Customer Reviews

Ancient Rome!: Exploring the Culture, People & Ideas of This Powerful Empire (Kaleidoscope Kids)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book could work a little harder at exploring Ancient Roman culture. It gives no more information then a basic timeline would. When it does give historical info, it unfairly applies current day culture and beliefs to the behavior of the Romans.

Space is wasted on touchy feely issues that are only tangentially related to the supposed topic. For instance, the authors urge children to "help a hungry family get a chicken, rabbit, goat, or cow" by joining an organization via a website they pitch. The topic kind of comes out of left-field at the reader.

At one point the authors refer to the story of Romulus and Remus as "bizarre" (a word I might use to describe their own thought process). They suggest that the "brothers needed help in communication skills" and ask the reader to role-play how they "would...defuse the situation". On page 19, they write 2 sentences about Pliny the Younger's description of Vesuvius erupting. They then tell the reader to go look it up on the web if they want to read it. But on the same page, they eagerly discuss pretending to do an archaeological dig in the backyard. I think the authors had their priorities a little skewed when they were writing this text.

I much prefer to have my children read history books that put the events into context for them. There are better choices out there. Don't waste your money on this one.

I bought this book for "projects." To my surprise and pleasure it goes well beyond just that. Full of interesting information, presented in a fun way for your student. I will certainly look towards purchasing other titles by this author. Great buy!

This "Kaleidoscope Kids" series of books is head and shoulders above all the other "hands on history" books for kids available. As well as some hands-on activities, it has a narrative history at a kid's level, and the clearest and most concise explanations of many sophisticated concepts that I've seen anywhere (and I'm a middle and high school history teacher). The book on Ancient Rome is particularly good. Highly recommended!

I am a teacher and I was hoping for some fun hands-on activty ideas, this book did not deliver. Many of the illustrations were simplistic and childish, limited content. I would not recommend this book for teachers. Some of my pages were actually bound upside down.