Live Like a Roman - by Claire Saunders (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

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 civilization 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
• 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.

Review Quotes

"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."--Booklist

"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...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."--English Association

"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

"A wealth of information on a wide range of topics...Practical activities...Detailed illustrations"--Red Reading Hub

Another fantastic non-fiction offering by [Button Books]...The cover itself is brightly bold and visually eye catching and the book has a really clear and child friendly layout...An excellent and entertaining book that approaches the topic with some great, fresh new angles"--Reading Zone

"Live Like a Roman is a hardback, easy-to-read and follow, illustrated book to help children to discover the secrets of ancient Rome in a fun way...This book brings the ancient past to life and is perfect to read at home or can function as a classroom resource for teachers and homeschooling families."--Rachael Jess

"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

"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

"It's an informative and immersive guide to the Roman civilisation that brings the ancient world to life"--@the_treasure_outdoors

"From emperors and senators to gladiators and enslaved workers, learn all about childhood, society and family life. Their religion, medicine, diet and entertainment. There's crafty things to make, such as theatre masks and panpipes, games to play and recipes for honey cake, Roman salad and posca to try."--@raising_bookworms

"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 brilliant non fiction book is full of fascinating information and really will tell you everything you need to know about the Roman Empire. There are easy to read facts, storytelling, craft projects, recipes and gorgeous illustrations throughout making this a very accessible book."--@family_book_club

"Not only do [the Factology books] look aesthetically pleasing on the shelf with their bold and colourful spines, they're also helpful kids NonFiction books to have at hand, perfect for a school library of to support learning at home."--@mini.midnight.reads

"This fascinating book details who the Romans were, what society looked like, what a day in the life of a slave consisted of, Roman fashion, travel, entertainment and so much more. Related crafts are scattered throughout including things like making your own theatre mask of how to make a panpipe. I highly recommend this one for curious littles!"--@picturebookrecommendations

"This book invites children on a trip to ancient Roma to discover what life as a Roman was like. Filled with facts, crafts, and gorgeous artwork this is perfect to encourage children to learn about history."--@thekidsbookstagrammer

"I asked my 10 year old non fiction lover what he liked about the books and he said that they chose interesting topics to focus on and broke it down in small sections of information written in a way he could understand well."--@because.my.mother.read

"This lovely book 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. Great read for #backtoschool."--@stylishmodernmotherhood

About the Author

Claire Saunders has been writing and editing for more than 20 years. Specializing 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.

Ruth Hickson has worked in the print design industry since graduating from Manchester Metropolitan University with an MA in printed textiles in 1996, first in New York and then London for a variety of different studios. She now works from her studio in the beautiful Stroud valleys designing for a variety of markets including kids, food illustration, maps, home décor and stationery. She also designs and produces a small range of prints and gifts for sale on Etsy.