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…
Travel back in time to the invaders and settlers of the Dark Ages and find out more about the intriguing Anglo-Saxon period. From fighting and feasts to riddles and runes, we’ve picked out some of the best children’s books about the Anglo-Saxon topic.
This booklist offers recommended children’s books about the history of the Anglo-Saxons, selected by the experts at BooksForTopics. Readers looking for KS2 Anglo-Saxon books will enjoy entering the gripping world of invaders and settlers in Winter of the Wolves or Anglo-Saxon Boy – both chapter books that are popular choices with history lovers who love action and plenty of gruesome details.
We also recommend shorter stories like The Princess Who Hid in a Tree, which is a picturebook retelling of the Anglo-Saxon legend of Saint Frideswide.
So, if you are looking for recommended Anglo-Saxon children’s books, the BooksForTopics expertly curated reading list is here to help…
From stone circles and woolly mammoths to hill forts and roundhouses, the Stone Age to Iron Age history topic is such an interesting one to dig into. We’ve put together a list of the best children’s books about the Stone, Bronze and Iron Ages to help transport readers back to prehistoric times…
This history curriculum booklist offers recommended children’s books about the period of British prehistory from the Stone Age to the Iron Age, selected by the experts at BooksForTopics. Step back in time to discover the Secrets of Stonehenge, visit the prehisotic settlement of Skara Brae in The Boy With the Bronze Axe or nestle into an Iron Age hill fort in Pitch Invasion.
Teachers looking for a shorter picture book with lots of scope for discussion and writing opportunities will enjoy the classroom favourite Stone Age Boy.
So, if you are looking for recommended children’s books about the Stone Age, this specially selected reading list for KS2 is the right place to start…
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