Homeschool Review Crew~ If You Were Me......from Carole P. Roman

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Ever since my kids were little, we've always enjoyed reading together. We'd curl up on the couch or the porch swing on our porch and read away. The kids would spend hours reading. We'd have to tell them to turn off the lights and go to bed! Recently, we were given the opportunity to review a wonderful collection of books from Carole P. Roman.

Carole P. Roman is an award winning children's author that writes wonderful, educational books for children of all ages. Her books are a treat for the entire family! For this review, we received 2 books of our choice to read and tell you all about! In addition to the two books we requested, we received 3 bonus books. So here goes..... The first two books we reviewed were part of the If You Were Me... historical series. The author has written a wonderful collection of books that are part of this series! Students can travel back in time to Ancient China, Ancient Greece, Elizabethan England, the American West, etc. These books would make a great base for a fun filled history study! The books are geared for students ages 8-15. They are filled with information! 


Our first book is If You Were Me and Lived in... Renaissance Italy. This book was one of my top picks for this review. We were going to be studying this time period this year, but I changed my mind at the last minute. Even though, we decided not to dive into the Renaissance this year, we still enjoyed this book.  If You Were Me and Lived in....Renaissance Italy is all about the Renaissance. I'm sure you figured that out all ready. The story takes place in Florence, Italy. Students are introduced to the city, what life would have been like, the arts  and sciences that flourished, favorite foods from that time, clothing, what their home may have been like, and so much more. A fun fact that kids might enjoy learning is that most young children didn't attend school. The story is filled with a ton of facts and provides students with lots of great information. 

After the story the book, the book has a 3 sections for students to learn more about the Renaissance time period.  Renaissance Art....a brief summary of the art produced during this time period. A few pictures are even included for the students to look at. Famous People from the Italian Renaissance....This section offers students a introduction to famous men and women that were important during the Renaissance time period in Italy. A few names you might recognize are Galileo, Michelangelo, and the Medici family. Twelve people are introduced with a brief summary. Choosing one of these 12 people would be a great way for students to learn more about that person and complete a biography report. Glossary...This section contains definitions and pronunciations for words found in the book. This is great for younger students who may not be familiar with certain terms. We all enjoy this book. The kids loved that a few of the pictures were actual photographs. The felt the drawings were a little too juvenile for older students. The both suggested a book with all this information but with all real pictures if the author wanted to appeal to children 11 and up.  I think the drawing are cute, but they will appeal to a younger audience. The books do contain a lot of information, so older kids will get a wealth of information from reading them.  They would be a great read aloud for a family that is doing schooling together.  The only mistake I found is in the glossary section. Under the Sistine Chapel, the definition states that  it is where the Pope lives. That's not quite accurate. Yes, the Sistine Chapel is located in one of the building where the Pope lives, but the Pope lives in Vatican City in an apartment located near Saint Peter's Basilica. The Sistine Chapel is part of the Vatican Museum and can be toured. It is absolutely breath taking!  
Our second book to review was If You Were Me and Lived in... Viking Europe. We picked this book too. Of course it no longer fit into our history study this year, but we dove right into the book.  If You You Were Me and Lived....Viking Europe is also part of the historical series from Mrs. Roman.  After the story, children can again learn some more about the Vikings. The book has 3 additional sections.... Norse Gods and Goddesses...Here children are introduced to 3 goddesses and 3 gods Important Vikings in History...Here children will learn more about famous men and women who were Vikings. This would be a great way for older children to pick a person for another book report! Glossary...This is the section filled with definitions and pronunciation of words from the book! This could be used if parents wanted to create a spelling list to go along with the lesson. Again my children found the book filled with a wealth of knowledge however, they did find the drawings a little too young again. This books contained no actual pictures of Viking artifacts or land.  I still think this series of books would be great for a family that is homeschooling all together. When a homeschooling family is learning history all together with multiple ages this book would a wonderful addition to the lessons. It would provide younger children with an introduction to the world of Vikings and older children will learn a few new things!
Our third book to review was If You Were Me and Lived on....Mars. This book is part of the If You Were Me...Cultural Series. The Cultural series books are geared for children ages 4-8. The are filled with wonderful information and have cute drawings to go along with them. If You Were Me and Lived on....Mars is a fact filled book all about Mars. Readers will learn about Mar's atmosphere, her moons, and what it would be like to live on Mars. This book would be great for a science class. At the end of the book, a glossary has been included for new words. Again this section offers a definition and the pronunciation. 

Therese felt that this books would be great for a large homeschooling family. An older child could easily read this book to a younger sibling. The younger child will be introduced to Mars, while the older child may pick up a few new facts about Mars....like the name of its moons, Phobos and Deimos. In fact, I think Carole P. Roman should start a series of science books and have kids explore different places to live. For example, If You Were Me and Lived in....the Rain forest, the Tundra, The Arctic, Under the Sea, and so on. Children could explore different planets and different habitats.

One of our bonus books was this charming little tale for little girls called Can a Princess Be a Firefighter? This book is so cute! I wish Therese was little again! She would have loved this Princess book. I'm sure most of the little girl's out there. Therese was a pink wearing, twirling little girl that still loved to play in the dirt with her brother. This book is perfect for girls like that.

Little girls are princesses, but can be whatever they want!

I loved the ending of this book, You can be whatever you want, you can change your mind along the way, and don't let anyone limit your dreams. I especially love the part about when they grow up and get a job. I tell my kids this all the time...make sure you you work hard, enjoy your job, and you'll be happy!

This book is geared for little girls, about ages 2 and up. The story is simple and sweet. The drawings are adorable. I wish I had a little girl to read it too. If you have a little princess in your house, I recommend picking up this book.

Our last book to review was an early chapter book called Oh Susannah: It's in the bag. This book is part of the Oh Susannah series. These books are geared for newer readers, ages 7-12. This is the newest series from the author. The books are early chapter books great for new readers who are now reading on their own.

Oh Susannah: It's in the Bag is about Susannah, a little girl in third grade. Poor Susannah is finding third grade to be a little harder than she thought. Homework is a huge problem! In this charming tale, children will learn how to deal with their problems. Should we stuff them away deep inside? Should we worry about them until we feel horrible? Should we talk them over with our parents? Should we stay do what's best for us or go along with the rest of the crowd? I won't tell you more, you'll have to read the book for yourself. This story is a great way to help children navigate the world around them. It offers wonderful advice and helps younger children figure out new problems they may be facing as they get older. 

Therese found the book a very easy read, but she is at the end of the suggested reading age. She did suggest adding pictures to it since it's an early chapter book. Most of the early chapter books she read back in the day had pictures and she enjoyed looking at them.  

Social Media Links: Carole P. Roman Blog Facebook Twitter Pinterest Good Reads 
Want to learn more about the variety for books offered by Carole P. Roman?  Stop by and read the other reviews. We all received a few books tor review. I kn ow you will find a book your child will love. I'm pretty sure you'll even find more than one. There's so many to choose from!
Till Next Time, Monique