Malam, John – författare

It is 1842 and Britain is the "workshop of the world". Cotton mills rise above the smoky streets of Manchester, their machines clattering day and night. At eleven years old, you are bound to work long hours in one of them. From the workhouse to the spinning room, this gripping second-person narrative plunges readers into the harsh reality of child labour during the Industrial Revolution. You carry heavy cans in the carding room, crawl beneath roaring spinning mules, dodge overseers' straps and try not to choke on cotton dust. When fire strikes the mill and strikes erupt across Lancashire, survival becomes even more uncertain.Filled with comic illustrations, vivid historical detail and dark humour, this book explores the global cotton trade, urban poverty and the fight for workers' rights. A compelling companion for KS2 studies of Victorian Britain and the Industrial Revolution, it supports independent learning with a glossary and index.

Grab your pick axe and your canary cage - it's time to mine for coal in the Victorian pits! As a British man living in a coal-mining village during the Victorian era, you're forced to endure the dangers, difficulties and despair of working underground in the 1800s. It's gruelling work, with long hours, unpredictable equipment and terrifying conditions. Discover how to get through a day in the pits with a succession of handy hints, such as not forgetting your canary bird and singing mining ballads to keep your spirits high. You'll soon learn that you really wouldn't want to be a Victorian miner! The ever-popular 'You Wouldn't Want to Be' series transports readers to some of the grisliest times and places in history, perfect for reluctant readers! The humorous, first-person narrative approach places children directly in the shoes of some of history's most unfortunate people ever to have lived, great for engaging students with the history curriculum and encouraging further non-fiction reading.

Grab your spears and shields - it's time to enter the arena!The Romans have invaded Gallia and you are captured to fight, kill and die in a suitably sporting manner to entertain their crowds. If you survive, you could become a hero - but don't count on it. Join gladiator school and learn first hand what life was like as you eat, sleep and train like a gladiator!The ever-popular 'You Wouldn't Want to Be' series transports readers to some of the grisliest times and places in history, perfect for reluctant readers! The humorous, first-person narrative approach places children directly in the shoes of some of history's most unfortunate people ever to have lived, great for engaging students with the history curriculum and encouraging further non-fiction reading.