Hwys...Aztec (How Would You Survive?) [Paperback]

Fiona McDonald (Author), Fiona MacDonald (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1997 | Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up | Series: How Would You Survive?

In this book, the reader is transported down a "time tunnel" to Aztec times, asked to choose an identity and given information on all aspects of life in that time in an original, interactive way. A rating is given at the end of the book to see whether the reader really would have survived. A colour poster is included inside the jacket. This book is part of a series created and designed by David Salariya. A wide range of titles is planned for the series which will bring new life and interest into history for readers of all ages.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Gr. 4^-7. As the title indicates, this book in the How Would You Survive? series attempts to close the gap between an ancient civilization and the reader. General categories of historical anthropology are made specific: "What would you eat and drink?" "What would you wear?" Since the double-page spreads feature central blocks of text, complemented by large illustrations and other brief facts and small pictures in the margins, the book will attract readers with both sustained and short attention spans. The initial time line (called a "time spiral" here) is markedly British, but the rest of the text is broader in appeal, offering very specific answers to daily-life questions. Comparable titles covering Egyptian, Viking, and Roman societies appear in the Series Roundup in this issue. Mary Harris Veeder --This text refers to the Library Binding edition.

About the Author

Fiona MacDonald studied history at Cambridge University and at the University of East Anglia. She has taught in schools, adult education and university, and is the author of numerous books for children on historical topics.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Paperback: 48 pages
• Publisher: Children's Press(CT) (March 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0531153045
• ISBN-13: 978-0531153048
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 8.5 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,907,198 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #23 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > History & Historical Fiction > Mexico
  • #69 in Books > Children's Books > History > Mexico

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars How Would You Survive As an Aztec, January 3, 2005

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Hwys...Aztec (How Would You Survive?) (Paperback)

It wasnt the best in the series that I've read so far. As in all the books it has a lot of information. I would recomend you get it if you have a social studies or spanish project on the Aztec indians. It tells you about what you would eat, dress in, where you would be in sociaty according to your job, and much more. When you read it you almost feel like you're there. It was pretty good.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Loaded with Info and Interesting Tidbits!, May 18, 2007

By 

Amy Graham (Scottsdale, AZ) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hwys..Aztec (How Would You Survive?) (Library Binding)

How Would You Survive as an Aztec contains a wealth of information on, as the book calls it, "The Age of the Aztecs" (roughly 1300-1500 A.D.). This book starts out with a time spiral (rather than a time line) which resembles a filmstrip reel loosened and depicts events from roughly 100,000 BC to the early 1990's, which is a nice way for young readers to get a visual idea of how long ago Aztec civilization, as depicted in this text, thrived. From there, the reader is given basic facts on Aztec life, a simple map of the Aztec world (with graphic depictions of items grown, caught, or made in various locations to give the reader an idea of how large and diverse Aztec society was).

Then the book becomes something a little different, each two page spread depicts a specific area of Aztec society and the reader is treated as if they were an Aztec asking questions like Where would You live; Who would you live with?; What would you wear?; Who would your enemies be? And so on, right up until the end of the empire (the arrival of Cortes). Each two page section contains a "main" block of descriptive text and a large photo or illustration and this is surrounded by numerous smaller illustrations and descriptions to go with them, really giving the reader a lot to look at, absorb and learn about. In some ways this is a bit distracting, it's hard to pick one thing to focus on...but it's also good because it makes this a book that you could go back to time and again and find something new on each page.

I give it four stars, How Would You Survive as an Aztec is accessible for young readers (about ages 8-12), provides good source material for reports, but would also be fun to pick up and browse through for fun and the drawings and illustrations are informative and well done. There is even a glossary at the back. We will definitely be adding a copy of this to our library if we can find a used one reasonably priced...if not, I'm certain we'll check this out of the library many times!