The Gruesome Truth About: The Middle Ages

by Jillian Powell, Matt Buckingham

Covering different historical eras, this informative series details all the topics one would expect to find in a history series, such as family life, food, religion, entertainment and warfare. However, it focuses on the most gruesome parts of these topics.

32 pages, Library Binding

First published December 15, 2010

Reviews

[Savvy]

I got this at the library as a fun, quick refresher on the interesting details of life in the Middle Ages. It's on a reading level for kids about 5-9 years old, but I think anyone can enjoy it.
The book goes into several gory details of the Middle Ages, including meals, diseases, medical practices, slaves, and torture. I don't believe the book is overly violent, but I wouldn't read it before lunch (which I made the mistake of doing, ick!). There are cartoon illustrations on every page, and "True of False" or "Guess the Object" questions in some sections with answers in the back.

[Kellee Moye]

What I Think: History was always one of the hardest subjects for me- I never found it that interesting. I was never sure if it was me or how I was taught it, but either way I have found that I love learning about history now. This is why historical fiction has become one of my favorite genres throughout the years. This also is why I love finding good informational non-fiction books about history that makes it seem more interesting than a bunch of dates that you have to memorize.