About This Book
Reach for this book when you have a reluctant reader who is bored by traditional dry history or a child who delights in the 'gross-out' factor of the human experience. Loathsome London is an irreverent guide to the city's darkest and dirtiest historical moments, from the plague and public executions to the literal stench of the Thames. While it is packed with educational facts, the tone is comedic and fast-paced, making it feel more like a comic book than a textbook. It is perfect for 8 to 12-year-olds who possess a dark sense of humor and an insatiable curiosity about how people actually lived (and died) in the past. It transforms history into an engaging, visceral adventure while building a robust vocabulary of historical terms.
What Parents Should Know
Sensitive Topics
1. DISTRESS: The book contains detailed, though often cartoonish or humorous, descriptions of historical torture methods, public executions (hanging, drawing, and quartering), and the symptoms of the Black Death. A sensitive child might find the descriptions of animal cruelty (like bear-baiting) disturbing. 2. CONVERSATION: Parents should be prepared to discuss the reality of historical justice systems. A child might ask why people found public executions entertaining or why the law was so much harsher in the past. Be ready to explain the context of public health and why medicine was so primitive (and often dangerous) before the modern era.
Ideal Reader
A 9-year-old who loves 'Guinness World Records' and gross-out humor, or a student who finds their history curriculum too sanitized and wants the 'real' (and messy) story.
Parent Prep
This can be read cold. The historical context of the Tower of London is covered within the broader discussion of historical justice and punishment. A child may suddenly share a 'fun fact' at the dinner table about what Victorians did with their sewage or how a specific execution was carried out.
Age Experience
Younger readers (8-9) will gravitate toward the illustrations and 'gross' facts. Older readers (10-12) will better appreciate the biting satire and the irony of London's social hierarchy.
What Makes It Special
Deary's ability to use 'the history of the underdog' and the 'history of the stomach' to engage children who would otherwise never pick up a non-fiction book.
Read plot summary
Part of the Horrible Histories series, this volume explores the grimmer side of London's history. It covers topics ranging from the Roman occupation and the Great Fire to the Victorian era's 'Great Stink.' The book utilizes short anecdotes, comic strips, quizzes, and lists to detail the city's proximity to death, disease, and crime over two millennia.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.
Discussion Prompts
1
If you had to pick one of the 'ten worst ways to make a living' in London, which would you choose and why?
2
The book describes the Thames as 'London's largest toilet.' How has our understanding of clean water changed since the 1800s?
3
Why do you think Terry Deary uses jokes and cartoons to tell stories about scary things like the Plague or the Tower of London?
4
Looking at the different eras in the book, which period of London's history do you think was the most dangerous for a child your age?
5
Do you think people in the future will look back at the way we live today and find anything 'horrible' or 'loathsome' about it?
