Books published by publisher Franklin Watts

Pirating might sound like a fun business, but what is it like to be on the receiving end of it?This interactive series will enthrall young and reluctant readers (Ages 8-12) by making them part of the story, inviting them to become the main character. Each book uses humorous illustrations to depict the sometimes dark and horrific side of life during important eras in history. Pirates have many ingenious tortures, and once they have got what they want from you, the best you can hope for is to be marooned on an island.

Learn about how simple machines enable practically everything around us to work.This series takes readers (Ages 8-12) on a historical journey, examining how people coped in the past and how they developed ingenious ways to make life safer and less unpleasant. Each book features full-color cartoon-style illustrations and hilarious speech bubbles to heighten interest, making the series attractive even to reluctant readers.Simple machines are around us all the time and we use them every day. You might not even think of them as machines. Many are built into complex (compound) machines-but the simple machine is still in there, doing its job. Learn about how simple machines enable practically everything around us to work, allowing us to travel in wheeled vehicles, lift very heavy objects, fix things together, and break things apart.

This book examines what it was like to be a British secret agent working behind enemy lines in France during World War II.This interactive series will enthrall young and reluctant readers (Ages 8-12) by making them part of the story, inviting them to become the main character. Each book uses humorous illustrations to depict the sometimes dark and horrific side of life during important eras in history. This book examines what it was like to be a British secret agent working behind enemy lines in France during World War II, describing the training, equipment, and techniques used by spies and the danger they faced during their missions.

This book explores the lives of these gigantic creatures, exploring their diet, physical characteristics, and how they could defend themselves against predators.The first dinosaurs were small meat-eaters, or carnivores, that snapped up bugs and other small creatures. Then some dinosaurs started eating plants. They were herbivores. Over millions of years, bigger and bigger dinosaurs evolved. The plant-eaters, or herbivores, were the biggest by far. Some of them were really awesome giants more than 30 metres (100 ft) long, and standing taller than a house. They were the biggest creatures that have ever lived on land.

What are your chances of surviving America's bloodiest war?This interactive series will enthrall young and reluctant readers (Ages 8-12) by making them part of the story, inviting them to become the main character. Each book uses humorous illustrations to depict the sometimes dark and horrific side of life during important eras in history. It's 1861. War has broken out between the United States and the Confederate States of America, and you have answered President Lincoln's call for volunteers to fight for the Union. This new extended edition includes a Civil War timeline, details of major battles, and fascinating information on the role of women in the Civil War.

What would happen if there were no bees in this world? It would be a disaster!This series takes readers (Ages 8-12) on a historical journey, examining how people coped in the past and how they developed ingenious ways to make life safer and less unpleasant. Each book features full-color cartoon-style illustrations and hilarious speech bubbles to heighten interest, making the series attractive even to reluctant readers.Without bees, we would, of course, have no honey. But we'd also lose a lot of other foods and useful products like cotton produced by plants that bees pollinate. Around half the fruit and vegetables in our supermarkets would disappear! Not only that, we would also lose the animals that eat these plants, and the animals that eat those animals! Some people are scared of bees, but there's rarely any need to be. Bees will sting in self-defence, but usually they don't disturb humans. Yet we need them. As far as important species are concerned, bees are at the top of the list - you really wouldn't want to live without them!

Julius Caesar rose from chaos to bring order to Rome.The wicked ways of some of the most ruthless rulers to walk the earth are revealed in these thrilling biographies (A Wicked History) about men and women so monstrous, they make Frankenstein look like a sweetheart. After gaining power, he attacked his allies and won a brutal civil war. Then he declared himself dictator and ruled Rome from a golden throne.