Explore the history of crime and punishment in Britain – from gallows and gangsters to jails and juries.
Learn about Scottish witch trials in A Kind of Spark, the Gunpowder Plot in Ally Sherrick’s Black Powder or real-life pirates in Blackbeard’s Treasure. We’ve put together a list of recommended children’s books to support the KS2 topic of how crime and punishment have changed through the ages.
In the late morning of May 29th 1953, the sun was shining brightly on the roof of the world, a gentle breeze was blowing and two men were there to witness it for the first time ever … Their names were Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay and the roof of the world was Everest.
This is the breathtaking story of how two very different yet equally determined men battled frost-biting temperatures, tumbling ice rocks, powerful winds and death-defying ridges to climb the world’s highest mountain. Join these two unlikely heroes on the most amazing of adventures and discover the impact of hundreds of men and women that helped Hillary and Tenzing achieve their goal. But triumphs can be marred with tragedy as not everyone who climbs Everest survives …
With a beautiful foreword by the greatest living explorer of our time, Sir Ranulph Fiennes, this brilliant book combines fresh and contemporary illustrations by Joe Todd-Stanton with Alexandra Stewart’s captivating writing and publishes in time to celebrate the centenary of Edmund Hillary’s birth. This unique narrative tells the story of how Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay made their mark on the world from birth right up to their final days and the impact they’ve had on Nepal today.
Victorians Topic Booklist
Known as an age of invention and industrial development as well as an era of poverty, child labour and crime, the Victorian period really was a time of great contrasts. We’ve put together a list of the best children’s books about the Victorians – watch out for a colourful cast of characters including charlatans, pickpockets and travelling showmen as well as resourceful street children, brave orphans and inspiring innovators…
World War 2 was a global conflict that involved numerous countries fighting against each other – including the UK. Lasting between 1939-1945, life during the Second World War was often very difficult, both on the battlefields and the home front.
We’ve picked out a handful of recommended children’s books that explore different aspects of life during World War 2. Look out for frozen expeditions, evacuee adventures, pioneering pilots and evocative descriptions of experiences of the Blitz in our hand-picked selection of the best children’s books about WW2…
Children’s books about ‘World Civilisations – Including Benin Kingdom and Early Islamic Civilisation
The National Curriculum states that pupils should learn about a non-European society that provides contrasts with British history, including one study chosen from: early Islamic civilisation, Maya civilisation and the Kingdom of Benin.
While many schools are familiar with the topic of the Maya (see our separate Maya topic booklist here), the other societies listed tend to be less well-known to teachers. We’ve put together a list of recommended children’s books to support the topics of Benin Kingdom and Early Islamic Civilisation, as well as some additional books that cover the wider topic of World Civilisations and to aid comparative study.
The Maya civilisation topic offers a wealth of interesting history to explore – from impressive pyramids and cities to complex calendars and a rich cultural heritage still prevalent in Central America today. We’ve picked out some of the best books about the Maya suitable for primary school children looking to explore the topic.
The National Curriculum for history states that pupils in Key Stage 2 should learn about the achievements of the earliest civilizations, including an overview of the first civilizations and a depth study of one of the following: Ancient Sumer; The Indus Valley; Ancient Egypt; or The Shang Dynasty of Ancient China.
While many schools are familiar with the topic of Ancient Egypt (see our separate booklist here), the other ancient civilizations listed tend to be less well-known to teachers. We’ve put together a list of recommended children’s books to support the topics of Ancient Civilizations, with a focus on the Ancient Sumer, the Indus Valley and the Shang Dynasty.
This booklist features recommended children’s books about the Tudors.
Plots and playwrights, executions and explorers, monarchs and musicians….there’s no denying that the Tudor topic is one of the most exciting periods in British history to study. We’ve picked out some of our favourite texts suitable for primary school children to help explore the Tudor topic. For chapter books about Tudor times, dig into Berlie Doherty’s Treason or The Queen’s Fool, or for something a little more interactive try the search-and-find book Find Tom in Time: Shakespeare’s London.
Look out for stories featuring merry monarchs like Elizabeth I and Henry VIII, for galleons and gallows and also for tales containing no end of perils including plots to the throne, sneaky spies and deadly executions, in our selection of the best children’s books about the Tudors…
Welcome to the world where monsters and mortals collide! The Ancient Greece topic is full of intriguing stories of gods and heroes as well as the fascinating history of ancient daily life and epic battles. We’ve put together a list of the best children’s books all about the world of the groovy Greeks…
Readers looking for KS2 Ancient Greece chapter books will enjoy solving the enticing mystery of Mark of the Cyclops, written especially to immerse young readers in daily life in Ancient Greece. For something with a bit more fantasy and mythology involved, Who Let the Gods Out is a laugh-out-loud chapter book in which a modern boy ends up on a whirlwind adventure with a group of larger-than-life Greek gods and goddesses.
We also recommend The Orchard Book of Greek Myths for a simple and illustrated compendium of Greek mythology, and The Ancient Olympic Games for a quality non-fiction text all about the history of the Greek Olympics.
So, if you are looking for recommended Ancient Greece children’s books, the BooksForTopics curated reading list is here to guide you…
The topic of Ancient Egypt is a fascinating one, filled with exciting stories about tombs and treasures or codes and curses. Whether it’s the mysteries of the pyramids, the stories of pharaohs or daily life by the Nile, there’s plenty to unearth in our selection of the best children’s books about the Ancient Egyptians…
Readers looking for KS2 Ancient Egypt chapter books will enjoy solving the enticing historical fiction Secrets of a Sun King, or, for something with more humour involved, A Mummy Ate My Homework is a laugh-out-loud chapter book in which a modern boy ends up whisked away to Ancient Egyptian times.
We also recommend James Davies’ accessible non-fiction book Meet the Ancient Egyptians, the stunning hardback gift book Egyptology and the illustrated introduction to Egyptian mythology in DK’s Egyptian Myths.
So, if you are looking for recommended Ancient Egypt children’s books, the BooksForTopics curated reading list is here to guide you…
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