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If You Lived In Colonial Times (If You...)
If You Lived In Colonial Times - If You...
Author: Ann McGovern, June Otani (Illustrator)
Ann McGovern's gay and informative book gives young readers a vivid picture of life in colonial New England from 1659 to 1730. The drawings help children imagine what it was really like to be a boy or girl in colonial days. — The author answers many intriguing questions that children are likely to ask. "What did colonial boys and girls w...  more »
ISBN-13: 9780590451604
ISBN-10: 059045160X
Publication Date: 5/1/1992
Pages: 80
Reading Level: Ages 9-12
Rating:
  • Currently 4.2/5 Stars.
 24

4.2 stars, based on 24 ratings
Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks
Book Type: Paperback
Members Wishing: 0
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

reviewed If You Lived In Colonial Times (If You...) on
Helpful Score: 2
I requested this book to add a history element to the geography curriculum we are using in our home school this year. I would read the assigned pages (the curriculum suggests to use this book and has it broken down into reading for each day)and my children all sat and listened. Several times during the three weeks we have used this book, my children (6, 6, 8, & 10) each have come up to me to repeat something they remember from the book. We finished yesterday and I told them where we would keep it for the rest of the school year in case they want to look through it on their own. All four of them have looked through it again already today and it's only 1:00pm :) The book has lovely pictures, and is written in a manner to answer specific questions. Most pages start with the question, then go on to answer that question. The questions are written as if they are actually being asked by young children and the answers are written in language that they are likely to understand. I did not find myself having to explain words to my youngest children, as I have with some of the other books we've used with other subjects.
reviewed If You Lived In Colonial Times (If You...) on + 6 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
my oldest daughter loves this series of books. she finds this one particularly funny because of all the rules that plagued daily life ad nauseum. very interesting and will make you thankful for our modern freedoms.
reviewed If You Lived In Colonial Times (If You...) on
Helpful Score: 1
This book is wonderful! We are studying colonial times, and it was a great example of the life and times back then.
jjares avatar reviewed If You Lived In Colonial Times (If You...) on + 3405 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
This Scholastic soft-covered book may be small, but it has lots of information about the American Colonial period. Particularly interesting, the facts are told from a childs perspective; what they wore, ate and did during an average day.

Since I am working on my familys genealogy, these facts will help flesh-out our ancestors lives. Genealogy, in and of itself, can be dry and boring. By adding bits of information from this book, the story is more likely to be interesting to readers.

This book explains life in the New England colonies during the years 1650 1730. Using the question-and-answer format, it is easy to find the info you want.

McGovern did an excellent job of explaining how hard life was in colonial times; but she also makes many points about the joy and fun children experienced regularly. The illustrations by June Otani help one understand some of the stranger aspects of life in early America.

My favorite example was pudding. No, it wasnt a desert; pudding was a soft pillow worn around a babys middle that protected the child from being hurt. According to Otani, a pudding looks like a full inner tube, with a baby in the center. There are straps for the babes shoulders, to keep it in place.

Because Colonial life was a mixture of things as we have now (some doctors and a few books), and things long-gone (a tithing-man made sure children werent talking or wriggling during church and who woke adults/children nodding off during church), this is a charming book for young and old.

Both the words and illustrations were excellent: 5 stars.
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cindyrdw avatar reviewed If You Lived In Colonial Times (If You...) on + 37 more book reviews
Excellent resource for Social Studies through grade 4.


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