You Wouldn't Want to Be a Roman Gladiator! (You Wouldn't Want To) [Paperback]

John Malam (Author), David Salariya (Author), David Antram (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Series: You Wouldn't Want to...

A light-hearted introduction to the life and training of a Roman gladiator.

--This text refers to the Library Binding edition.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-6-At first glance, these profusely illustrated books appear to be a lighthearted approach to some grim chapters in the history of the world. Chapter titles are often blithe and the cartoon art depicts the gory and abominable treatment of one group of people by another. But closer examination of the texts and pictures reveals informative books, packed full of the facts students often seek. The first title describes the life of a woman from the Black Sea area who is kidnapped and taken to serve as a slave in ancient Greece. The treatment of the slaves by the aristocracy is depicted along with descriptions of everyday life. Gladiator highlights the superiority of the Roman army, which returned its prisoners to Rome where they were trained to be arena fighters. Rules of battle and types of gladiators are described. Mention is also made of the simulated sea battles that took place in the flooded arenas and of staged wild-animal hunts. Mummy covers the process of embalming and mummification along with the symbolic features of an Egyptian burial. Discoveries of tombs and modern beliefs about mummies are also included. While these books cover material included in other titles, their approach to history will be extremely popular with students who relish a bit of blood and guts along with their historical facts.
Elizabeth Stumpf, Clearfield Middle School, PA
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

Irreverent, amusing and educational. -- Sunderland Echo, Dec 00 --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Franklin Watts (November 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0531162044
• ISBN-13: 978-0531162040
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 8.2 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #63,385 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #18 in Books > Children's Books > History > Ancient

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This Homeschooling Family Loves it!, December 16, 2008

By 

M. Jines "Melissa" (IN) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: You Wouldn't Want to Be a Roman Gladiator! (You Wouldn't Want To) (Paperback)

My 9 year old son is studying Rome as part of our unit study and I picked this book up because I thought that it looked interesting... well, I completely underestimated it!!! He devoured this and I believe that his independent research of Rome outside of "class" is a result of the clever illustrations and nibblets of information that come across in interesting ways throughout this book. I went ahead and ordered the books on Pompeii and Roman Soldiers and he absorbed them with the same hunger and speed. This is a series that we will be adding to our history studies for sure. I could not recommend this more - it is fun and education, just what school should be!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun Facts in a Kid format, November 22, 2009

By 

Sonya "readaholic" (Dallas, TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: You Wouldn't Want to Be a Roman Gladiator! (You Wouldn't Want To) (Paperback)

I really like this series of books for children. It's the fascinating stuff that makes history so interesting. This book packs that information in a wonderfully illustrated book. Nothing bloody, but it definitely shows what happened (men in stocks and chains, swords, etc.). The characters are cartoonish, but very realistic. Kids will learn the different kinds of gladiators and their style of fighting; what the daily life of a gladiator was like; rules governing gladiators; how slaves were treated and a lot more. Entertaining and educational at the same time. Definitely for 4th grade and older.

Highly recommend this series. Would love to see something similar for 2-3 graders.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An entertaining, historically solid book - for 4th graders and over (a history teacher's review),, June 14, 2009

By 

DWD "DWD's Reviews" (Indianapolis, IN) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: You Wouldn't Want to Be a Roman Gladiator! (You Wouldn't Want To) (Paperback)

I just discovered this series and I've been reading a few of them for fun this summer.

"You Wouldn't Want to Be a Gladiator..." is entertaining and it contains solid, accurate history presented in a visually interesting format.

While I've been looking a few of these over for my own personal entertainment, my almost 4th grade daughter has been sneaking them out of the stack and reading them without any encouragement from me. Imagine! Kids surreptitiously reading history!

The book details the life of a gladiator that is captured as a slave in battle in Gaul. We follow him to his sale in the market and what kind of jobs he might have been sent to (in the mines, as a galley slave, on the farm, etc.). The slave is sent to gladiator school and we learn about their training, what they ate, the different types of gladiators and how they were punished. We learn about different types of gladiator fights and how gladiator fights were generally organized.

Well done. It should be a welcome part of any Rome unit from 4th grade and up.