You Wouldn't Want to Live Without Fire! (You Wouldn't Want to Live Without…)

by Alex Woolf, Mark Bergin (Illustrations)

What is we didn't hve fire? Fire is a powerful force of nature, and one that we cannot always control. An accidental fire can destroy an entire neighborhood. But imagine what our life would be like without we would have no cooked food, no artificial light, and no way of keeping warm in a cool climate. Fire enables us to make pottery and metals, and bricks to build with. It allowed us to invent the steam engine and the internal combustion engine. This new title in the You Wouldn't Want to Live Without series is an entertaining and informative account of what fire has done for us-and what it might do in the future.

Genres: Nonfiction, Juvenile, Childrens, Science, History

32 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 2015

About the author

Alex Woolf is a prolific, award-winning author of books for adults and children. In his non-fiction he has written on subjects as diverse as sharks, robots, asteroids, flying reptiles and chocolate. His novels span a range of genres, including crime, mystery, science fiction, historical fiction, steampunk and horror.

Alex is a regular author for Fiction Express, online publishers of interactive stories for schools. Fiction Express is read by more than 150,000 students from 20 countries. Two of his stories have won reader awards. In 2021, he won the prestigious ASE award for his non-fiction book Think Like a Scientist. His horror novel, Soul Shadows, was shortlisted for the Falkirk Red Book Award. Bestselling crime author Peter James described his novel Aldo Moon as “a real delight, witty, ghostly and at times deliciously ghastly”.

Reviews

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't find this book as good as most of the others in this series. I did like when it was explaining how the cavemen discovered and used fire. And the list of devastating fires in the past was very interesting. The rest of the information was more about how weapons, using fire, came to be. I just thought the book wouldn't be as boring as it was. A little disappointed with the book but the illustrations are fantastic.

[Abraham Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great children’s book about fire & how it was used threw out history!

[Hilary · Rating 3 out of 5]

This new title in the “You Wouldn’t Want to Live Without” series is an entertaining, informative look at how fire has been useful and destructive in the past and what we might do with fire in the future. On the formidable side: Fire is a force of nature, unpredictable, and can destroy entire neighborhoods and forests when uncontrolled. On the positive side: Fire cooks food, provides light, and keeps us warm. It is a tool that drives the steam engine and the internal combustion engine, as well as to create ceramics, metal, and bricks. Mark Bergin’s humorous cartoon illustrations will draw casual browsers as well as readers seeking useful information regarding fire.

[Paula · Rating 3 out of 5]

This title of the popular series discusses the importance of fire in our lives. From the caveman era to a peek into the future, fire’s usefulness and the dangers it poses are described and illustrated for intermediate readers. Common uses for fire, such as cooking, light, heating, and steam power are shown as well as fire used in warfare. Fighting fires through the centuries is also touched on. The familiar format of text boxes, cartoon drawings and captions will definitely appeal to reluctant readers. Back matter includes a glossary, index and list of deadly fires. Endpapers display a timeline at the beginning and symbolism of fire and “Did You Know?” facts at the end. Order if needed.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

The newest title in the "You Wouldn't Want To..." series, this one talks about the importance of fire in our lives. I includes a timeline, glossary, a list of the 7 most deadly fires, and some little known trivia facts about fire. Students will enjoy the colorful and often humorous illustrations. However, I find the format to be too busy and can often be confusing to follow.

[Kelly Carey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I always wondered how caveman discovered fire and its uses.

[JillyG · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short overview of the history of fire and how it transformed our world.