MacDonald, Fiona – författare

How did monks and nuns live, work and worship? A Medieval Monastery opens the doors to a self-contained community, charting the rise of Benedictine rules, the splendour of Cluny, the graft of craftsmen, the making of books, the importance of cleanliness, and the care given in monastic hospitals. Clear, engaging text sits alongside detailed cutaways, timelines and scene-by-scene spreads that cover food, farming, daily routines and later reform movements, as well as the spread of Christianity and pilgrimages across Europe. Ideal for project work and independent reading, this authoritative, visually led title makes the Middle Ages vivid, accessible and memorable for today's readers.

The Classic Comics series is the authoritative graphic guide to the greatest masterpieces in literary history.Jane Eyre's world is about to change for the better, but all is not as it seems... Will she get the life she's always wanted, or will her dreams be set ablaze? This classic tale of social class, love and suffering is presented as an exciting and fast-paced graphic novel which remains faithful to Charlotte Brontë's original text.Full-colour artwork brings excitement and atmosphere to this classic tale. Speech bubbles work with the main text to emphasise and enhance the retelling. A running glossary at the foot of each page helps young readers with any challenging vocabulary without disrupting their reading experience.

It's the end of the 15th century, and your days as a battle-hardened soldier are over. You're broke, injured, and desperate for work-so you take a job running the castle prison. But beware: this is no cosy posting! From filthy cells teeming with rats and lice to prisoners plotting escape, every day brings danger, stench, and the constant threat of disease.In this immersive, first-person narrative, readers experience the grim realities of medieval justice-torture devices, corrupt officials, innocent captives, and the harsh punishments meted out to traitors, thieves, and troublemakers. Packed with comic-style illustrations, fascinating historical facts, and "Handy Hints" for survival, this instalment in the bestselling You Wouldn't Want to Be series makes history irresistibly funny, gruesome, and unforgettable. Perfect for reluctant readers, budding historians, and Horrible Histories fans alike.

The Tudor age is ending and the stakes are deadly. As a young servant in Yorkshire, you live in a country divided by religion and fear, where Catholic Recusants worship in secret and government spies are always listening. When Guy Fawkes leaves for Europe to fight with Catholic armies, you follow, learning the dangerous science of gunpowder and explosives. Returning to London, hopes of greater freedom under the new King James collapse, and a desperate group of men plot a shocking plan: blow up Parliament, kill the king and change England forever.Told in a gripping second-person narrative, the reader is thrust into the heat of the Gunpowder Plot. With handy hints, timelines and vivid scene-setting, you experience the conspirators' secret meetings, close calls and the catastrophic failure of the plot, right through to interrogation, imprisonment and their grim fate. A glossary and index support confident curriculum use and independent reading.

Scotland's history is anything but ordinary, and this lively guide proves it. Scotland: A Very Peculiar History brings the nation's story together in one engaging volume, tracing events from early settlers and ancient monuments to kings, queens, inventors, rebels and revolutionaries. Packed with strange-but-true tales, grisly moments, surprising achievements and sharp humour, it explores how Scotland was shaped by invasion, invention, religion, empire and resistance. Readers will encounter doomed monarchs, fierce clan chiefs, religious radicals, world-changing thinkers and unlikely heroes, while discovering how Scottish identity evolved through centuries of conflict, union and dramatic change. Accessible, fast-paced and richly illustrated, this is narrative history with personality, filled with timelines, fact boxes, maps and comic-style artwork. Perfect for curious readers who want to know not just what happened but why it mattered, this book is an entertaining, informative introduction to Scotland's past for families, classrooms and anyone who enjoys history with a twist.

Where do Christmas traditions really come from and why do we do them? Christmas: A Very Peculiar History takes a witty, sideways look at the season's myths, mysteries and merriment, uncovering the stories behind everything from midwinter rituals and the Twelve Days of Christmas to decorations, gift-giving and the meaning of Boxing Day.Blending lively storytelling with quirky snippets and seasonal sidebars, readers will discover how pagan evergreens became Christmas decorations, why 'Xmas' isn't a modern invention, and how different countries celebrate the darkest days of the year. With festive features throughout, from a simple Yule Log-style recipe and a glossary for curious minds, it's the perfect dip-in companion for anyone who likes their Christmas with a twist.

This title lets you step back to the time of shoguns and samurai, with 15 step-by-step projects and over 330 exciting pictures. You can discover the amazing Japanese civilization and learn about a culture that has existed for thousands of years. You can marvel at the secrets of this island nation - a land of emperors and shoguns, tea ceremonies and martial arts. It features fact boxes that provide extra insights and highlight links with the present; 15 practical projects that enable you to re-create the past - wear a dramatic theatrical mask, fly a carp streamer, decorate an elaborate Japanese screen, and make a magnificent helmet fit for a samurai warrior; and more than 330 photographs and illustrations that include diagrams, a historical map and a pictorial timeline. It is ideal for home or school use for 8- to 12-year-olds. This title lets you step back in time more than 30,000 years, to when the first settlers reached Japan and a highly sophisticated civilization was born. You can explore the grand palaces of regal emperors and shoguns, be amazed by the fighting skills of the feuding samurai, and admire the exquisite embroidery of the palace women's glossy silk kimonos.It features step-by-step projects that allow you to delve into everyday life and find out about ancient Japanese foods, skills and fashions - make delicious rice balls, try your hand at the delicate art of calligraphy, and sculpt a netsuke toggle.