Ancient Egypt 1535 BC

Gr 4–6—The texts use either first or second person as a narrative device to describe what readers would see if transported back to each place and time. This structure, in combination with the breezy and informal language, allows for the incorporation of trivia as well as the books' best feature, interactive activities such as deciphering pictographs or writing in ancient languages. Topics are typical for ancient history texts, with information about each civilization's organization, government, economy, family life, and cultural and technical achievements. Sidebar comprehension questions and discussion prompts are intrusive and will draw students out of the text or back to the "present." This set doesn't improve on recent, similarly styled sets like Gareth Stevens' very good "Encounters with the Past."