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Charles Dickens’s happy childhood came to a sudden end when his father was jailed for debt. At the age of 12, young Charles was sent to work in a factory making shoe polish…
But Charles could write stories. And he wrote lots of them.
Funny stories, entertaining stories, devastatingly sad stories. And soon he had the whole world at his feet, listening to his every word.
Children’s History (8-13 yrs)
Andrew Billen is a feature writer on, and currently television critic of, The Times. He has worked on The Observer, the Standard and the New Statesman. His previous books include Sam Johnson, The Wonderful Word Doctor also for Short Books. He lives in Oxford, where he went to university, with his wife and young daughter.