If You Lived In Colonial Times (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition) [School & Library Binding]

Ann McGovern (Author), June Otani (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 1992 | Age Level: 7 and up | Grade Level: 2 and up

FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. Looks at the homes, clothes, family life, and community activities of boys and girls in the New England colonies.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Gives a great deal of information and is nicely appropriate to the capability of the beginning reader.... The illustrations are plentiful, attractive, and often humorous.... The young reader can get a good picture of daily life in the colonial period." -- Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, 6/7/64 --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

Ann McGovern, the author of more than 55 highly regarded books for children, is excited about the world: the world of history, nature, imagination, and the world of people. Her enthusiasm is the foundation for each word she writes. Her books, which range from fast-paced biographies and fact-filled fun histories to voyages in faraway lands, from playful picture books to retellings of well-known legends and fables, reflect her diverse and many interests.

A tireless traveler who has visited every continent, McGovern frequently incorporates her adventures into her books. Playing with Penguins and Swimming with Sea Lions were inspired by expeditions to Antarctica and the Galapagos Islands, respectively. Desert Beneath the Sea resulted from a scientific scuba expedition to the Red Sea, the Caribbean, and the China Sea with Shark Lady Eugenie Clark. And, for Questions and Answers About Sharks, McGovern took notes on her underwater slate with twelve sharks just inches away, after she took part in an underwater shark feeding in Papua New Guinea, where she was scuba diving.

But when McGovern visits schools to show slides of her travels and discuss how they provide ideas for her books, she emphasizes that inspiration can come from feelings and close-to-home experiences as well as far-off adventures.

McGovern grew up in New York City where she lives today. Her interest in books and writing began at an early age. "As a child, I developed a terrible stutter and never raised my hand in class," she says, "I became a writer to express the feelings that I couldn't speak about and an avid reader as way to escape a sad life."

Her formal education ended after her first year at the University of New Mexico, where the only "A" she received was in horseback riding. But McGovern believes her most valuable education has come form her travel experiences and scuba diving expeditions, along with the intensive research she does for her books.

McGovern credits her late husband, Martin Scheiner, with introducing her to many of the experiences that have come to influence her writing. "With Marty, I stopped stuttering, I learned to drive, scuba dive, sail, take risks - maybe too many - when lions growled outside our tent in East Africa and the time a shark got too cozy with me in the Great Barrier Reef ," she says. "I plan to write about my journey to the North Pole, when the walrus poked its tusks into our rubber boat. I'll never run out of ideas - or memories!"

McGovern makes certain she visits schools and speaks to student as often as she can. "School children give me feedback that's wonderful for my work. Sometimes when I look at a sad, shy face in the audience, I see the lonely child I once was, and I hope that maybe my words can have some influence on a life. Making a difference in children's lives in why I plan to write until I am ninety." --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• School & Library Binding: 80 pages
• Publisher: Turtleback (May 1, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0833587765
• ISBN-13: 978-0833587763
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 9.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,753,760 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Ann McGovern is the author of over 55 books for children and sales of her books exceed 30 million. She is the author of the classics STONE SOUP and TOO MUCH NOISE, as well as several IF YOU LIVED... books.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Life in colonial New England from the perspective of a child, April 30, 2006

By 

Charles Ashbacher (Marion, Iowa United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: If You Lived In Colonial Times (Paperback)

Life in New England in colonial times was hard, a good growing year and people could eat well, a bad growing year and there was hunger. Harvest was an especially busy time, as everyone had to work all hours to get all of the food stored away.

This book is about how the children of that time lived. Since everything revolved around the family in their house, this is about family life from the perspective of children. What they wore what they ate, the work they did during the day, what they did for fun, what their schools were like, and how they behaved on Sunday. There were many laws, some of which were heavily enforced and others that were largely ignored.

The tithing-man would rap you if you misbehaved in church or tickle your face if you fell asleep during the service. Nearly everything that was used by the people was grown and made by them, so the explanations of how they made their goods was quite interesting. The list of standard jobs found in every village, such as the miller, blacksmith, barber, tailor and the cooper describes what professions were most valued at that time.

This is an excellent book about the life of a child in New England. While their lives are described as being difficult, they were not without joy, something that is also mentioned in detail.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Colonial history came alive for my kids!, March 8, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: If You Lived In Colonial Times (Paperback)

I highly recommend this book. My children, 6 and 4 years old, could easily put themselves into the very clearly described settings. They got a real feel for what life was like in colonial days. It was fun to read - made for GREAT family time!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent!, June 12, 2003

By 

"genealogyandhistory" (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: If You Lived In Colonial Times (Paperback)

Of all the history on daily life, no book offers more practical insight into the daily lives of Colonists.

The Bible says, "Out of the mouths of babes..." Perhaps the same is true "For the eyes/ears of babes..."

Truly excellent. In all my searching through so many standard old history books, I could not find answers to the questions this book resolved.

Best of all, our kids love it!