The Thrifty Guide to Ancient Rome and The Thrifty Guide to the American Revolution Book Review

I have a house full of history loving kids. We really take our history series around here. We also like to have fun with history. I like hearing a good hearty laugh when you’re learning about such a serious subject like history.

Recently, we had an opportunity to review The Thrifty Guide to Ancient Rome: A Handbook for Time Travelers and The Thrifty Guide to the American Revolution: A Handbook for Time Travelers by Penguin Random House and Jonathan W. Stokes. 

The books are told from the perceptive of Time Corp.The books are set up as a vacation guide book in the future. There is even a passport book with stickers to add into your passport. The years are 2163 and 2164 and this is a guide to help you navigate history as you travel back in time. You may need some information on how to ride a horse, where to eat, people of interest to have lunch with, what to wear, and some places and dates to visit. 

My kids enjoyed the section on ‘How to Prank the Past”. I have to say that it started a wild fire in our house. Now whenever we are reading about anything history related my son comes up with some crazy ways you could prank the past. I don’t see it stopping anytime soon. 

I like that many historical figures are covered and a brief bio on them is told. Also some important events during these time periods are covered.

The Thrifty Guide to the American Revolution: A Handbook for Time Travelers covers the Boston Tea Party, pivotal battles, the differences in the armies, How to fire a Musket, and much more.

The Thrifty Guide to Ancient Rome: A Handbook for Time Travelers covers the Roman Civil War, Julius Caesar, What to do if your attacked by a barbarian, Five ways to die in Rome, and several other battles and historical figures in history.

There are a few things that you may not be ready to introduce your kids to. The books are for ages: 8-12. Just a warning a bit odd in the book for the intended age range.

 My kids looked for a reference in the back of the book as they wanted to see what resources the information came from. They were a bit disappointed not knowing where the information came from.

Overall, a fun approach to history. These would be great for kids who don’t care for history that much. I don’t know many kids who don’t like to joke around. While they are laughing they can be learning about history.

I received a free copy of this product from Penguin Random House in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family. I am disclosing this information accordance with the FTC Regulations