The quality of a persons life in ancient Roman timesmuch like that of todaydepended largely on their livelihood. The rich patricians traditionally focused their wealth on land ownership and the less wealthy commoner did most of the farming, artisanship, trading, and construction. In this book, the occupations of ancient Romans are investigated through first hand accounts, detailed illustrations, and fact panels that focus on key figures of Roman society.
With research emphasis on the Roman Empire in upper grades, and interest in the same in middle grades, this series is sure to see use, particularly among students whose interest level is above their reading level. Sports, pastimes, jobs, homes, and clothing are topics covered in slim volumes, which also use a variety of photographs and blocks of information, old pictures, and Roman artwork to illustrate the topics covered. The books themselves are written in a kid-friendly style without being too casual. Important words are highlighted in bold type and are also found in the glossary. One nice touch, especially for struggling readers, is to have arrows pointing to the illustration or object that is discussed in the captions. While not the definite source on all things Roman, these titles provide a starting point and should appeal to the intended audience. Recommended. Leslie Greaves Radloff, Teacher/Librarian, Maxfield Technology Magnet, St. Paul, Minnesota
Gr 4-6-Clean layouts and bright color illustrations and photos of period art and artifacts add significantly to these introductions. Each book is divided into 11 chapter spreads that provide a couple of opening sentences and two long paragraphs of large-size text about subjects such as soldiers and slaves (Jobs) and gladiator fights and theater (Sports). Paragraph-length sidebars discuss Roman people and period objects or excerpt primary sources. While their topics are widely covered in extant literature, these books are attractive enough to appeal to both browsers and report writers. Copyright 2010 Reed Business Information.