You wouldn't want to

Sticking sharp needles into small children doesn't sound like a nice thing to do. But vaccination is definitely a case of being cruel to be kind. This new title in the You Wouldn't Want to Live Without series relates the fascinating history of vaccination, and describes in simple terms how and why vaccination works. This simple technique has saved millions from deadly diseases--and in future, with new methods of delivery, we might even be able to do without that needle. This book combines facts and humorous cartoons to describe how vaccines were developed and how many lives were claimed by diphtheria and polio before vaccines were available.

A light-hearted introduction to the life and training of a Roman gladiator. Suggested level: primary, intermediate.

You don t really get a choice about gravity. If you live on Earth, you re going to have to live with it. 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.

Uses humor in both text and illustrations to describe what it would be like to live without the toilet and describes how people managed to dispose of their waste in the past.

Uses humor in both text and illustrations to describe what it would require to launch a voyage of discovery, what shipboard life would be like, and what the rewards would be using the voyages of Columbus as an example. This revised edition combines humorous cartoons and facts to depict what it was like to sail with Christopher Columbus.

Get ready... as a level-headed girl in 17th-century New England, you're about to become involved in some very bizarre goings-on. Things will get really scary when you're accused of being a Salem witch.

Would you rather put your grubby clothes in the washing machine, or take them down to the river and beat the dirt out of them? You're lucky to have the choice! Soaps and detergents are among the great benefits of modern life. They help to keep us comfortable and save us from smelling unpleasant, but above all, they help to protect us from the germs that cause infectious diseases. Learn how soap works, how it is made, and how much harder life would be if we really did have to live without it.