek life to the many of the Gods/Goddesses.

All in all, another fabulous addition to the Carole P Roman collection!

With thanks to the author for a free copy in exchange for an honest review


YouTube | Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Snapchat @miranda_reads

[Jessica Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

My daughters and I preferred this book over our history curriculum chapter about Ancient Greece. Much of the same information in "If You Were Me and Lived In... Ancient Greece," by Carole P. Roman, was also in our history curriculum chapter. The history curriculum was boring. "If You Were Me and Lived in...Ancient Greece," however, was more exciting with interesting pictures to tie in the history of Ancient Greece. The book is packed with information but it presents it in a fun way for kids to learn. Having the illustrations focus more on child characters really makes this book stand out as a great resource for learning for kids. It connects kids to others kids of their own age and how they might have lived long ago. It is way more fun to learn history this way instead of the boring text book. I wish books like this would have been available when I was younger because I thought history was boring when I was little. My kids seem to be enjoying history with these books by Carole P. Roman, and even I am enjoying history now! These books are great for adults as well because we all know most of us weren't paying attention in history class in school, right? "If You Were Me and Lived in... Ancient Greece," is great education for families to enjoy together and an excellent resource for homeschooling families. The back of the book also includes a glossary of terms and pronunciation keys, as well as a website that contains printable worksheets to go along with the books.
Disclosure: We received a copy of this book and we are voluntarily sharing our review to let others know about this great learning resource.
Jessica D. Adams, Author

[Chris The Story Reading Ape · Rating 5 out of 5]

The well established 'If You Were Me an Lived In' series deals with the present day, but this book provides great insight to life in ancient times.
The format of easy to digest facts and great illustrations continue to be presented.
Double clicking / tapping on the kindle version text enlarges it for easier reading.
I look forward to reading more of this new series.

See my review also at:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ancient-Greec...

http://www.amazon.com/Ancient-Greece-...

http://www.amazon.ca/Ancient-Greece-I...

http://www.amazon.com.au/Ancient-Gree...

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great lessons for both beliefs and culture of Greece in 350 BC. There is a lot of great information in this. From facts like how it is important what city a person is from, to what ones role in life it. We learn of their daily diet-did you know even young children would drink wine over plain water? I didn't... or that at formal dinners men had to eat with only one hand?! Carole P Roman covers the most popular Greek gods and even how some impact daily life. Lots of great knowledge. Fantastic art!

[Charissa Wilkinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book for a fair review.

Overview: Our time travels are leading us to the far past this time around. Let’s see what Greece has in store for us, during the times of the ancient gods.

Likes: We run into some interesting ideas, like eating habits and some of the original market places.

Dislikes: We only ran into some of the obscure jobs of one or two of the ancient gods.

Conclusion: This is a fun book. Enjoy it with your travelers, and maybe get them to join you for your research.

[Sarah-Jayne Briggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review).

(This review may contain spoilers).

Knowing that my niece is really into ancient peoples (though she's currently obsessed with the Vikings), I was happy to have the opportunity to share this book with her.

I thought that it was good to see this book was a bit longer and I felt it engaged with my niece a bit more. While I did notice a couple of errors that weren't caught, I was reading the book out loud, which meant I could edit those errors as I went.

I especially liked the little snippets about the gods and goddesses and my niece chimed in with a couple of bits she did know, in particular about Ares. I also shared extra bits that weren't included, such as the contradictory Apollo being the god of healing but also of plagues.

The very first picture did a good job of engaging my niece and allowing her to look at what the ancient world might be like in comparison to the modern-day Greece.

I thought it was especially good to learn about the different customs, such as the fire in the hearth not being allowed to go out. There were some really nice illustrations and although I thought it would have been good to include a few more questions, the ones that were used were a good way of encouraging my niece to think and pay attention.

It was also good to see the use of maps, even though I don't think it was that interesting for my niece to look at. I also liked the way the different city-states were shown in relation to each other and it was good to get some idea of the culture and how people viewed where they were from.

There was a lot in this book that me and my niece already knew, but I think there were some things that she didn't know and that engaged her attention, particularly in regards of thinking of things like Horrible Histories, which involved many of the same facts. And my niece particularly liked the mention of potentially being called Theodora.

At the end of the book, my niece declared it would be awesome to live in Ancient Greece and I suspect she would like to read more in the series set in the Ancient World.

[N.N. Heaven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ever wonder what life was like in Ancient Greece? Award-Winning Author Carole P. Roman tackles this question and more in this brand-new series of children’s books for older children (8-12). She’s taking us on a voyage to 350 B. C. in her time machine and as the reader, we get to tag along. Some of the topics include:

Locations
Cities
Food
Customs
Religion
Military
Occupations
Family structure

I was fascinated by the sheer amount of history included in this book. I felt transported back in time and even learned a few things. When I was younger, I hated history because it sounded so boring. If I had read Roman’s book back then, it would’ve peaked my interest. She has a gift for making even the most mundane things appear thought-provoking and even exciting.

The best part was her introduction to the Greek gods and goddesses. Each page offers a paragraph explaining what each god/goddess represents along with a colorful illustration. I’m a huge fan of Greek Mythology and I loved her descriptions.

If you’re teaching your child history or trying to get your son/daughter excited about Ancient Greece, pick up this book right now. Roman also has valuable resources on her blog including coloring sheets and lesson plans. Best book she’s written to date!

Favorite Quote:
“Ancient Greece created the foundation for many modern western societies, from legal and government systems to cultural features like literature and philosophy, as well as the Olympics.”

My Rating: 5+ stars


This review first appeared: https://princessofthelight.wordpress.com

[Autumn · Rating 5 out of 5]

http://kachildrensbookreviews.blogspo...

We received this book to give an honest review.

We have read the series If You Were Me and Lived in..... and K and I have found them to all be very enjoyable. Now with this story I was wondering where it would go and what we would learn and I can say that we actually learned a lot of very interesting facts in this book. I love anything to do with Greece so I was very happy to read this book to K so he could learn a little bit more about how it was to live in Greece back in 350 B.C.. Now I will say this, this book has a lot more information that her other series does and a lot more sentences as well. So it is not just a quick read through. We got to learn about a few Gods and Goddess and there is a picture of what they looked like. Just like in her other books at the end is a glossary for some of the words that are within the book to help you understand what they mean.
If you enjoy reading about Ancient Greece I highly suggest you read this book the illustrations are really good and go with the setting of the book.

Questions and Answers with K

1. Did you enjoy the book?

"Yes I did. I didn't know anything about Greece"

2. Did you learn anything?

"Yes they didn't have air conditioning how did they survive when it was hot?"

3. Would you recommend this book to anyone?

"I would tell my teacher we need to have this book if we learn about Greece in school. I think everyone would like learning a lot about it."

[Reader Views · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed by Paola (age 9) for Reader Views (01/17)

“If You Were Me and Lived in…Ancient Greece” by Carole P. Romanis a great story that will take you to the year 350 and discover how people lived back in those years.

You will learn that Greece introduced democracy and was a model for many years. Also, that in all the cities they believed in the same religion and all spoke Greek. The way they built houses was with clay bricks and floors made of hard dirt, placing a fire pit in the center to burn coals all the time to honor the goddess Hestia (Hes-tee-ya). There were many olive trees around to give the people shade.

Their common foods were olives, figs, bread, cheese, grapes, and meat only for special days. They had fear to get a disease from drinking plain water and mixed it with wine to kill germs.

In “If You Were Me and Lived in Ancient Greece,” you will have the chance to discover more about the culture, education, and life in a different time. It is a great lesson book! I enjoyed it very much and loved the illustrations.

A Note from Paola’s Mom:

"If You Were Me and Lived in…Ancient Greece” by Carole P. Roman is an excellent way to provide so much information, allowing the reader the opportunity to learn how civilizations started and compare it now days.

[Montzalee Wittmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

If You Were Me and Lived in ...Ancient Greece (An Introduction to Civilizations Throughout Time Book 1) by Carole P Roman is a great book for kids to learn and really enjoy history! I was amazed at how she made history so simple and seen through the child's eyes as she walks the reader through all aspects of life during this time. What would the child eat? Wear? Play? What about school and shopping? What kind of house would you live in? All of this is discussed in a fun way and more. The illustrations are colorful and add to the text. At the end of the book, the author gives a list of people that were influential at that time. Very informative and entertaining at the same time, not an easy feat. I enjoyed and learned from it and I know my grand children will love it too. I was given this book for a honest review. My favorite part was no napkins! They used bread for napkins and fed the dogs the bread! Awesome!!!

[Vera Godley · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

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.

[Jalynn Patterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

If You Were Me and Lived in...does for history what her other award-winning series did for culture.

So get on-board this time-travel machine and discover the world through the eyes of a young person just like you.



My Review:

If you are familiar with the author's If You Were Me and Lived In... series than you are well aware of how educational yet simple they can be. They take an unknown culture and give our child a "mini field trip". Well if you enjoy the series you will definitely enjoy the latest additions that have been made to her newest series. The author has added some great books intended on teaching you about significant eras in history and time.



In If You Were Me and Lived In.. Ancient Greece your child will become familiar with the different aspects of Greek culture including the language that was spoken, the fact that the people of Greece worshiped all types of Greek gods and that the Greek people would do many things to honor these different Gods. From the coals in the fire pit never allowed to be put out to the fact that the reason their crops grew was because of the Greek goddess Demeter.


A lot of what the people believed or did was very similar to the things that we do even today. During that time in ancient Greece boys were the ones that went to school not the girls they were the caretakers of the home and were lucky if they were ever able to read or write.



So as you can see I have only touched the tip of the iceberg with this one. It is chocked full of interesting facts about this old, ancient land.



**Disclosure** This book was sent to me free of charge for my honest review from the author.

[Stacie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Roman has taken her much loved cultural series IF YOU WERE ME AND LIVED IN...and changed it to a historical look at ancient civilizations. The first in the series, Ancient Greece, explores the history of its culture through words and pictures. This series of books is written for an older group of kids rather than her series on countries. This series includes more historical details with more words on the pages. But, it still gives us the perspective of a child during that time in history to put kids into the time-period.

Ancient Greece is an important part of our own history including the foundation of our legal and government systems, our literature and philosophy, and even the Olympics. This is a perfect way to start the series by introducing children to one of the oldest cultures in our history.

The books are arranged much like the cultural series offering examples of names, the food you would eat, and what a typical day would look like if you grew up during the time of Ancient Greece. Children will learn examples of the language and be able to visualize the setting with the softly drawn illustrations.

I think kids would be surprised to read that children during Ancient Greece could drink wine because they were worried about water carrying diseases. I bet they would also think it is silly to imagine their father eating while reclining on a cushion and eating with only one hand during their supper time.

Children will also learn about the clothing people wore and the jobs their parents would do. There is also information about the gods that were worshiped during this time and what kids did for fun.

This book offers lots of information in an easy-to-learn format for upper elementary kids. This series is perfect for classroom reports or homeschool settings.

[R.J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book from the author for the purpose of this review. All comments and opinions are entirely my own.

If You Were Me and Lived In...Ancient Greece is the perfect introduction to life in Ancient Greece for kids! It covers everything from lifestyles, to the architecture, to the famous historians born in Greece, to even the vast array of gods and goddesses.

The story is written in easy to follow sentences and has many interaction questions, making it a wonderful read-aloud to either large groups of children or one child who really loves to learn.

The illustrations correspond perfectly to the words and paint a fabulous picture of what life might have looked like in Ancient Greece in addition to what it looks like now. There are even several pages dedicated to defining the gods and goddesses of Greece and what roles they played in "history", according to the beliefs of the Greek. Also a few Greek words are featured in addition to a lengthy glossary of all the words not defined immediately as the story progresses.

So in conclusion of If You Were Me and Lived In...Ancient Greece, I give it a full 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it to homeschooling moms with kids under 10 years old, as well as preschool and/or early elementary teachers.

This review was originally published on Literature Approved. (http://literatureapproved.wordpress.com)

[David Savage · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you ever wondered about ancient world civilizations and how governments, politics and democracy came into being? Well now you can in Carole P Roman’s If You Were Me and Live In… Ancient Greece.

If You Were Me and Lived In… Ancient Greece takes us back 2,300 years to the country that introduced the world to democracy, politics, government and philosophy among other things.

Its 54 pages are packed with a wealth of information along with accompanying beautifully drawn illustrations, by Mateya Arkova. While at its heart it is an educational book the facts about the ancient Greeks, their lives, towns, jobs, gods and goddesses are delivered with ease.

If You Were Me and Lived In… Ancient Greece is written in a way children will understand and delivered with a bit of humour mixed with the facts and asks questions to get children thinking and engaged with the book. As usual very well written and with simple pronunciations in brackets next to Greeks names and terms children will have no trouble understanding it and will learn new words and concepts in the process.

A great introduction to learning about ancient civilisations and history. Children, parents and teachers will love it, I know I do.

[Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many of you are probably familiar with Carole P. Roman's series, "If You Were Me and Lived in ..." Now she has a companion series, "An Introduction to Civilizations throughout Time." In this first book, she takes readers to Ancient Greece and walks them through daily life in the city-states there. Home life, clothing, food, education, and parental roles are covered. Modern readers, especially girls, may be annoyed to find out that girls didn't go to school and women were not considered citizens. Shopping, occupations, and military service are also discussed, with descriptions of the goods from all over the world that were offered in the market. Facets of Greek culture that still influence the modern world, such as democracy, philosophy, and the Olympics are pointed out, and the gods of Greek mythology are introduced.

This is a good general introduction to Ancient Greece for young readers. The list of gods and goddesses explaining their attributes and area of influence, along with the glossary of terms will be very helpful for classroom use.

I received an e-book from the author for review purposes.

[Robert Yokoyama · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to thank Carole Roman for expanding my knowledge about Greek culture. I learned that oikos is the Greek word for household. I also learned that Apollo is the god of music. I also learned that Hermes is the god of travelling and trade. I have heard of these names before in popular Western culture, but I did not know the meaning behind their names. I enjoyed learning about the Greek diet. I would love to eat the ancient Greek diet that includes fish, wine, cheese, olives and bread. I will strive to eat a diet that includes these foods. I would feel much healthier if I ate like this.

Every page of this book is colorfully illustrated by Mateya Arkova. My favorite picture is a simple one of an Athenian soldier riding a chariot pulled by a horse. I love the facial expression of the soldier. He has the look of someone who is confident and strong. I also like the look of the horse in the picture. He looks trustworthy and determined I also love the illustration of a young Greek boy playing music. There is also a young Greek girl cooking on the other side of the picture. The information in this book is insightful, and the illustrations are delightful.

[Wanda Maynard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This wonderful children's book will take us back to Ancient Greece to learn about not only the people that lived at that time, but what they did to fill their day; like battle with trespassers or with each other. The children will also enjoy getting to know the gods and goddesses of Ancient Greece and why they had that name. Like Apollo, the god of wisdom, music, and poetry. This beautifully written book, IF YOU WERE ME AND LIVED IN...ANCIENT GREECE, by Carole P. Roman, will lead the way to a marvelous civilization where you can learn what the word family, which, to me, is one of the most important words, means in the Greek Language. I am glad I had this wonderful opportunity to travel back in time to Ancient Greece and learn about their long past customs. And children from all over can have that same opportunity too by joining in with their parents and grandparents and reading along with them, or listening to them as they read about the amazing things that took place in very picturesque Ancient Greece. A great read!!

[Shwetha H.S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Carole P Roman is children book author and is known for her series of books “If You Were Me and Lived In…” showcasing life in different countries and also different eras. Illustrations are by Mateya Arkova and her illustrations are cute and splendid at the same time.

If You Were Me and Lived in Ancient Greece belongs to the same series of children books by Carole P Roman. As the name suggests, the author tells the readers, children or adults, how their lives would be in ancient Greece. Starting with how Greece would have looked back then, where it is located, which era, what common names, democracy, Mount Olympus, gods and goddesses, cities and states, wars, households and family hierarchy to food and beverages, occupations, education, clothes, jewellery, hair, markets, trade, the Olympics, philosophers and Alexander the Great. The rich heritage of Greece in Western civilization makes this book more interesting and informative to children as well as adults.

This book is a good way to keep your children busy reading as there is no hint of boredom here.

[Gail Hollingsworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Athens, the capital of Greece, is one of the world's oldest cities. If you lived in Ancient Greece you would live sometime around the year 350 BC. You would be taught to worship many gods. Greece had a god for almost everything. No matter what city you lived in all spoke the same language, and each were proud of their own city. You would live in a house made of stone or clay bricks and you would eat bread, cheese, figs, olives and grapes. Instead of a napkin you would use a piece of bread to wipe your hands on and then feed it to the dog. A living was made being a fisherman, farmer, soldier or city official.
Two things especially that we got from Ancient Greece was democracy and the Olympics. Many other things are highlighted in this book. I love that there is a glossary of words and famous people from the same time period in the back for information and reference.
I won this book in a contest and was not required to write a review, positive or otherwise.

[Ginni · Rating 3 out of 5]

My kids thoroughly enjoyed this book, even though a lot of it went over their heads (they're 3 and 5). They loved the charming illustrations and asked some thoughtful questions about it. I'm unsure about the target age range. Overall, it's a lovely peek into daily life in Ancient Greece that will educate kids (probably also adults, too).

It did irk me that If You Were Me and Lived in Ancient Greece is subtly male-centric (always "If you were a boy, [this would happen to you]; if you had a little sister, [this would happen to her]" rather than "If you were a boy, [this would happen to you], and if you were a girl, [this would happen to you]"). The writing also lacks polish, with some sloppy sentences, a lot of repetition, and odd pronunciation guides. (It helpfully explains that "toga" is pronounced "to-ga.") My kids don't care about that stuff, though, and this book is for them, so we'll be keeping it.

(I received this book for free through a Goodreads giveaway.)

[Barbara Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in return for an honest review.

This book is part of a new series which looks at the cultures and customs not of individual countries but about civilizations throughout time. Ancient Greece is the topic of the first release. The author begins by describing the geographical location of Greece and how Greece may have looked in the past contrasting it with the present. Unlike the other series, this book covers a much broader time period, and the author chooses to stage her character as a child living around 350 B.C. in classical Greece. There is no mention of the previous Greek Archaic Period, the rule of the aristocracy or the tyrants which eventually evolved into the establishment of democratic city states. Much of the book discusses everyday life, food, dress, education, family structure, occupations, and religion. Roman ends her discussion with the military conqueror Alexander the Great who established an empire, and whose death would usher in the end of the classical period and the beginning of the Hellenistic Age.

There is a great deal of information simplified and condensed for the elementary school and middle school reader. I would have liked to see more detailed maps showing locations and some actual photographs, though the simple, soft pastel illustrations are lovely and appealing for a younger reader. The glossary and list of gods and goddesses are helpful because readers will need to reference these to keep track of all the information. No doubt this book will open a child's eyes to the vast legacy of ancient Greece and provide an excellent starting ground for future explorations on the political, social, religious, scientific and educational contributions of ancient Greece.

[Charles · Rating 3 out of 5]

This would be a very good primer on Ancient Greece, both in terms of how the society functioned as well as the history, if there was not a major error. In general, Roman does an excellent job in describing, at roughly the level of a second grade child, what life was like in Ancient Greece. She describes major achievements such as the birth of the Olympics and democracy as well as routine things, such as what the Greeks ate for breakfast.
The major error occurs on page 40 and it refers to the three great philosophers of that time. Quoting from the book, “Plato (Plaeto) started the first school of higher learning in the western world. His student, Socrates (Socrateez), set the foundation for studying philosophy and science, and Aristotle (Ar-ris-tot-el) promoted views that shaped the way people have learned for the last two thousand years.”
The error is that Plato was a student of Socrates, not the way it is stated here. This is unfortunate, for it is such a significant error that it reduces the overall quality. While not an error, it would have been an improvement if it had been stated that Plato’s school was known as the Academy. Another important point that could have been made is that women also attended the Academy, something that was very rare until the latter part of the twentieth century. There is also no mention that Aristotle was a student of Plato.
While all errors matter, significant ones can drag down the overall quality of a book. Unfortunately, that is what happened here.

This book was made available for free for review purposes.

[Trinton Garrett]

I If You Were Me and Lived in...Ancient Greece received free to give an honest review. I have read several of Ms. Roman's books and my granddaughter loves them. She has me read them to her over and over. Plus, she sits and flips through them looking at the wonderful illustrations, this book is illustrated by; Mateua Arkova, all by herself. This one is no different. Her growing mind is attracted to the illustrations and the way her books are written to put the child into the story and guides her along on a journey in a new world. Plus, each one of her "If You Were Me and Lived In..." books has two different glossaries at the end of the books, one is of the different people live during the time era and the other is a glossary of words.

This book about Ancient Greece is a specific wonderful book for us because we have friends who follow a religion Hellenic Polytheism, it is a religion that follows the old ancient Greek religious practices. The Hellenic religion is a traditional religion and way of life, revolving around the Greek Gods, primarily focused on the Twelve Olympians, and embracing ancient Hellenic values and virtues. This book helps us educate our grandchild about the ancient Greek way of life and different Greek individuals during ancient Greek. It is a very valuable education tool now in our household.

[Jillyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a cute book. I was really happy when I got a copy in the mail. I have a degree in classic civilization, so I love seeing educational books for kids about Greece and Rome. This one didn't disappoint.

The illustrations are cute. They well match the text, and they have good coloring so it holds your attention.

There's a LOT of information in these books. There's maps, fun facts, pronunciation guides, definitions, and little blurbs about different gods and goddesses throughout the book. You learn all about daily life- what food people ate, common chores, how houses were designed, how people were named. Sometimes the writing got a bit dry and text book like. I'm not a child, nor do I have children, so I can only speculate, but I think at some points it'd be hard to keep their attention.

I was a little annoyed that it's a boy-centric themed book. It's "if you were a boy" and "if you had a little sister". It's a little grating that even in a picture book, girls are secondary. It would have been just as easy to say "or if you were a girl..." without going into a little sister role.

But, that one complaint aside, I think this is a pretty good book. There's a lot of information shoved in these pages. I think it's an approachable way for kids to learn about Greece in an age appropriate, small dose. It fills in a lot of details without going too far (wars, sacrifices, things that are definitely present but not for the kiddos!).

It's a welcome addition to this picture series from Carole P. Roman.

[Anne Rightler]

If you were me and live in...Ancient Greece by Carole P. Roman is another marvelous book in her newest series about Civilizations Throughout Time. Her first series introduced culture and customs to elementary age and younger children and with this series, she brings history to life for older students. With muted colors Mateya Arkova has drawn beautiful illustrations to show what life in Ancient Greece would have looked like in the year 350 B.C. The author takes the reader briefly through a discussion of the politics (city-states and the introduction of democracy) and religion (worship of the many Greek gods) of this time period. With enchanting pictures and easy-to-read text, readers learn about homes made of stone or clay bricks, and clothes worn by the Greeks, chitons for the boys and peplos for the girls. Shopping was done in the agora (marketplace) where lots of merchants set up stalls. Education was for the boys; girls stayed home to learn how to manage household things. The Olympics and other exciting ideas and people are also brought out in the book. Occasional questions throughout the book encourage reflection and discussion. Included at the end is a glossary of words, with pronunciations, and people from this era and also a section on the gods and goddesses of Ancient Greece. This is a wonderfully informative book that is sure to capture a child's interest and imagination.

[Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Caveat - I received this book from the publisher for review.

I wanted to love this book...I really, really did. I love the illustrations and I love the way that Roman writes to the kids. But, I disagree with the page layout and lack of photos and maps.

I think it would've been cool to actually see where Greece is located on an actual map instead of a drawing that's rather vague. I would have liked to see a picture of a layout of a Greek home. Actual pictures and maps would make Greece more of a real place to young readers. While I liked that Roman included information on the Greek gods, I would have liked them broken off away from the rest of the prose. Too often, I would read to my daughter about something only to have the next paragraph be about a god - and they didn't always blend well with the prose.

The book also ends abruptly - while it starts off letting readers know that there's a modern Greece, it would have been nice to have had some sort of wrap-up such as maybe suggestions for further reading? Or pictures of modern Greece?

On the plus side - I liked having a separate section of the book that reiterated the gods as well as a glossary (I really liked that addition).

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was given the opportunity to read a paperback copy of If You Were Me and Lived In Ancient Greece. This is my honest opinion of the book.

If You Were Me and Lived In Ancient Greece teaches children about the region, the culture, and the people. From explaining about the politics, the religion, and the belief in the Greek gods, to the details about traditional homes and diet, this book is a very comprehensive look at Ancient Greece. With so much information to impart, the author chose a smart format. By highlighting many of the sections with details about its corresponding Greek god, children are able to put the true meaning of the gods into perspective. The list of Greek gods and goddesses is placed in the back of the book, along with a detailed glossary.

The only part of this book that was lacking for me was the illustrations, as I found the watercolor type treatment to be too washed out and not very eye catching. The text did not pop off the page and was difficult to read in places because of this. If You Were Me and Lived in Ancient Greece included some very interesting tidbits of history, but the book was definitely lessened due to the graphics.

[Linda B · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first introduction into Carole P. Roman’s new series in which she not only takes us around the world, but also back in time.

These is much more information in this book than her current day If You Were Me books and are more for older children that will understand the time frame factor. There are also topics that are more appropriate for an older child, as in forms of government, war, prisoners, etc. I learned quite a bit about ancient Greece from her description of their meals, customs and lifestyle. There are unique topics that will fascinate children and create interest in learning more.

I did not care for the overemphasis on the Greek gods, with polytheism introduced on one page, a paragraph about each one of the gods individually on following pages, and then a two page list and explanation of all of them again.

I think this is a promising new series and something for the older child.

I received a copy of If You Were Me and Lived In...Ancient Greece in exchange for an honest review.