We've had such fun reading the If You Were Me and Lived In . . . book series by Carole P. Roman with Away We Go Media these past few weeks. I originally thought that I would share these sweet books with my 12-year-old Princess and we would read and discuss them together. Little did I realize that my Boy Scout was going to enjoy listening to them as well. Written for children ages Pre-K to 8, these books can be a learning tool for families with children of all ages and sizes. We have used them as a starting place for our discussions of countries and cultures as they correlate with our studies in History. What a great introduction to learning about the world around us.
The first four books in the series are:
If You Were Me and Lived In . . . Mexico (24-pages, softcover)
If You Were Me and Lived In . . . South Korea (26-pages, softcover)
If You Were Me and Lived In . . . France (22-pages, softcover)
If You Were Me and Lived In . . . Norway (28-pages, softcover)
Now I certainly realize that my children are a bit older than the intended age range for this book series, but I couldn't wait to get the books in my home. Following the same basic pattern of information dissemination, each of these books is a true gem. I love anything that introduces my kiddos to other cultures and was excited to use the If You Were Me and Lived In . . . books to invite neighbors into our home from across the globe.
Each book features a marked globe on the cover so that you can easily identify its geographical location. The opening pages show a map of the country and share the continent on which it is found. Through the bright and colorful pages, students travel to capital cities of each country and learn their historical significance and tour national monuments found there. We have enjoyed coloring the flags of each country and looking at the different clothing styles found in each one.
Children learn traditional names for boys and girls, read about typical foods eaten in country, visit schools and vacation spots, and learn about special holidays and monetary denominations. We've added additional research for each country as we read the corresponding book and made a craft and food item to represent them. Reading If You Were Me and Lived In . . . Mexico on Columbus Day was fun for the entire family as we learned about Descumbrimiento de America (the day that honors the discovery of America in 1492), feasted on taco soup, and practiced soccer outside.
Perfect resources for cultural studies, each book is available for under $9. Isn't that great? I especially like that each book incorporates commonly used words in the native language of the country and includes a pronunciation guide at the end of the book. Carole P. Roman has invited families to travel the world with a first-hand look at what life would be like elsewhere -- without ever having to pack a suitcase or apply for a passport. We've been excited to travel along and learn that children all over the world are very much the same. Won't you join us on our journey?
I was given the opportunity to review the If You Were Me and Lived In . . . book series by Carole P. Roman with Away We Go Media as a member of the Schoolhouse Review Crew. You can check out the Crew Review and see what other members of the Schoolhouse Review Crew thought of this and other products as well (or just click on the banner below.)
Thank you for the glowing review. I am delighted you were able to use the series as a springboard for the older children. I think it's wonderful they were able to use the topics to open up discussions about things that would interest them.
ReplyDeleteAnd thank YOU for sharing your enthusiasm for cultures around the world with us! We are enjoying each book and find ourselves re-reading and discussing daily. These books are FUN! We're also sharing them with the children's missions programs at our church. They add so much to each lesson and the kids love them just as much as we do. Thanks for being part of our year!
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