I have always been an avid reader, and I have already passed my love of books along to my children. My daughter started reading at only four years old. During homeschool lessons, she and I read tons of books on all sorts of topics. She also loves reading on her own during her free time. My toddler son also loves looking at books with lots of colorful pictures. When recently offered the chance to review If You Were Me and Lived in … the Middles Ages written by Carol P. Roman and illustrated by Mateya Arkova in exchange for my honest opinion, I eagerly accepted the opportunity.
Author and Illustrator
Carol P. Roman is the award-winning author of both the Captain No Beard and If You Were Me and Lived in … series. She started writing as a dare from one of her sons. Captain No Beard has been named to Kirkus Best of 2012, received the Star of Exceptional Merit, and won the Pinnacle Award for 2012. Her If You Were Me and Lived in … books combine her teaching past with her love of exploration and interest in the world around her. Roman lives on Long Island with her husband and near her children.
Based in Bulgaria, freelance illustrator Mateya Arkova strives to take readers with her illustrations to a funny cartoonish world of great adventure with bright pastel colors and curvy lines. Her favorite source of inspiration is traveling the world and drawing its vivid colors. Her comics have been published in the magazine Komikser. She has illustrated more than twelve children’s e-books of famous fairytales.
Text
If You Were Me and Lived in … the Middles Ages currently costs $19.99 on Amazon. With 98 pages, the book contains page after page of captivating information about the Middle Ages in England. Each set of pages contains text and a drawn picture that illustrates the written information. I recommend the book for slightly older readers, around middle school age between third and fifth grade. My daughter can read a lot of the words but gets a little overwhelmed by all the text. I found the writing style and reading level quite easy but still intriguing. I started reading a few pages when the book arrived and quickly ended up half-way through the engrossing information.
Like the other titles in the If You Were Me and Lived in … series, If You Were Me and Lived in … the Middle Ages invites the reader to become part of history. Readers can imagine themselves as the little girl in the book. Roman uses the second person to draw the reader into the text: “You were dressed much like your step-mother. You wore a linen under shift with long, narrow sleeves and a simple long wool dress over it.” I easily found myself drawn into the history through the writing style. Once my kids get a little older, I definitely want to get some more books in this series to include in our history curriculum! In addition to the text, the book also includes a list of famous people from the Middle Ages and a glossary of terms.
Illustrations
I really like the illustrations, which I find bright and playful, that accompany the text in If You Were Me and Lived in … the Middle Ages. The illustration style features soft lines but plenty of colors. The watercolor-reminiscent pictures draw young readers into the world of life in the Middle Ages. I think that the pictures really help bring the information to life. Even my toddler son enjoys looking at all the colors and pointing out familiar objects. I also find the colorful illustrations quite captivating. I especially enjoy pouring over all the smaller details.
Final Verdict
If you are searching for an interactive history book about Medieval England, look no further than If You Were Me and Lived in … the Middles Ages written by Carol P. Roman and illustrated by Mateya Arkova. At 98 pages of text and pictures, the book contains tons of facts and information about the Middle Ages in England. Each two-page spread contains text and a drawn picture that illustrates the written information. I recommend the book for slightly older readers, typically middle schoolers between third and fifth grade. I find the colorful illustrations quite captivating and especially enjoy pouring over all the smaller details. If You Were Me and Lived in … the Middles Ages is an excellent living history book for middle school students and readers!
Purchase If You Were Me and Lived in … the Middles Ages on Amazon via my affiliate link.
Image Credits
‘If You Were Me and Lived in … the Middle Ages’ Book Review © 2016 Heather Johnson
Cover of ‘If You Were Me and Lived in … the Middle Ages’ © 2016 Heather Johnson
Inside Pages of ‘If You Were Me and Lived in … the Middle Ages’ 1 © 2016 Heather Johnson
Inside Pages of ‘If You Were Me and Lived in … the Middle Ages’ 2 © 2016 Heather Johnson
Inside Pages of ‘If You Were Me and Lived in … the Middle Ages’ 3 © 2016 Heather Johnson
This book sounds fabulous!! I love books that are educational and interesting as well!! 98 pages is so much info!!