Books published by publisher Franklin Watts, 2009

Learn how moneylending grew into today's banking industry, and how credit allows us to spend money we don't even have.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.None of us has as much money as we would like, but imagine if money didn't exist at all. How would we buy the things we need, or sell the things we don't need? Who would decide whether a basket of fruit is worth the same as a hunting spear? Many things have been used as money, from live animals through cowrie shells to plastic cards.

Attila cut a swath of destruction so wide that his victims thought he was a punishment sent from Heaven.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. One leader, Attila, united the Huns and brought the mighty Roman Empire to the brink of collapse.

Get ready . . . as a trusted slave in a quiet Roman town in 79 CE, you're about to undergo the most terrifying experience of your life.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. You'll never forget what it's like to live in Pompeii. Find out all about the horrible fate of the residents of Pompeii, what remains of the town today, and how Vesuvius' victims were preserved for eternity.

Get ready...as a barber surgeon, you are about to embark on a career in which you will have to treat gruesome diseases. It's revolting!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.

He became king of Macedonia at age 20 - but no kingdom could contain the ambition of Alexander the Great.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. He would carve a 12,000-mile path across Asia, defeating princes, satraps, and kings. Alexander, it was said, was the son of a god. He could not be defeated in battle. And he was destined to rule the world.

You don't really get a choice about gravity. If you live on Earth, you're going to have to live with it.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.If you become an astronaut, you might get to escape from gravity for a while, but it will be waiting for you when you get home. But gravity does a lot of useful things - such as keeping us on the Earth and holding the entire universe together! Learn how gravity was discovered and why it helps us to understand everything from how toothpaste comes out of the tube to the movements of the planets.

That hour that drags, that day you can't wait for-and those months of blissful sun that you count down to!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.All these things have been made measurable by clocks and calendars. Although time may not always be on our side, without clocks and calendars we would forget birthdays, be late for appointments, and miss out on important things in life.