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The Good Thieves

Chapter book

The Good Thieves transports readers back to the roaring twenties in New York City, complete with its mafia presence, its speak-easy hide-outs and promises of wealth. Vita arrives in New York to find that her grandfather has been robbed of his family home, Hudson Castle, by mafia-linked scammers. Clever and spirited Vita gathers together a crew of unlikely vagabonds to help her reclaim it, becoming the ‘good thieves’ who will carry out a Robin Hood style mission leading to a daring heist scene.

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Mental Health: Children’s Booklist

Expert-Selected Children’s Books About Mental Health

Welcome to the BooksforTopics guide to the best children’s books for mental health. Hand-picked by our review panel, these titles are essential for teachers, librarians and ELSAs looking to boost resilience and wellbeing through the power of a story.

Whether you are seeking resources for Children’s Mental Health Week, stocking a ‘calm-down corner’ or supporting the PSHE curriculum, high-quality literature provides an entry point for children to discuss ‘big feelings’.

Key Book Recommendations for Your School:

  • For Emotional Literacy: Discover engaging and witty explorations of moods like ‘Why Do I Feel Like This?’ by Shinsuke Yoshitake.

  • For Managing Anxiety: Use personified worries in classroom staples like ‘Ruby’s Worry’, a picturebook by Tom Percival.

  • For Navigating Big Emotions: Explore the ‘storm of anger’ in ‘When I See Red’ by Britta Teckentrup or, for older readers, the weight of bottled-up feelings in ‘Not My Fault’, a chapter book by Cath Howe.

  • For Finding Belonging: Support the 2026 ‘This is My Place‘ to help pupils in reclaiming their sense of belonging and hope with ‘The Mystery of the Colour Thief’.

From picture books for EYFS to nuanced middle-grade novels for KS2, browse our expert-vetted Mental Health Booklist below to find the perfect title for your pupils.

books-about-victorians

Victorians Topic Booklist

Best Books for the Victorians Topic

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…

Readers looking for chapter books set in Victorian times will enjoy Street Child, which immerses young readers in the gritty realities of life on the streets of Victorian London. For something that explores the theme of child labour during the Industrial Revolution, try Rivet Boy or The Mermaid in the Millpond, and for something a bit lighter, follow the life of a Victorian maid in The Secret Diary of Jane Pinny.

We also recommend The Fossil Hunter for the inspirational non-fiction account of Mary Anning, and Queen Victoria for an illustrated guide to the life of one of the most famous monarchs of all time.

As well as the recommended Victorians reading list below to browse, we’ve also got a printable poster, and schools can purchase the full set of books via Peters.

So, if you are looking for recommended Victorian children’s books, the BooksForTopics curated reading list is here to guide you…

World War II (WW2) Topic Booklist

The Best Children’s Books for the Second World War History Topic 

This list of recommended books about the Second World War is designed to help parents and teachers looking for suitable reading books about the World War 2 topic for children in Key Stage 2. The list of recommended World War II children’s books includes Emma Carroll’s empathetic chapter book Letters from the Lighthouse and Phil Earle’s award-winning When the Sky Falls, as well as classic children’s stories of the War like Goodnight Mister Tom and When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit.

There are some excellent choices of high-quality non-fiction exploring different angles of World War 2, including Skyward: The Story of Female Pilots in WW2 and Bandoola: The Great Elephant Rescue.

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…

As well as the recommended reading list below to browse, we’ve also got a printable poster, and schools can purchase the full set of books via Peters.

So, if you are looking for recommended children’s books about World War 2, this specially selected reading list for KS2 is the right place to start…

World Civilisations Topic

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.

 

Maya Civilisation Topic Booklist

Best Children’s Books about the Maya History Topic

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 for children about the Maya, suitable for primary school children looking to explore the topic.

As well as the recommended reading list below to browse, we’ve also got a printable poster, and schools can purchase the full set of books via Peters.

Tudors Topic Booklist

The Best Children’s Books for the Tudors History Topic 

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 set in 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.

As well as the recommended reading list below to browse, we’ve also got a printable poster, and schools can purchase the full set of books via Peters.

Look out for Tudor 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…

Ancient Greece Topic Booklist

The Best Children’s Books for the Ancient Greeks History Topic

Updated for 2026

Our curated list of the best Ancient Greece books for KS2 supports National Curriculum history learning. The topic of Ancient Greece is a firm favourite in primary classrooms, offering a world where monsters and mortals collide. Whether your class is investigating the legacy of the Parthenon, the origins of democracy, the Olympic Games or the contrasts between Athens and Sparta, these texts provide the ideal foundation for your National Curriculum depth study. We have carefully curated the best children’s books for Year 3, Year 4, Year 5 and Year 6, with a focus on historical enquiry and meaningful cross-curricular links.

ancient greece recommended books for childrenReaders looking for KS2 Ancient Greece chapter books will enjoy the immersive historical mysteries of Mark of the Cyclops, while those seeking a more lighthearted approach will find Who Let the Gods Out? a high-energy class favourite. For a classic introduction to mythology, we highly recommend the Orchard Book of Greek Myths for its timeless storytelling.  If mythology is an interest, you might also like to make use of our KS2 Mythology Booklist.

Our teacher-approved selection emphasises historical sourcework and archaeological evidence, featuring titles produced in collaboration with the British Museum. These books help pupils think like historians while developing an empathetic connection to the past.

As well as the recommended reading list below to browse, we’ve also got a printable poster, and schools can purchase the full set of books via Peters. So, if you are looking for recommended Ancient Greece children’s books, the BooksForTopics curated reading list is here to guide you…

At a Glance: Top Ancient Greece Books for KS2

best children's books about egypt

Ancient Egypt Topic Booklist

The Best Children’s Books for the Ancient Egyptians History Topic 

Updated for 2026

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 for Year 3, Year 4, Year 5 and Year 6.

Best Ancient Egypt books for KS2 classroom topic - updated 2026 selectionReaders 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.

Our Ancient Egypt selection is curated with a focus on primary sources, artefacts and archaeological evidence, featuring titles fact-checked by experts like Dr. Campbell Price (Manchester Museum) and Professor Joann Fletcher (University of York), and titles produced in collaboration with the British Museum.

As well as the recommended reading list below to browse, we’ve also got a printable poster, and schools can purchase the full set of books via Peters.

So, if you are looking for recommended Ancient Egypt children’s books to support historical sourcework in your National Curriculum depth study or to pique the interest of budding young historians, the BooksForTopics curated reading list is here to guide you…

At a Glance: Top Ancient Egypt Books for KS2

Anglo-Saxons Topic Booklist

Best Children’s Books for the Anglo-Saxon History Topic

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.

As well as the recommended reading list below to browse, we’ve also got a printable poster, and schools can purchase the full set of books via Peters.

So, if you are looking for recommended Anglo-Saxon children’s books, the BooksForTopics expertly curated reading list is here to help…

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Stone Girl Bone Girl

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