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The Danger Zone
You Wouldn't Want to Be a Victorian Servant!: A Thankless Job You'd Rather Not Have
The reader is about to become a Victorian servant in Britain around 1885 and learns about the responsibilities and hardships that come with the position.
32 pages, Library Binding
First published May 1, 2005
10 people are currently reading
161 people want to read
About the author
Fiona Macdonald
622 books43 followersFiona Macdonald studied history at Cambridge University and at the University of East Anglia. She has taught in schools, adult education and university, and is the author of numerous books for children on historical topics.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
January 17, 2015
Actually I think being a Victorian servant sounds just fine to me.
January 6, 2015
I love these books for helping my kids understand history. The cartoons are sometimes silly and they find them enjoyable. A lot of times the book is very busy with all kinds of little blurbs on the subject. This one wasn't too bad. I wish they had followed a male servant as well, just to help boys understand what they might face - or just had snippets about the male servants.
September 8, 2015
This one is really good. Even before the table of contents there is a list of rules you have to know. Like #8, if you see a higher ranking servant you should make yourself invisible, or turn towards the wall. Oh, and you have to empty the chamber pots.
July 29, 2008
No I wouldn't!
March 28, 2009
Recommeded Ages: 3rd - 6th grade
Explores the reality of what it really was like being a servant in Victorian England. Very humorous approach, with cartoonish pictures and fun facts.
Explores the reality of what it really was like being a servant in Victorian England. Very humorous approach, with cartoonish pictures and fun facts.
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March 29, 2009Ok, I haven't read THIS one, but I love this series!
July 31, 2012
My daughter's favorite book in the series.
August 5, 2013
Top notch! Loved it!
August 3, 2013
This book is really neat! I knew the job was hard, but wow!
July 26, 2015
I never knew how many different types of servants there were and how strict the rules were.
February 28, 2017
3.5 stars
July 15, 2018
Cool information...about rank AND pay, tasks, the tweeny (the servants who were basically too young to be servants but were like a servant to the servant)...etc.
Kinda cool.
Kinda cool.
July 24, 2022
I believe that we can always use more people's history rather than solely focusing on battles, kings/governments, and "important dates." In my opinion, books like Uncle Tom's Cabin and You Wouldn't Want to Be a Victorian Servant! teach us more about history and society than your standard history textbook. Not that those aren't important as well, to round out the picture. But let's face it: most of us would have been peasants, laborers, and servants -- not rich people living in mansions and castles. It makes sense to learn about what the average person's life was like in a given time period.
You Wouldn't Want to Be a Victorian Servant! gives us an enlightening and shocking view into the harrowingly exhausting, humiliating, and dangerous life of a Victorian servant. The writing is succinct yet immersive. I was fascinated by how much labor was required to run an upper-class Victorian household, and the degree to which servants were exploited to make it all work.
My only issue with this book (and the reason I took off one star) are the illustrations. They do a fine job showing the Victorian home setting, the fashion and tools of the time; but the caricature style does not work for me. The cartoonishness undermines the impact of the text by making the characters look ridiculous and hard to empathize with. I'm guessing that this illustration style was chosen to make the story more palatable to children, but in my opinion they really missed the mark by turning the servants into a joke.
You Wouldn't Want to Be a Victorian Servant! gives us an enlightening and shocking view into the harrowingly exhausting, humiliating, and dangerous life of a Victorian servant. The writing is succinct yet immersive. I was fascinated by how much labor was required to run an upper-class Victorian household, and the degree to which servants were exploited to make it all work.
My only issue with this book (and the reason I took off one star) are the illustrations. They do a fine job showing the Victorian home setting, the fashion and tools of the time; but the caricature style does not work for me. The cartoonishness undermines the impact of the text by making the characters look ridiculous and hard to empathize with. I'm guessing that this illustration style was chosen to make the story more palatable to children, but in my opinion they really missed the mark by turning the servants into a joke.
January 10, 2024
Who knew Victorian Servants had so many rules to follow and spent so much of their time working to be invisible to their employers?
This was a light hearted and fascinating look, at the not so easy lives of those in service, during the Victorian Era. The servants worked hard and earned every penny of their meager paychecks.
Children who read this book, will most likely believe, their lives are much easier than that of a servant!
I love reading this series and finding out little things I didn't know.
For example: A servant should find an old cushion to kneel on. Otherwise she might develop a painful condition, known as "housemaid's knee).
This was a light hearted and fascinating look, at the not so easy lives of those in service, during the Victorian Era. The servants worked hard and earned every penny of their meager paychecks.
Children who read this book, will most likely believe, their lives are much easier than that of a servant!
I love reading this series and finding out little things I didn't know.
For example: A servant should find an old cushion to kneel on. Otherwise she might develop a painful condition, known as "housemaid's knee).
June 10, 2020
After watching Downton Abby, I always thought being a ladies maid or servant was such a romantic job. Oh how I wished I lived in a different era! Well this book perfectly DESTROYED that thought! Not as romantic a job as shown in the movies - long hours, small pay, no talking unless spoken to, no being seen - couldn't even be near a window for fear of being seen!!
Great eye-catching illustrations. Short and to the point. Super fun way to learn history - this book is great for children and adults alike!
Great eye-catching illustrations. Short and to the point. Super fun way to learn history - this book is great for children and adults alike!
February 16, 2019
I love any book that helps interest my kiddos in history. This series is one way to do that.
November 12, 2019
I was doing a project on Victorian life and this book did not shy away from the truth despite being a kids book. The illustrations are great, and I have read other books in the series.
January 23, 2025
I would certainly not want to be a Victorian servant!
October 19, 2021
Informational
4th-6th Grade
This is a great and fun way to learn some history. Even I learned something today! The author did a wonderful job at making you feel like you were right there living in that time period. The illustrations brought it to life and made learning even more enjoyable.
4th-6th Grade
This is a great and fun way to learn some history. Even I learned something today! The author did a wonderful job at making you feel like you were right there living in that time period. The illustrations brought it to life and made learning even more enjoyable.
October 25, 2021
read ATY 2021: Book with six words or more in the title
excellent work well laid out and accesible but also grimly realistc. WIll help dispel many myths about servants many children may have gianed from TV
excellent work well laid out and accesible but also grimly realistc. WIll help dispel many myths about servants many children may have gianed from TV
November 3, 2014
This book uses humor to tell what life would be like if you were a servant during Victorian times. This book has fun illustrations and has little random terrible fact about the life a servant scattered throughout the text. The book does have a glossary and an index in the back. It is also a series.
Recommended age 8-12
Reading Level 3rd-5th grade
Recommended age 8-12
Reading Level 3rd-5th grade
October 24, 2021
Love all the "You Wouldn't Want to Be..." books
March 31, 2009
I like the humor in history it gives
July 3, 2017
Who knew Victorian Servants had so many rules to follow and spent so much of their time working to be invisible to their employers? This was a light hearted but fascinating look at the not so easy lives of those in service during the Victorian Era. The servants worked hard and earned every penny of their meager paychecks.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews