Rotten Romans – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

Rotten Romans

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

book1994

91%

WISE Score

The book that proved history is mostly just gross people doing weird stuff—perfect for kids who think school is a snooze-fest.

Rotten Romans

book

1994

91%

WISE Score

The book that proved history is mostly just gross people doing weird stuff—perfect for kids who think school is a snooze-fest.

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Screenwise Verdict

Rotten Romans is the ultimate 'anti-textbook.' Terry Deary figured out decades ago that if you tell a kid a Roman soldier used a communal sponge on a stick for bathroom duties, they’ll remember the Roman Empire forever.

It’s aged surprisingly well because kids’ appetites for the macabre and the ridiculous haven't changed since 1994. It’s safe, smart, and genuinely funny. If you want your kid to actually learn something while they’re laughing at a cartoon of a gladiator, this is a no-brainer. It avoids the 'brain rot' of modern short-form content by actually providing context and information alongside the jokes.

Age Fit

Best for the 7-to-12 crowd. Younger kids will love the gross pictures if you read to them, but the humor really clicks once they’ve had a taste of 'boring' history in school.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

It’s emotionally healthy because it treats kids like they can handle the truth about history, though it leans heavily into the 'nasty' side of human nature for laughs.

Imaginative

The book uses clever cartoons and 'what if' scenarios to make ancient history feel like a lived-in, albeit disgusting, world rather than a list of dates.

Safe

It’s a physical book from the 90s. No ads, no tracking, and no hidden social features. The only 'danger' is a kid learning a few too many details about Roman toilets.

Enriching

This is a masterclass in making non-fiction engaging. It teaches genuine historical facts and encourages kids to question the 'official' version of history.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

It turns dry history into a series of 'foul facts' that actually stick in a kid's brain.
The illustrations are punchy and keep even the most reluctant readers turning pages.
It builds a healthy skepticism of authority by showing how 'great' leaders were often just weird or mean.
It’s a fantastic gateway to more serious historical interest without feeling like homework.

⚠

What to Watch For

There is a lot of talk about blood, guts, and bodily functions. If your kid is particularly squeamish, they might want to skip the chapter on Roman doctors.
The tone is intentionally irreverent, which is great for humor but might feel a bit 'edgy' for very sensitive readers.

Conversation Starters

"If you lived in Rome, would you have survived a week or been fed to the lions immediately?"
"Why do you think Roman doctors thought that gross stuff would actually cure people?"
"Which Roman invention was the most useful, and which was the most disgusting?"
"Do you think people in 1,000 years will look back at us and think we were 'rotten' too?"

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Related Guides

The Gore, the Gags, and the Grades: A Parent’s Guide to Horrible Histories

How these delightfully disgusting books turn reluctant readers into history buffs while navigating the jump from the page to the screen.

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