Medieval Society describes life under the feudal system, the growth of towns and trade, and the influence of the church on society. Young readers will be captivated by this account of the daily lives of:
• the nobility
• knights
• peasants
• monks and nuns
• townspeople
• medieval Muslims
For ages 8-14.
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The anicent Incas developed a government based on the conquest of neighboring communities, at the same time preserving the local customs and traditions of the cultures that came before. Beautiful images portray the land now known as Peru, as well as the astounding people who lived there prior to the arrival of the Spanish.
Topics include
• the Moche and Nazca peoples
• agricultural innovations, including irrigation and terraced farming
• Nazca geoglyphs and ray centers
• record-keeping when most could not read or write
• mummification, textile weaving, pottery, ancestor and nature worship
• the extensive Inca road network
Index and Glossary included. For ages 8-14.
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The Indus River Valley was once home
to thriving communities of peoples who worked the land now known as Pakistan. Some of the world’s oldest civilizations, including the Harappans and the Maurya and Gupta empires, grew in this fertile region. This beautiful new book beautifully documents the lives of these remarkable people from long ago.
Topics include
• farming innovations that helped support larger populations
• the arrival of Hinduism and Buddhism
• daily life in a Harappan village
• the development of the caste system
• early language and writing
• the arrival of the White Huns
Table of Contents:
Indus Civilization
A Land of Riches
A Trading Nation
Cities made of Clay
Life of the Aryans
Rulers and Empires
Religions and Beliefs
Words and Writing
Arts and Culture
Amazing Inventions
From Rise to Ruin
Ancient Legacies
Glossary and Index
Glossy paperback, 32p. For ages 8-14.
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Life of the Ancient Celts depicts the legendary people that ruled the extensive region that stretched out in all directions from present-day Austria. Known as ferocious warriors, the Celts were skilled forgers of iron. The discovery of salt also allowed the Celts to become wealthy through trade with the rest of Europe until their eventual ruin by Roman conquerors.
Topics include
• technological achievements
• the smelting of iron ore and the forging of weapons, shields, and helmets
• the design of hillfort towns
• sacrifices to pagan gods, hillside chalk etchings, and the education of Druids
• Celtic languages, including Gaelic, Welsh, and Cornish
• land ownership and paying rent and taxes
• metal, glass, and enamelware
Table of Contents:
Celtic Civiization
Along the Danube
Celtic Empire
A Varied Economy
A Celtic Town
Social Structure
Daily Life
Language and Learning
Religion and Beliefs
Art and Music
Technology
Roman Conquest
Index and Glossary included. Glossy paperback, 32p. For ages 8-14.
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The mighty Roman empire grew from a collection of farming villages and shepherd’s huts to become one of the fiercest conquering societies of all time. Beautiful color images and illustrations fully explain how Rome came to be and came to an end. Daily life in a massive empire is explained in simple terms.
Topics include:
• The founding of Rome and the Romulus and Remus myth
• What Romans ate everyday and grand Roman feasts
• Who were Rome’s caesars and senators and what did they do?
• How the Roman army conquered most of Europe
• Roman gods and goddesses
• Architectural and technological wonders of Rome
Table of Contents:
People of the Seven Hills
City by the river
Rise of Roman rule
Military might
When in Rome
The economy
Language and learning
Religion, values and beliefs
Arts and culture
Science and technology
The decline
Index and Glossary included. Glossy paperback, 32p. For ages 8-14.
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Ancients Greece is known for its Olympic games but children will learn far more about the everyday lives of the ancient Greeks through full color photographs of Greek architecture and art. The Greeks gave the world democracy, a mythology still studied today, and many great thinkers.
Topics include:
• The Trojan War and its ten year history
• Greek gods and goddesses
• The fighting culture of Sparta and the origins of the word spartan
• The legend of the Minotaur
• Ancient Greek family life
Table of Contents:
Glory of Greece
Greek Way of Life
Rise of the Polis
Farming and Trade
Daily Life in Greece
Gods of Olympus
Words and Wisdom
Cultural Life
Eureka!
Alpha to Omega
Index and Glossary included. Glossy paperback, 32p. Ages 8-14.
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The Egyptian civilization is one of the oldest in human history. Travel back in time to see how the Ancient Egyptians built magnificent pyramids, developed a system of writing, harnessed the Nile River for agriculture and made their own medicine. Your children will love the full-color illustrations of ancient Egyptian life that explain how people really livediduring that time.
Topics include:
• How mummies were made and buried
• The afterlife and ancient Egyptian gods and goddesses
• How ancient Egyptians farmed and what they ate
• Ancient Egyptian art and architecture
• Hieroglyphs and how to interpret them
Index and Glossary included. Glossy paperback, 32p. Ages 8-14.
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From the first hunting and gathering societies to the great Nubian kingdoms of Kush, Africa has for centuries been the center of great cultural activity across its mountains, deserts, and rainforests. Life in Ancient Africa portrays the major civilizations of the ancient African era using maps and beautiful full-color photographs and illustrations.
Topics include
• Zimbabwe, Aksum, Meroe, Ghana, Mali, and Songhai
• the rise of hundreds of regional dialects
• pyramids, temples, royal tombs, and palaces
• irrigation and other farming techniques
• Trans-Sahara caravan routes and trade with the rest of the world
• the discovery of mineral resources
• an oral storytelling culture
• music and dance
Glossary and Index included. Glossy paperback, 32p. Ages 8-14.
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With a history that stretches back over 6,000 years, ancient Mesopotamia was home to many great cultures and empires. Illustrative maps and timelines will teach children the complex history of the area that is now modern-day Iraq. Also a good accompaniment to studies of Ancient Israel.
Topics include:
• The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers and the cradle of civilization
• The great cities of Ur and Babylon
• The Sumerians, Akkadians, Assyrians and many other ancient peoples
• The eye for an eye system of ancient justice
• Ancient cuneiform writing
Index and Glossary included. Glossy paperback, 32p. Ages8-14.
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This fascinating book describes how Japan grew from rule by local chieftains to an emperor-led nation with many noble families competing for prominence. Beautiful spreads and full-color photographs unveil Japan’s rich history and the people who struggled to make it their own.
Topics include
• wet rice cultivation
• trade with other cultures, their influence,and isolation in the 17th century
• from early pit dwellings to the development of castle towns
• nature worship, the rise of Shinto, and Buddhism and Confucianism
• life as a samurai warrior
• sword making and pottery
• herbal medicine
Index and Glossary included.
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