Homeschool Review: Carole P. Roman Books #hsreviews #CarolePRoman #childrensbooks #culture #history

I guess I'm kind of a "collector."  I like having complete "sets" of things that I love so it will come as no surprise that I dream of having the complete collection of If You Were Me and Lived In . . . books by author Carole P. Roman -- because I really do love each and every one of the books that we have reviewed.  I fell in love with Carole's books a few years ago when we were introduced to her cultural series of books and I absolutely adored reading her Oh, Susannah book series last year.  There's just something special about each of the titles in the Carole P. Roman books and collections and I look forward to seeing just where she plans to take us next.  I can't wait to read If You Were Me and Lived in . . . Viking Europe:  An Introduction to Civilizations Throughout Time (Volume 3).  It is the very next book in the series on my list of must-haves and then I want to share some of the Captain No-Beard stories with some of my favorite little ones.  I think I'll start with Being a Captain is Hard Work.


I was excited to add If You Were Me and Lived in. . . Colonial America:  An Introduction to Civilizations Throughout Time (Volume 9) and If You Were Me and Lived in . . . Ancient China: The Han Dynasty - An Introduction to Civilizations Throughout Time (Volume 2) to our library and to have the opportunity to revisit If You Were Me and Lived in . . . the Ancient Mali Empire (An Introduction to Civilizations Throughout Time, Volume 5).  These really are the neatest books and they take you on grand adventures while sharing historical and cultural information in a fun way.  I find that reading the books and sharing through the pages together opens our eyes to tidbits of information that we might never have realized before.  For example, we consider lobster to be quite the delicacy, but did you know that colonial children got tired of the creepy creatures?  After a long winter in a brand new country, they were longing for a nice mutton stew and adjusting to new crops.  Fun facts, right?

If you've been around us for very long at all, you KNOW that history is our all-time favorite subject.  I think that's part of what draws us to these books.  These are the books that we read and re-read and then check out again later.  The illustrations are inviting and there are new things to discover and learn with each reading as you explore what your life MIGHT have been like in a different time period.

If You Were Me and Lived in. . . Colonial America:  An Introduction to Civilizations Throughout Time (Volume 9) begins with a trip to London almost 400 years ago and discusses religious freedom as seen through the eyes of the Puritans.  This 61-page, softcover book explores the hardships faced by the earliest settlers as they learned to adjust to new land, new food, new weather, and create a new government from scratch.  It is neat to read through the pages of the book to find out what types of clothing they wore, what they did for fun (crosses and naughts, anyone?), and how they learned.  I like reading the short biographical sketches on the "people of influence" listed in the back of the book and find the glossary quite handy, too.  Carole even shares information for attaining the additional resources that go along with the book -- there are worksheets, coloring pages, essay topics, and critical thinking exercises that help make this a well-rounded resource for families.

If You Were Me and Lived in . . . Ancient China: The Han Dynasty - An Introduction to Civilizations Throughout Time (Volume 2) takes us all the way back to the year 150 A.D. as we explore the vast differences from the China of today and the China of yesterday.  The watercolor-like illustrations are exceptionally beautiful in this 76-page, softcover book and they help us to "see" the beauty that has been passed down for generations.  Did you know that mommies were easy to find in Ancient China because they wore a hat with little bells that dangled as they walked?  And the origins of "big hair" date back much further than the 80s and 90s?  It seems that moms in Ancient China spent HOURS having their hair braided so that it would be bigger than their face -- but little girls were not allowed to pin their hair up until they were married.  Talk about a rite of passage!   We found it super interesting that only boys were allowed to go to school and they studied the three major religions of  Taoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism since our college Freshman has been studying just that in his World Civilization course this semester.  There is so much information packed into this book and it explains so very much that we've heard about, but never quite understood.  The Lantern Festival, the importance of numbers and colors, and the Chinese calendar are just a few of the things that we were excited to learn more about and understand better.




If You Were Me and Lived in . . . the Ancient Mali Empire (An Introduction to Civilizations Throughout Time, Volume 5) takes us back to the year 1332 at the rise of the Mali Empire.  This 78-page, softcover book begins by explaining what the word Mali means (hippopotamus, who knew?) and paints a picture of what it would have looked like 700 years ago.  Wow!  Explaining the government and economics in an easy-to-understand language, Carole truly takes the reader on the trip of a lifetime.  With a look at family life, religious life, daily life, and more, we feel like we've "been there, done that" as we study through the pages of history.  From clothing styles to what's on the table for dinner, we really see the big picture of life in Ancient Mali.  Although they didn't boil their peanuts like we do at our house, we discovered that the people of the Malian society liked many of the same things we do.  The Glossary in the back of the book makes sure that we are pronouncing words correctly and understanding what we read.  This is a great introduction to the Ancient Mali Empire.

Like I've mentioned, we really are quite fond of these precious books by Carole P. Roman.   She's simply TOPS in our book.  The really cool thing is there is a way to make all of her books fit into your life -- no matter the ages of your children.  Carole offers age suggestions for each of her series, but please don't get bogged down in that.  If you do, you might miss some incredible reads.   In our household, older and younger kids (and their parents) have enjoyed reading and studying through the pages of these history and cultural books.  They are a fun starting place of adventure that help you explore this big old world we are all a part of together.


For more information about all of the fabulous books brought to you by Carole P. Roman check out the following Social Media Links:

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We have had the privilege of reviewing several of the history books and still keep them right on the bookshelf in our living room as a handy reference tool.  I'd love for you to read our review of  Mars, Renaissance Italy, and Oh, Susannah.  You can also read about our first impressions of Ancient Greece, Elizabethan England, The Middle Ages, and The American West and see how we incorporated them right into our high school history.  You can visit our earlier reviews of the original series of cultural books and you will be able to see what we thought of Mexico, South Korea, France, and Norway AND see how we used the books on Australia, Portugal, and Russia, too.  Good books can take you to places you've never been.  Are you up for an adventure?  Start HERE.

I was given the opportunity to review this selection of books from Carole P. Roman as a member of the Homeschool Review Crew.   You can check out the Crew Review and see what other members of the Homeschool Review Crew thought of their special books.

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