How Children Lived: A First Book of History

by Christopher Rice, Melanie Rice

How Children Lived enters the lives of 16 children living in times past Can you imagine what life was like for children living long ago? How Children Lived enters the lives of 16 children living in times past: from Hori, a trainee scribe in ancient Egypt, to Jack, the son of an American drugstore owner in the 1920s. Beautifully detailed illustrations conjure up the fascinating worlds in which these children lived, while photographs of historical artifacts show the real objects they would have used. See a Roman boy's model chariot, a Viking girl's ice skate, and a Moghul Indian boy's board game. Learn what an Aztec girl's clothes were made of, whether a boy in ancient Greece went to school, and how a Dakota girl decorated buffalo skins. Discover where a boy in ancient Egypt slept, how a maid in ancient China entertained her mistress, and what a trainee samurai wore. Produced in consultation with history experts, this book offers a new approach to history for young readers, enabling them to compare their daily lives with those of children from the past.

Genres: History, Picture Books, Childrens, Nonfiction, Reference, Ancient

45 pages, Hardcover

First published March 23, 1995

About the author

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Reviews

[Terhi]

Entisaikojen lapset on Sofian suosikki, joka on luettu meillä ensimmäisen kerran jo noin vuosi sitten, ja Sofian toiveesta varattiin nyt uudelleen. Kirjassa on 16 lapsen tarina eri aikoina eri puolilla maailmaa. Lapset ovat kuvitteellisia, mutta heidän tarinansa pohjautuvat faktoihin. Tarinat on kuvitettu piirroksin ja valokuvin. Ne herättävät keskusteluja ja innostavat leikkeihin.

[Sarah Stirrup]

I loved this book growing up, pretending to be each child every two pages was so fun, and forcing my younger brother and sister to be the lower slave or servant child! A really good resource for anyone hoping to give their child a broad view of history. May be a little outdated at the end (probably the end chapter could be used as a child era nowadays!) but still accurate and informative.

[Becca Tillotson]

Fairly interesting to me, less so to the kiddos.

[Maria]

Did you ever wonder what children may have done or worn in history? This book gives the reader some ideas as to what a day in the life of a child may have been from ancient Egypt and Rome, Pompeii, France, Renaissance Italy, the Australian desert, and even 1920s America. I thought this book was full of good insight and information. I think children would like this book to see what children from other parts of the world used to do and how their lives may have been.

[Marie]

Two-page spreads on fictional children from different historical periods, with a map at the front. I'd planned to use it for the Ancient Greek character, but E was captivated and had me read quite of few of them. Neat concept.

[Kathy]

Nice introduction to history and interesting enough for a soon-to-be 5 yr old to enjoy.

[Nadya Hoffmann]

Really good to teach children about the past

[Laura]

My 8 year old nephew is obsessed with this book. It’s out of print and has to be ordered used, but it’s such a great way to teach kids about history.