Children's Nonfiction Political
The Great and the Terrible
The World's Most Glorious and Notorious Rulers and How They Got Their Names
- Publisher
- Running Press
- Initial publish date
- Sep 2020
- Category
- Political, Ancient, Modern
-
eBook
- ISBN
- 9780762496624
- Publish Date
- Sep 2020
- List Price
- $12.99
-
Hardback
- ISBN
- 9780762496617
- Publish Date
- Sep 2020
- List Price
- $22.99
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Where to buy it
Recommended Age, Grade, and Reading Levels
- Age: 8 to 12
- Grade: 3 to 7
- Reading age: 8 to 12
Description
This fun, quirky, and engaging fully illustrated history anthology features twenty-five amazing and terrifying rulers for middle grade readers to discover.
We've heard of Alexander the Great. We've heard of Ivan the Terrible. But what was so Great about Alexander? What was so Terrible about Ivan? Spanning centuries of history in a culturally diverse framework-from ancient India to nineteenth-century Hawaii, and with a balanced focus on notorious women rulers as well as male, The Great and the Terrible takes a humorous look at some of the most glorious and notorious figures in history through the lens of the nicknames they're remembered by.
While some of the characters mentioned here are more prominent in world history (Cyrus the Great introduced the world's first human rights charter), others are well known only within their own cultures. The Great and the Terrible gives middle-grade readers an opportunity to dip into the breadth of world history, sampling its cultural diversity and its stranger-than-fiction historical exploits, with a mix of the sensational and the serious. It helps to correct the imbalance in many history books that currently only focus on Western Civilization, shining the spotlight on achievements (and foibles) in many different cultures.
About the authors
Joanne O'Sullivan's profile page
Udayana Lugo is a self-taught illustrator of mixed heritage. She is passionate about representation and tries to portray people of different backgrounds and abilities in her work. She works both traditionally and digitally, with a strong preference for watercolors and pencils. She has illustrated more than fifteen books, including the picture books When You Meet a Dragon and Jungle Cat, which was commended as a 2023 CCBC Best Books for Kids and Teens. Udayana lives and works on the traditional, ancestral and unceded land of the Musqueam and Squamish Nations, also called Richmond, BC.
Editorial Reviews
"This amusing, colorful anthology provides an overview of some of history's most beloved and most notorious rulers.... A strong addition to middle school libraries and nonfiction collections for youth."—School Library Journal
"Young people intrigued by the lives of historical figures will devour this."—Booklist
"Broad of scope and chock full of juicy role models and anti-models."—Kirkus Reviews
