Wicked History Series
The Wicked History series is recommended by Pam Allyn Best Books for Boys.
To help parents determine which books suit their son’s reading level, Ms. Allyn uses categories like developing readers (ages 7 to 10) and mature readers (ages 10 to 13). She also notes that the categories are approximations and some boys may read above or below the suggested levels for each age range. This is a point worth noting when it comes to the Wicked History series (recommended for developing to mature readers), since it includes some themes that parents may deem inappropriate for younger boys.
Each book in the Wicked History series discusses a major historical figure with a bad reputation. Subjects include Ivan the Terrible, Robespierre, Napoleon, Mary Tudor, Rasputin, Catherine the Great and many others.
The books begin with a map showing key locations pertaining to the story, along with a “wicked web,” which is like a family tree of important connections in the person’s life. They all conclude with a chapter entitled “Wicked?” which summarizes the person’s life but asks the reader to form his or her own opinion, a great way to encourage critical thinking skills. The final chapter is followed by a timeline and additional resources, both print and online.
Before beginning the story, which follows each person from birth until death, the first few pages pull the reader in with passages like the following: “Friends had warned Rasputin not to go out. His enemies were plotting against him, they said. Any day now, he could be murdered. But Rasputin refused to listen.”
The books are non-fiction and, as such, they do not pull any punches. The opening passage from the volume on Robespierre is an example: “On a summer morning, thousands of people lined the streets of Paris to see Maximilien Robespierre taken to his death. A wooden cart carried the broken man through the crowd toward a high platform. On the platform stood the killing machine that Robespierre had made famous in recent months: the guillotine.”
The books in this series are very well written. They offer a succinct history of the era in which each person lived, the influence they had, and the reasons for their notoriety. In fact, parents might learn as much from these books as their children. But because they do not gloss over the violent lives of their subjects, the books may be a bit too intense for younger readers. Tales of poisoning, murder, massacres, and torture (Ivan the Terrible burned and boiled people alive) may be frightening. Other mature themes include infidelity, seduction, and drunkenness.
Although I recommend this series highly for its quality, gender diversity, and excellent presentation, I would also suggest that parents read a couple of the books before sharing them with their children to gauge whether the material is suitable.
