Ancient Rome: An Interactive History Adventure by Rachael Hanel

With a format similar to the Choose Your Own Adventure stories, Ancient Rome: An Interactive History Adventure informs the reader of what life was like in Ancient Rome. The reader is able to choose to experience Rome as a wealthy Roman, a woman, or a poor Roman citizen. As the story unfolds, the reader makes one decision after another which affects the following actions. For example, the reader can choose to be a Roman Senator and then is asked to either support Pompey or Caesar. What happens next is contingent upon what decision the reader makes.

By presenting the facts in a story format and forcing the reader to become actively involved in the outcome, the reader discovers information about Ancient Rome's history, culture, and government without realizing it. This is ideal for reluctant readers and those that don't generally want to read non-fiction. While I applaud the format, it does limit the detailed information included. It leads to just a brief overview of life in Ancient Rome, and the reader would need additional sources for reports. My grade? A 'C.'