I let my 7-year-olds rate this book. I’m not sure I Qwould have been quite so generous, but they did quite enjoy it. I didn’t love the illustration style. Other books in the series have illustrations we like better. It is very informative, and covers a lot of aspects of life in the 1890s. I did have to edit “100 years ago” throughout the book to “120” or “130 years ago,” since the book has been around since the 1990s.

These aren’t really living history books as I would prefer them, but they are a good way to introduce history. Hopefully, when we start other history instruction, these books will provide a bit of foundation.

Fabulously illustrated and written book:) Such a welcome addition to learn about history!

v. nice book, lots of pictures and illos. new york at the turn of the century. compares living conditions, food, wages, sports, books etc.

I found this book extremely interesting. People of all ages can learn something from this book. It would be an excellent book to use when teaching about all of the immigrants that traveled to America.

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This was a pretty good little overview for the younger set. Loved the illustrations. It did, at times, seem a bit biased in favor of pitying the poor and vilifying the wealthy (though under the conditions of the era, I can understand that inclination). I would have preferred the author vary her terminology for the upper class rather than refer to them as "rich people" throughout. However, if the goal is to show kids today how good they have it in comparison to late 19th century era NYC, this should do the trick. I liked how the author worked in a question and answer format, answering questions like "Were there bathrooms in tenements?" and "What did things cost in 1890?" It was very accessible.

Read with my boys. Very informative and the boys liked the illustrations.

one of my daughters loves this series of books. We read for school; tie in with history

100 years ago was my grandparents' generation, and some of the things in this book were a part of my own childhood. It's good to know life from not-so-long ago was passed down to me in family traditions and games, recipes, and life-style.

This is a great book for children to read to learn about how the people of our country lived in the past. Things were so much different than they were now, so it is definitely an eye opener for children. It is a little bit lengthy, but each section is very interesting to read. Each section has a question like; Who watched the kids? or Where did people shop? This is a good book for any age to learn about how our country has changed over the years.

Very informative..nice pictures also..

I plan to read many more of these "if you" books with the kids.
Great illustrations, and the information is presented in a fun way.