Books in What's%20So%20Special%20About series

Michael Rosen’s lively exploration of Shakespeare, reissued in an accessible new format for young middle-grade readers.More than four hundred years after William Shakespeare’s death, his name is known in every corner of the world. Why? Celebrated poet, critic, and Shakespeare enthusiast Michael Rosen answers that question with humor, knowledge, and appreciation, offering a whirlwind tour of Shakespeare’s life, his London, and four of his plays: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Macbeth, King Lear, and The Tempest.

A true adventure story full of trains, explosives, sneaky tactics, spying, and dinosaurs! The Bone Wars tells the true story of the battle to be the most famous dinosaur hunter in the world! The "Great Dinosaur Rush" was an amazing time in U.S. history when the hunt for dinosaurs really began. Would the two gentlemen scientists who led the hunt play nicely and work together or would their desperation to be the best lead them to behave very, very badly? Told as a story for children for the very first time, the book is thoroughly engaging and factually correct, and will delight all budding paleontologists! Thoughtfully illustrated, it brings 19th-century America alive.

Michael Rosen’s lively exploration of Dickens, reissued in an accessible new format for young middle-grade readers.From the Artful Dodger to Miss Havisham to Scrooge, Charles Dickens brought some of our favorite fictional characters to life. But what inspired him? Who was the man behind the pen? Michael Rosen’s chatty and engaging narrative helps answer these questions and explores the world of Dickens and four of his best-loved books: A Christmas Carol, Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, and Great Expectations.