You Wouldn't Want to Live in a Medieval Castle!: a home you'd rather not inhabit by Jacqueline Morley Illustrated by David Antram

from goodreads

4 stars

I know I seem to go on and on about the weather, but dang! It's cold. It's not so much the actual temperature. It is the wind chill that get's you. Just like in the summer. It is not so much the temperature, but the humidity. Oh well. Southern Ontario will probably be my home forever so I better stop the griping and just get on with it.

I think that is what we do. We always think the grass is greener somewhere else. If I only lived there, life could be perfect. But then, when you take a closer look at it, things might not be better at all. Example, Hawaii. It looks beautiful, the beaches look great, but, there are giant cockroaches. Eww. Sweden sounds cool, but I don't speak swedish. No place is perfect, so you make due with what you have.

It is the same with time periods. Some people would love to live in some era in the past. Meanwhile I am quite happy to be living here. Women have more rights, their are no rigid social conventions, we have antibiotics and know about the importance of sterilization and sanitation. It is quite nice. To quote Dorothy, there's no place like home.

Synopsis

Ever want to live in medieval times surrounded by knights and in castles. Well you might want to rethink that. This book takes a look at the Rochester Castle, just before and during a siege. It gives great detail to what life was like back then for the ordinary person. I'm glad I don't live there.

My Thoughts

This is one of a series of books that look at different places to live and different historical times. It seems like a great series.

This is a well researched and I would say fairly accurate representation of what life was like back then. Though the pages are full of details and information it does not feel overwhelming. The layout of the page allows you to read as little or as much as you want about castle life.

I liked how the author wrote from the perspective of a young girl. You are better able to grasp what everyday life was like. It was also cool how she based all the information around a real life event. It gave the book just that much more historical context.

This would be a great book/series to look at if your older child has to do a research project. This book would give them enough information to be a launching pad to other books and facts to look up. It is great for background information. This book would be great for ages 8 and up.