Book excerpt: Get ready...as a harderned sailor, you're about to join Shackleton in what will prove to be one of the most gruelling adventures of all time as you brave your way across the bitterly cold continent of Antarctica. As you encounter extreme cold, strong icy winds and a worrying lack of food and water, you'll soon see why you really wouldn't want to join Shackleton's polar expedition! 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 on Shackleton’s polar expedition. 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.