Book excerpt: You are a young boy in the city-state of Athens at the height of the Ancient Greek civilisation. Following several years in one of the city's schools, your father wants you to prove yourself at the most famous athletic competition of all – the Olympics. This title in the best-selling children’s history series, You Wouldn't Want To…, features full-colour illustrations which combine humour and accurate technical detail and a narrative approach placing readers at the centre of the history, encouraging them to become emotionally-involved with the characters and aiding their understanding of what life would have been like competing in the ancient Greek Olympics. Informative captions, a complete glossary and an index make this title an ideal introduction to the conventions of information books for young readers. It is an ideal text for Key Stage 2 shared and guided reading and helps achieve the goals of the Scottish Standard Curriculum 5-14.