Homeschool Review Crew - Carole P. Roman If You Were Me And Lived In ... France, Mali, Viking Europe, Russia, Mayan Empire and Beyond

For my son, reading a history book that wasn't a textbook was the perfect fit, so I was thrilled to get a chance to review four paperback books from Carole P. Roman to use with my daughter, the girl cut out of the same mold as her big bro. I was excited that I was going to get a book about France and one about Russia plus two others of the publisher's choosing, but when they arrived, I was happy to see that the books I received included 2 books from the Cultural series and 3 from the Historical series:



  

Historical Series:
If You Were Me And Lived In ... The Ancient Mali Empire
If You Were Me And Lived In ... The Mayan Empire
If You Were Me And Lived In ... Viking Europe
Cultural Series:
If You Were Me And Lived In ... France
If You Were Me And Lived In ... Russia

1. If You Were Me and Lived in...the Ancient Mali Empire: An Introduction to Civilizations Throughout Time (Volume 5)
2. If You Were Me and Lived in....the Mayan Empire: An Introduction to Civilizations Throughout Time (Volume 4)
3. If You Were Me and Lived in...Viking Europe: An Introduction to Civilizations Throughout Time (Volume 3)
4. If you were me and lived in... France: A Child's Introduction to Cultures Around the World (Volume 2)
5. If you were me and lived in... Russia: A Child's Introduction to Cultures Around the World (Volume 9)

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Other members of the Homeschool Review Crew got to experience:

If You Were Me and Lived in… Cultural series
Australia, Brazil, China, Cuba, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Italy, Kenya, Mars, Mexico, Norway, Peru, Portugal, Russia, Scotland, South Korea, Turkey

If You Were Me and Lived in… Historical series
Ancient China, Ancient Greece, the Ancient Mali Empire, the American West, Colonial America, Elizabethan England, the Mayan Empire, the Middle Ages, Renaissance Italy, Viking Europe

Captain No Beard (A Captain No Beard Story - The Series)
Captain No Beard: An Imaginary Tale of a Pirate's Life
Pepper Parrot's Problem with Patience
Stuck in the Doldrums: A Lesson in Sharing
Strangers on the High Seas
The Treasure of Snake Island
The Crew Goes Coconuts!
Captain No Beard and the Aurora Borealis
Fribbet the Frog and the Tadpoles
A Flag for the Flying Dragon
Being a Captain is Hard Work 

Bedtime Stories
Can a Princess Be a Firefighter?
I Want To Do Yoga Too
One to Ten: Squirrel's Bad Day
Rocket-Bye

Early Chapter Reader Books - Oh Susannah series
Oh Susannah: It's in the Bag
Oh Susannah: Things That Go Bump

What is If You Were Me And Lived in series from Carol P. Roman?

Let's start by getting to know the author a little bit. Carole P. Roman lives on Long Island with her husband  and is an award-winning author of children's books. She was named to Kirkus Reviews' Best of 2012 for her first book which she wrote on a dare from her son. She used an imaginary game that she played with her grandson as a launching pad for Captain No Beard. The book was so well received, that she followed it up with four more books in the series. From there, she wrote more and has now completed several titles in her "If You Were Me and Lived In ..." series which combines her history in teaching with her love to explore and fascination with the world. These books are separated into Cultural and Historical series and share her love for history and culture with a sprinkling of humor.

Now, let's dive into what the books are all about. The first book we opened is part of the Cultural series and explores France. The cultural series books are quite a bit shorter than the historical series and is written for younger children. It's approximately 20 pages of vibrantly colored pages of story all about French culture followed by a pronunciation guide at the end. The book has won Rebecca's Reads Choice Awards, was an INDIEFAB Finalist, won a Pinnacle Book Achievement Award, a Shelf Contest Best Series as well as A Top Back To Homeschool Resource. THE CULTURAL BOOKS The cultural France and Russia books explore France and Russia, where it is located on the globe and what the capitol city is. For France, it talks about Paris and the Eifel Tower, what your name might be if you were French and what you would call your mother and father, the kind of money they use, what they eat, what sports they play, and what is so special about the 14th of July. For Russia, it is set up very similarly only explores the highlights of what makes Russia unique.

The other 3 books I received are part of the historical series. They are quite a bit longer and with more words, meant for older elementary children. The Mayan Empire book is approxiamtely 55 pages, with  a Glossary, Famous Names in Mayan Culture and Mayan Contributions to the World sectioons in the back. The pages are colorful, illustrated by Paula Tabor. The book travels through the time of Mayan Empire.

The book begins with the Yucatan Peninsula and discusses types of housing and food as well as explains how the Mayans were the only American Ancient civilization with written account of their history. The different elements of the Mayan culture in history is followed up with Mayan Contributions to the World, famous Mayan names, and a Glossary of terms.

The final 2 books I got to review are even longer at approxiamtely 75 pages and are illustrated in more of a muted color style by Marteya Arkova. both followed by a Glossary. One takes you back in time during Viking Europe and the other Mali. Out of all 4 books, I was most interested in Mali since I really knew nothing about it until now. Viking Europe starts in the year 870 AD in what is now Norway. It explains where the word Viking comes from and what your name might have been. It explores many aspects of Viking life before transitioning into the back sections that talk about Norse gods, some important Vkings in history, and a Glossary of Terms. The Ancient Mali Empire book explores similar elements covering 1230-1600s., the Kingdom of Ghana and Western Sudan as well as Western Africa from the Atlantic Ocean to the Sahara Desert. It talks about the importance of trade and what would have been traded. The story of historical insights is followed up with Famous People in the Mali Empire and a Glossary of terms.

How Did We Use It?

I didn't have to do much coaxing. As soon as my daughter saw them, she had one in her hands. I let her read and then asked her what she learned. She finished the France one quickly and eagerly began another book while she ate.

What Did We Think?

My son, who is now a senior in high school, used to love these books when he was younger, though admittedly older than the recommended age range at the time. Now, there is quite a bit more to choose from, but whenever he had a chance he much preferred reading a "If  you were me and lived in..." book than a text book or even watching a video about the subject. My youngest is cut out of the same mold as her big brother, so I was excited to see how she would react. Turns out, she enjoyed these book. She actually volunteered to sit down and read without my pressuring her. This is huge, because she is not a big reader.

FIND Carole P. Roman ON SOCIAL MEDIA @:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CarolePRomanAwardWinningAuthorAndBooks
Twitter: Twitter: https://twitter.com/caroleproman
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/caroleproman/
Good Reads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5854108.Carole_P_Roman

Read what other members of the Homeschool Review Crew thought by clicking on the picture below: