Anglo-Saxons Topic Booklist

This exciting story from Tony Bradman is a popular choice in KS2 classrooms and is set just before the Battle of Hastings in 1066.

Follow the story of young Magnus and his adventure-packed journey to the Battle of Hastings, as he is forced to contend with vicious family feuds and merciless claims to the throne.

Full of excitement, danger and all the gore of the period, this is an action-packed novel brimming with historical details.

The Michael Morpurgo version of the Anglo-Saxon classic Beowulf is a popular chapter book choice for upper KS2 or for more confident readers.

Beowulf is an Old English epic poem about a young man’s quest to overcome a monster. Morpurgo draws on the style of the original text using rich, alliterative language, and also mixes it with modern themes as he retells the story of Beowulf’s epic quest to destroy the monstrous Grendel.

Morpurgo’s excellent version of Beowulf is also brought to life with engaging illustrations by Michael Foreman.

A gripping historical adventure featuring the Anglo-Saxon hoard that was unearthed at Sutton Hoo during WW2.

The story centres on a young Londoner called George, who has been evacuated to the countryside near Sutton Hoo and is intrigued to find out about the Anglo-Saxon treasures discovered nearby. The most interesting of the treasures is a mysterious Anglo-Saxon crown, carrying with it an ancient legend. Before long, George finds himself involved in an exhilarating plot to save the crown from falling into the hands of Nazi invaders.

This is a gripping read that is recommended for upper KS2 – and is especially useful for helping children to make links between different periods of history.

Set in Anglo-Saxon Kent, this book tells the story of a slave boy called Bron, who is drawn into a gripping adventure with warlords, warriors and kings.

The story is well researched and makes it easy for pupils to engage imaginatively with the historical setting as seen through the eyes of a child. The book also has an in-depth information section at the end to provide further historical context about the Saxons and the Jutes.

A free, downloadable KS2 pack to accompany the book is also available.

Who could resist a book with the title The Domesday Cows?  Coupled with being written by Iszi Lawrence, whose books I have enjoyed in the past, this was an irresistible draw for me.

This is a story about the culture clash between the Anglo-Saxons and the Normans. Billed as a comedy, this is a romp through the early days of the Norman Invasion and how it impacted the Anglo-Saxon people already living in England (and Wales). It is full of historical details, all cleverly disguised as a funny story. The fact that deer, for example, were no longer permitted to be killed as they belonged to the Normans is all wrapped up in an episode where a deer behaves incredibly stupidly, and the villagers can do nothing about it. I also did not realise the Normans brought rabbits into the country.

The amusing illustrations by Davide Ortu start each chapter with a hint of what is to come, and the tiptoeing cows are very funny. There is a lot to unpack in what seems like a simple book.

Kata and Tor is set in the Anglo-Saxon and Viking period, just before the Battle of Hastings.

Tor, our male hero, is the son of Viking King Harald Horgrada and has been sent out as a scout to York. His mission faces catastrophe when his boat is damaged and his friend drowns, but this tragedy leads to him meeting Anglo-Saxon girl Kata.

The story follows Tor as he battles the need to stay loyal to his father while falling in love with Kata. It is a wonderful story with plenty of excitement and a little bit of Romeo-and-Juliet-style romance between a Viking and a Saxon, too.

The setting is perfect for older primary and younger secondary children who are investigating this time period and offers lots of historical detail to use as a basis for research into life during this time.

Tony Bradman strikes again with an edge-of-your-seat historical narrative. A great book to read alongside a class topic of the Saxons and perfect for KS2, Winter of the Wolves is a short chapter book that still packs a punch with plenty of historical details and vocabulary.

Set at the time of the Anglo-Saxon migration to Britain, the story offers a dramatic insight into the interplay between the Angles, Saxons and Britons in the 6th century. The story moves on quickly and is easy to follow, while still allowing space for discussions about the practices and challenges of the time.

From the author of the popular Horrible Histories, this book is a set of four of Terry Deary‘s ‘Saxon Tales’ short stories.

Our favourite of the four is the story about King Vortigern (who may or may not have existed in real life, but many believe that he did) and his servant Mervyn, as they are faced with the threat of invading Saxons and Picts. The book also includes The Shepherd Who Ate His Sheep, The Witch Who Faced the Fire and The Lord Who Lost His Head – covering different perspectives on Anglo-Saxon life without ever passing the opportunity to explore the gruesome bits with characteristic humour.

Each story provides a relatively short text, which is accompanied by fun illustrations, making the volume easily accessible to most pupils in lower KS2.

Delve into the fascinating Anglo-Saxon legends of King Arthur and his knights. The tales are retold in a comic book style, with speech bubbles and many humorous details in both the text and illustrations that pupils will love.

Encounter stories of King Arthur, Merlin, Sir Lancelot, Sir Galahad, Excalibur and the search for the Grail.

It’s rare to find picture books based on the Anglo-Saxons and equally rare to find Anglo-Saxon stories featuring female protagonists. This book covers both.

The Princess Who Hid in a Tree tells the story of Frideswide, a female saint who helped to found Oxford during Anglo-Saxon times. Frideswide is a feisty young princess who loves climbing trees. After being kidnapped by King Algar of Mercia, she uses her skills to escape. Frideswide went on to found Oxford’s first Saxon church, which became Christ Church Cathedral, and she is still the patron saint of both the City and University of Oxford.

Her story includes adventure, suspense and a few surprises, captured in this picture book with Alan Marks’ stunning artwork.

Beowulf is the story of monsters, warriors, journeys and battles.

The pages of this Usborne version of the Anglo-Saxon classic Beowulf are filled with rich but accessible language and engaging illustrations. This Usborne version is the most accessible version of Beowulf for Years 3 and 4 – or reluctant readers in older years. You can also purchase an accompanying 2-week English planning pack from Ks2history.

King Alfred ruled over the West Saxons from his base in the city of Winchester. He travelled widely across his kingdom, taking his court with him. But despite his great responsibilities, he made time to learn another language – Latin. Why? So he could read the many books written (all of them in Latin) about far-flung places and add his own stories from England and Northern Europe to them.

One day, a traveller came to his court with a tale to tell. He told a tale of an epic journey to a distant land where the head of the community had just died. His body was stored in a coffin of ice whilst his people paid their respects and his money was shared, before being ceremoniously burned. The traveller then travelled back to England, taking his story with him.

This is a beautiful and vivid retelling of a real account recorded on behalf of King Alfred. Chris Riddell’s illustrations are stunningly atmospheric and bring to life an ancient tale. A great book to share with a class, especially when studying Saxon times.

Men, Women and Children in Anglo-Saxon Times is a handy non-fiction text that allows children to pursue answers to their own questions about everyday life in Anglo-Saxon Times. Topics include what Anglo-Saxon children did at school, what people did for fun and what jobs they did.

This is the kind of book that helps young readers move beyond hard facts and begin to reflect on what life might have felt like for those living in early Medieval times.

An accessible information text designed especially for the National Curriculum, this is a text pitched for teachers and pupils of lower KS2.

Taking an investigative approach to history, The History Detective Investigates Anglo Saxons examines key questions and pieces of evidence from the period in order to shine a light on the period that is sometimes known as the Dark Ages.