Live Like a Roman is a fascinating and informative journey back in time to find out what it was really like to live in Ancient Rome and the sprawling Roman Empire.

Get ready to discover what it was like to live in this epic era of mad, bad emperors, wealthy senators, fearsome gladiators, loyal citizens, struggling lower classes and enslaved workers. With its highly structured and complicated society, life was a lavish and pampered affair for some and a harsh, beleaguered existence for others. Find out how this powerful civilisation invaded and conquered a massive area, including more than 50 million people at its peak! Amazing Roman inventions we still use today are explored along with information on everyday jobs, city life, houses, food, transport, entertainment, religion and medicine.

An in-depth map shows the spread of the Roman Empire at its peak, including sites of specific interest, the main provinces and settlements, with their Latin names, and some of the goods that were sent to Rome from all over the Empire. Dotted through the book are craft activities and recipes to have a go at. Find out first-hand what it's like to play a Roman game for children, use an abacus to help with your schoolwork or taste the unusual flavours of Roman snacks. A fictional enslaved child pops up throughout the book describing the sights, sounds, smells and emotions he experiences as he goes about his daily life.

• In the Live Like a... series designed to tie-in with curriculum topics
• Timeline of the main eras including Early Rome, The Republic and Imperial Rome
• Fictional anecdotes in the voice of an enslaved Roman boy to draw in readers and help them imagine and compare what life was like then and now
• Fun crafts and recipes, bringing the subject to life and learning through practical tasks, such as making an abacus or cooking up some authentic Roman food
• Targeted educational questions and talking points for children to apply what they have learned to their own lives. Perfect to read at home, or a resource for teachers to use in the classroom
• Highly detailed and immersive colour illustrations with plenty of clear labels and annotations
• Illustrated glossary of terms used in the book to help children understand the unfamiliar new words
• For ages 7 to 11

About the Author

Claire Saunders has been writing and editing for more than 20 years. Specialising in children's non-fiction, she has authored or co-authored many titles including The Power Book, The Birthday Almanac, A World of Gratitude and various activity books, including The Great British Staycation Activity Book, Super Soccer Activity Book and the Only in America Activity Book. A graduate of Cambridge University, she has previously worked for Ivy Press and Rough Guides and still loves travelling the world, learning about the history of other cultures. She lives with her family in Lewes, southern England.

Reviews

This colorful book presents information on ancient Rome, beginning with when and where it flourished, what evidence of its civilization can still be seen, and what Rome contributed to the world... Saunders writes clearly about her topic, and the sections written from Tiro's viewpoint are particularly well done. An attractive introduction to ancient Rome.

-- Carolyn Phelan * Booklist *

Live Like a Roman is another fantastic non-fiction offering by publisher GMC books. First impressions count and Button Books titles are always fresh, appealing and excellent value for the quality and wealth of knowledge they contain. The cover itself is brightly bold and visually eye catching and the book has a really clear and child friendly layout. The style of this non-fiction text is easy to drop in and out of, returning to time and again but it can also be read from cover to cover without feeling overloaded by the information. ... An excellent and entertaining book that approaches the topic with some great, fresh new angles.

-- Jennifer Caddick, teacher * Reading Zone *

Discover the secrets if Ancient Rome with this informative, illustrated guide about what it was like to live in the Roman Empire. From inside a Roman house to life in the Roman army it's a one-stop step back in time, with bonus activities as well as timelines, maps and fascinating facts.

* Wrd About Books magazine *

This is a welcome addition to the many well illustrated and nicely designed volumes aimed at introducing the world of ancient Rome to young (aged 7-11) readers. After an introduction, time-line and map of empire further double-page spreads each deal with a self-contained theme, along the usual lines (e.g. domestic and social life, housing, leisure pursuits, the army, religion) interspersed with craft activities (e.g. abacus, wax tablet, theatre mask, recipes). Technical Latin terms are kept to a minimum, the text is sensibly written and an age-appropriate glossary is provided at the back, where will also be found a useful 'Could you have lived like a Roman?' section to prompt thought and discussion in class or among friends. ...this volume has clearly benefited from specialist input. It is a good and informative read, and to be recommended.

-- Bob Bass * The English Association *

As well as being absolutely fascinating, this book includes practical and creative ideas such as: washing clothes Roman style, making games to play, abacus activities and Roman recipes. It's a teacher's dream with ready-made lesson ideas as well as subject knowledge and discussion questions in the back matter! The engaging format also means it will be a very popular book for reading for pleasure.

* @mrsbrownsbookbox *

This a brilliant non fiction resource especially if you are learning about the Romans! The bitesize information and illustrations make it an easy and engaging read.

* @posies_book_club *

This book will help answer some of the questions you may have about Roman times. You can even have a glimpse of Roman life for yourself with fun crafts and recipes on how to make an abacus, wax tablet, theatre mask and more.

* @homeplayexplore *

Do you know a primary child who is studying Ancient Rome or the Romans, has an interest in ancient history or just wants to find out more about life in Roman times, then this a book for them especially. In addition to a wealth of information on a wide range of topics starting with Who were the Romans?, there are a number of practical activities for children to try. Ruth Hickson brings all this and much more to life in her detailed illustrations, large and small, helping to make this an altogether fascinating book for individual or primary classroom use.

-- Jill Bennett * Red Reading Hub *

It's an informative and immersive guide to the Roman civilisation that brings the ancient world to life.

* @the_treasure_outdoors *



Book Information
ISBN 9781787081260
Author Claire Saunders
Format Hardback
Page Count 56
Imprint Button Books
Publisher Button Books