Fire of London Topic

This is a picture book about the Great Fire of London, written by a primary teacher who was inspired to create it after teaching the topic for many years. It follows the events of the Great Fire as seen through the eyes of a tiny flea called Vlad who lives on the back of Boxton the rat. The two friends visit the bakery on Pudding Lane and witness the start of the fire before they join the masses of people fleeing the fire. Vlad and Boxton travel through the burning streets of London, watching the houses being destroyed and passing Samuel Pepys as he buries his most precious possessions. We were really struck by the images of the London refugee camps at the end, drawing striking comparisons to current day events and experiences. The author also offers school visits and resources via her website.

Written especially for young readers, Toby and The Great Fire of London tells the story of Toby’s experiences of the Great Fire of London. A great short story for KS1, with detailed cartoon-style images that bring the events of the Great Fire to life.

This exciting chapter book brings the tale of the great fire of London to life for young readers.

When Will Farriner wakes to the sound of crackling flames and the smell of smoke, he knows something is terribly wrong! As his family escape the flames engulfing their bakery, Will realises he must stop the fire from spreading. But what can be done before all of London goes up in smoke?

Full of adventure and danger, this chapter book is aimed at KS1 and lower KS2.

Published to mark the 350th anniversary of the fire, The Great Fire of London is a spectacular visual retelling of whole story of the fire, from the first piece of coal that starts smouldering in the oven of the Pudding Lane bakery to a whole city engulfed by raging red and orange flames. With stunning illustrations, captivating storytelling and a treasure trove of historical fact, this books is an absolute essential for classrooms covering this topic. There is also an accompanying activity book.

Samuel Pepys is famous for the diary he wrote 400 years ago. The diary tells us about lots of important events such as the Great Fire of London and the Great Plague.

Find out why people thought his diary was written in code, why Pepys was known as the ‘father of the modern navy’ and why he was arrested and sent to the Tower of London.

An exciting non-fiction text that will capture pupils’ interest through its quest to find the real story behind the Great Fire. The Great Fire of London Unclassified is a popular choice for guided reading, especially for those looking for a text with a less ‘cartoony’ feel to it than most of the other non-fiction options for this topic.

A simple, friendly first history series that takes a close look at some key events and personalities through history and reveals how and why they are still important to us today. Each book uses a rich variety of historical sources, from diaries to paintings, to bring events to life, while simple historical vocabulary is introduced and explained.

A fantastic book about the fire of London in a unique and engaging format.

From the introduction, the reader is placed in the role of Samuel Pepys and guided through the London streets as he knew them – with all the hustle, bustle, smells, smoke and gory details! Within the opening pages, the fire of London is firmly placed within the historical and political context of the time – the aftermath of the Civil War, the recent plague outbreak and superstitions rife and then takes you through the events of the fire and its speedy spread across London.

Each double page narrates a part of the story of the fire, including what you (as Pepys) are doing at this time. It them poses an interesting question and answers it in several ways – for example, the question ‘How can the fire be stopped?’ leads to a discussion around the fire brigade, fire breaks, water pumps and asking the mayor for help. Each page also has a ‘Handy Hint’ box containing fun facts or advice for Pepys!

This book is a perfect accompaniment to the popular KS1 history topic but could also be used as a valuable resource in Lower KS2 for a group or whole class reading text or as a reading-for-pleasure choice to consolidate knowledge.