Reveals the revolting truth behind the rebellious, revolutionary French, from the tortured times o the Dark Ages to the murderous moments of the 19th Century. This title discusses which King thought he was made of glass; why French bread was once made from broken tiles and bricks; and, how to pla...
Go underground to discover London's putrid past, take a trip to the terrifying Tower and then dip into the River Thames - London's largest toilet. Find out the ten worst ways to make a living in the city and the most disgusting way to die. History has never been so horrible! Ages 8+.
After the pharaoh dies, Neria's father gives her the job of mummifying the pharaoh's cat, which is still alive.
Old, ailing Elizabeth I is on the throne, but a rebellion to overthrow her is being plotted by the dashing Earl of Essex. One of the rallying points for the uprising will be the Globe Theatre. But, when the Queen learns of the plan, the plotters are defeated.
213 BC. The great inventor Archimedes has just one problem. His clumsy servant, young Lydia, is the bane of his life. But when the Romans besiege Syracuse, and the Greeks turn to Archimedes for help, it is Lydia who always seems to come up with the answers.
The niece of King Henry VII of England infiltrates the servants' quarters to find out if one of the kitchen helpers is trying to become king.
A poor serving girl conspires to save an innocent woman that Lord Scuggate is planning to burn as a witch in order to impress the queen.
Tutankhamen has been buried in his rocky tomb. But there is a plot to rob the grave of its vast wealth as soon as possible after the funeral. A motley gang of villains have all the skills they need to undertake the crime - the key member of the team is young Paneb, who is small enough to slip thr...
To make some extra money, a poor student in ancient Egypt agrees to help an old woman get rid of a ghost, but instead he discovers the true identity of the phantom and receives a rich reward.
This fun and fast activity book comes with an adorable stopwatch featuring Pochacco, the on-the-go pup. Readers can time themselves in wacky challenges designed for 1, 2, 3 or more
430 B.C. Darius has been orphaned by the plague in Athens. To escape the sickness he runs off to join his Uncle Alcmaeon who is a general with the Spartan army. But he finds the Spartan way of life quite shocking. To the arrogant and ruthless Spartans, he is worthless. Then his uncle falls sick a...
A clever trick saves the workers who are building the Great Pyramid from being punished, and their working conditions are improved as well.
750 BC. The boys at school are excited. The Olympics are coming to the city. They may be too young to compete, but their teacher suggests the school should have its own games. Of course, girls have no part at all in these festivities, so Ellie can only watch as her twin brother, Cypselis, prepare...
There was none. She threw herself into the arena entrance. She ran inside and up some steps that led out into the rows of seats. Luckily, the first race had finished so the crowd had quietened down. Hundreds of people were able to hear her scream: “Fire – the arena’s on fire!” The masses turned a...
The knights made a lot of noise and shouted at her. But that wasn’t why she hated the feasts. The cooks in the kitchen made her run and fetch heavy bags of corn, pots big enough for her to bathe in and logs that were larger than her. But that wasn’t why she hated the feasts. The maids poked fun a...
It was the evening I met the stranger. I met him on the road to the palace. He was an old man with a grey beard and a dusty robe. He slipped from the shadow of a side street and stopped me.He pointed at the tortoise shell I carried. “You have a lyre,” he said. “You must be a poet.”“I am. I’m goin...
Men moaned in their sleep from pain or hunger. From time to time shots rang out as the enemy crept through the moonlit trees and our guards fired. I slipped down to the stream at the bottom of the bank. I filled cans with water and waited for a bullet to hit me. That bullet never arrived. But the...
When she read us stories her little eyes grew wide and her voice grew excited. Some of the kids in her class stared at her, mouths open, as if her words were dripping honey. Me and my brother Jamie thought she looked plain daft. ‘“Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who is fairest of them all?”’ the tea...
‘As you say, we will win this war soon and be free again. Very well, Englishman. Lead me to your prison camp.’ Millie sprinted off to the village pub, the Plough. Moments later the special constables spilled out onto the village green. They formed a line behind the Germans to stop them escaping i...
The castle is grey. And the castle has a gruesome tale to tell. The castle is known as Hylton Castle and it stands – grim, grey and gruesome – on a hillside by the River Wear in the north of England. You can see it there today – a sad shell of a hollow hall. The castle is cold. The roof is gone, ...
It stretched for miles along the English roads. At its head was the round-shouldered shape of King Richard III. And, just behind him, his prisoner, chained to a pony and guarded by the menacing Ratcliffe. The king led his army westwards to where he knew the enemy were coming. “You will see how a ...
They were frightening times. There was only one path to the Capitol Hill, so it was easy for our temple troops to defend it. The Gauls who rushed up the hill were chopped down, just as they had slaughtered the senators. The Gauls who fled back down the hill started burning and robbing the city be...
“Caratacus? The mighty chief? My father told me about your amazing deeds. You are the greatest hero Britannia has ever seen. You are a god … they could never capture you, my lord!” The man chuckled softly. “Not in battle, no. But the Romans have other ways. And I was a fool.” “No, you’re a hero,”...
Ulrich said, and he walked towards the bar of the tavern. Leonard the landlord backed away. The shining steel of the swinging sword filled him with fear. His daughter Meg was not afraid. “We love tales in this tavern,” she said. “But we hear the same ones time and time again. If you have a new ta...
The man supped it and said, “Look at the birds in the trees.” “Birds? You were telling me about ghosts,” Pertinax groaned. “The birds have no spirits – there are no ghost birds to haunt us. If there were, we would never sleep. We catch them, kill them and eat them. Imagine if their sprits wanted ...