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Literature

This section contains fiction and non-fiction items published between 1945 and 2024.  It does not include activity books and colouring books, which may be found in the leisure section.

For each entry, details of author, publisher, date of publication, type of work (picture book, YA novel etc.),and, where available, intended age group are included.

Where target age is not clear, decisions have been made according to our own estimations.  Entries also are tagged according to subject matter, such as ‘gladiators’, ‘slavery’, ‘Boudicca’, ‘Roman Britain’ etc., and searches may be conducted by any of these elements.

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Title: Ditherus Wart: (Accidental) Gladiator (History of Warts)

Author: Alan MacDonald Publisher: Bloomsbury Year: 2008
Genre: Fiction Intended age group: 7+ Tags: Gladiators, Empire, Slavery

Description: Based on the dubious members of the Wart family tree, each book will focus on the adventurous life and turbulent times of a different 'Wart' from pirate to gladiator as he (or she) experiences the peculiar misfortunes which befall all Warts throughout the centuries. Book 1 is set in Roman times. Emperor Porcus Maximus is coming for dinner and so Ditherus and his faithful slave Punio are sent (by Ditherus's mother) to market for supplies. But Ditherus is tempted into buying a sword from a mysterious peddler. Searched by centurion Marcus Furius when he gets home, Ditherus is thrown into prison when the sword is discovered and sentenced to death as a traitorous thief (with Punio). At the last minute Gutsus the gladiator arrives, looking to buy new recruits. Ditherus and Punio are taken to Gladiator School where the motto is 'Death or Glory - but most likely Death'. If ever Ditherus needed a cunning plan, it's now.