Ancient Times: Aztec Empire

Daily life for a child in the ancient empires of the Aztecs, Chinese, Egyptians, Romans, and Greeks was vastly different from the lives of modern children in many ways. Written in clear, concise language with more difficult terms bolded and defined within a glossary in each title, these books offer a look at ancient cultures from a child's point of view. Readers will learn that Egyptian children of wealth studied hieroglyphics, while most other children were farmers. Young Roman boys were trained in their father's trade, while girls learned to take care of the home and married as young as age 12. If you lived in ancient Greece, both boys and girls went to school. Aztec children in ancient times all attended school, but if you were born a slave, you did most of the work of daily living. The titles cover the basics of government, social hierarchy, spiritual beliefs, everyday happenings, and a brief explanation of how the dynasty collapsed or came to an end. Each title also focuses on a major architectural monument (the Aztecan Temple Mayor, the Great Wall of China, the Great Sphinx in Egypt, the Parthenon in Rome) as an enduring landmark of the society's culture that still stands today. Photos and illustrations depicting the culture are bordered by lots of white space on each page, helping young readers focus on the large print and age-appropriate text.

–Josie Stanmyre, School Library Connection , 3/1/2020