Shelina Janmohamed Books

This book packs a punch. It is a history book about the British Empire that takes a unique look forward, asking challenging questions for children to consider around the actions of the past, their impact on shaping the present and how we can learn from the past to build a more equitable future. The uncomfortable facts of the British Empire are tackled head-on (with an acknowledgement that they can be uncomfortable, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t discuss them). This includes slavery, colonisation, stripping countries of resources, and the corruption that can come alongside economic and political power.

It also discusses migration and how the Empire has shaped our country today. Themes of power, oppression and the importance of questioning who is telling the stories of the past and why they shape the narrative in a particular way run through the book. It is a book to provoke thought and discussion, and has a real depth to it. It will hugely enhance any history teaching and is a hugely valuable read.