A Secret Diary of the First World War

Mixes facts and fiction to engage children in history; world war one.

What was World War One really like? Step into the boots of 14-year-old James Marchbank and experience the most important, incredible, peculiar, poignant, remarkable and revolting bits of the war.

Inspired by the real-life diary of a Scottish boy soldier, each easy-to-read chapter mixes James's story with timelines, letters, diagrams and illustrations to create a fact-tastic account of the First World War, which is both fun and emotionally engaging for younger readers.

Take a journey through time to find out…

• Why rat hunting became a popular hobby in the trenches
• How parachuting pigeons helped at war
• Why a really good friend would rub whale oil on your feet
• What it actually felt like to be a teenager at war

A Secret Diary of the First World War is the first in a new brilliant series, which blends together intriguing facts and fascinating fiction to bring the most exciting, gruesome and crucial moments of Scottish history alive for young readers.

Gill Arbuthnott is the author of numerous fiction, non-fiction and picture books for children and young adults and has been nominated for a number of major UK book awards. A former biology teacher, Gill has written many non-fiction books to engage children with science. Her books include Chaos Clock, Winterbringers, The Giant Panda Party and What Makes You You? Gill lives in Edinburgh with her family and Leonard the cat.

Darren Gate is an illustrator and graphic designer based in Glasgow. He won the Kelpies Design and Illustration Prize in 2016.