Fiona MacDonald (1958–)

The life of Joan of Arc is not one most parents would wish for their children, but that hasn't stopped the people behind the "You Wouldn't Want..." series from putting young readers in the French hero's shoes. This brief biography is written in second person, as the narrator tells the audience that "You're Joan...." What follows is a description of the tumultuous world of 14th-century France and the role Joan of Arc played in shaping her country's history. While the cartoon-style illustrations, and chunked, simple text tell a heroic story, they also do not shy away from Joan's terrible end. In fact, page 28 begins with the words "You are burned at the stake..." before going on to describe her legacy, including the "Handy Hint" (a feature of every double-page-spread) which says "Follow Joan's example! Speak out for what you believe in!"… (more)

Part of the "You Wouldn't Want..." series from Scholastic, this volume introduces readers to the dark side of early medicine. The author frames her presentation by talking to the reader as though he or she were a young medical student in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1828. The reader meets a journalist in an inn, "just another tall, crooked house, with shabby rooms and dark, secret stairs." Using descriptions reminiscent of fiction, the "conversation" which follows covers some of the most prominent thinkers and scientists of the day, as well as their propensity to steal corpses. There was a massive, and illegal, trade in cadavers during the 19th century, and this book covers everything from where they were acquired to how they were moved to famous murdering "doctors." The cartoonish illustrations balance the gruesome topic, and the text is chunked in such a way so as to make it easily understandable.… (more)