If You Were There in 1492: Everyday Life in the Time of Columbus [Paperback]

Barbara Brenner (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1998 | Age Level: 8 and up

Chock-full of little-known facts and written with you-are-there immediacy, this volume explores everyday life in Spain at the end of the 15th century.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-8-- Fascinating details keep company with a style that may strike some readers as cutesy but that gives a wealth of interesting facts about life in late 15th-century Spain. Writing in the second person, Brenner maintains a sense of immediacy between her subject and her audience. Chapters are dedicated to such topics as food and clothing, sickness and health, kings and queens, education, crime and punishment, etc. These short chapters are each followed by a paragraph about Columbus, relating events in his life; at first confusing, this seemingly abrupt change of topic becomes a sensible connection with historical relevance. Use of slang and pointless asides such as "yuck!" to describe a typical dinner table of the period is unnecessary and will date this work. The numerous black-and-white reproductions of woodcuts, maps, and period paintings are informative as well as decorative. The extensive notes, bibliography, and index belie the book's simplicity. Obviously, Brenner's approach will not appeal to all, but the book is of value because it successfully introduces a good deal of information and an overall picture of the period in a user-friendly format. --Rosie Peasley, Somerset School, Modesto, CA
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Barbara Brenner, William H. Hooks and Betty Boegehold are veterans of the Bank Street College Media Group and between their efforts have hundreds of children's publications to their credit, including the ALA Notable books Pioneer Cat (Hooks) and Wagon Wheels (Brenner).

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Paperback: 112 pages
• Publisher: Aladdin; Original edition (September 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689822413
• ISBN-13: 978-0689822414
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.5 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #953,775 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #38 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Explore the World > Other
  • #87 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > History & Historical Fiction > Europe
  • #89 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > History & Historical Fiction > Exploration & Discovery

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Interesting, November 16, 2006

By 

Toy mom - See all my reviews

This review is from: If You Were There in 1492: Everyday Life in the Time of Columbus (Paperback)

Our seven year old son read this book quickly and enjoyed it a great deal. He only likes to read non-fiction and this book had substanitally more text than pictures, which is not usual in non-fiction books aimed at this age range. The book contained lots of information about life in Spain in the Middle Ages that I did not know, including some challenging information about the Spanish Inquisition and the treatment of Jews by the Spaniards of that period.

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book for Homeschoolers!, October 23, 2011

By 

My Kids Mom "Elorasmom" (Princeton, TX) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: If You Were There in 1492: Everyday Life in the Time of Columbus (Paperback)

Excellent book for Homeschoolers! Unfortunately so many books these days distort history and try to make the great men who founded our great country less than what they are. Also this is a book that does not have an atheist secular view. Wow, probably won't be reading it in many public schools, pity.

5.0 out of 5 stars It's great!, October 4, 2011

By 

CPT - See all my reviews

This review is from: If You Were There in 1492: Everyday Life in the Time of Columbus (Paperback)

History comes alive with this book. My daughter loves it very much and has been using it to quote from for her school projects. This is the right way to teach history in my humble opinion.