Recommended children's booklists sorted by age or topic

Publisher: Button Books

Live Like A Tudor

Non-fiction

Live Like a Tudor: Discovering the Secrets of the Tudors. Intuitively written by Claire Saunders and brilliantly illustrated by Mia Underwood. One of a series of books which explores a particular period in history through immersive text and interactive activities.

Readers discover what life was like for ordinary people as well as the Kings & Queens. Looking at clothes, food, recreational activities, religion, education and employment. The fact-filled timeline encourages readers to make comparisons to their own lives and take part in activities of the period. There are craft ideas and recipes to extend the reading experience. The contents page and glossary help to navigate the topics and build vocabulary.

Live Like a Victorian

Claire Saunders & Wesley Robins

Non-fiction

This beautifully illustrated book takes young readers on an immersive tour of a transformative period in history, when the Industrial Revolution, new inventions, and social change reshaped life in Britain. From grand mansions to crowded workhouses, children will explore the stark contrasts between the lives of the wealthy and the poor, gaining insight into Victorian fashion, food, jobs, education, and even life in prisons and service.

Engaging storytelling, vibrant illustrations, and historical facts bring the era to life, while fictional accounts from two Victorian children – one rich and one poor – help readers compare experiences and understand the realities of the time.

The book also features hands-on activities, including crafts and recipes, to encourage interactive learning. A timeline highlights key events and laws that shaped the era, and a detailed map showcases the British Empire and trade routes.

Welcome to London

Marcos Farina

This is a great book about London for children. It encompasses a myriad of features of the capital, such as famous landmarks, tourist attractions and cultural aspects of the city. The illustrations are appealing and complement the brief text. However, there is a lot of information contained in the book. It covers events, such as Chinese New Year celebrations, cultural hubs such as Camden and Greenwich, as well as famous shops. Its historical coverage includes Hampton Court, where it explains about Henry VIII and his wives, as well as the Tower of London and other key historical landmarks.

Published in 2017, it still mentions the Queen living at Buckingham Palace, but that is only a minor point. Any school doing a local study on London would value this book, which gives a good overview of the capital.

Live Like a Hunter Gatherer

Naomi Walmsley

Non-fiction

Live Like a Hunter Gatherer is a fantastic guide to the Stone Age for primary-aged children to make links between life in the Stone Age and life today. For example, we all know that fire allowed people to stay up later, ward off predators and cook food, but did you know that the reduction in the need to chew cooked meat fewer times than raw meat meant that people had more time to chat, which caused a surge in language development?

A section which particularly appealed was the myth-busting page. This allows children’s preconceptions to be challenged as they explore the subject and build a revised mental picture of life in the Stone Age. This book provides an excellent teaching resource: not only for learning about the Stone Age but also as scaffolding for writing in the form of the section ’24 Hours as a Hunter Gatherer’ or a plentiful provider of inspiration for forest school or outdoor learning.