Do You Want to Be a Medieval Knight?

Gr 3–5—Readers are encouraged to "interview" for positions as elites of past cultures in this engaging series. Each begins with a single-page introduction, list of the criteria for the "job," and map of the person's society. Subsequent spreads describe education or training, clothing or uniforms, weapons and equipment, lifestyle, dangers and rewards, and possibilities for social or military advancement, and conclude with an interview (quiz). Each spread has a topic paragraph and a number of lengthy captions for the many illustrations. Those well-drawn and realistic images, supplemented by photos of artifacts and locations, often include steps in a process and labeled cutaways and diagrams so readers can envision how people lived and how things worked. Nude figures in Aztec and Greek Athlete avoid frontal views.