Recommended children's booklists sorted by age or topic

Topic: History

A Life Story: King Charles III

Non-fiction

King Charles III: environmental activist, monarch and head of the Commonwealth. Read all about the life of King Charles III, from his early days at boarding school and watching his mother become queen to his dedicated work as an environmental activist and becoming king himself, this book will take you on a royal tour through King Charles III’s life.

Celebrate the king’s coronation and the beginning of his reign with this book that shines a light on the wonderful achievements that form King Charles III’s legacy.

Did you know that Charles has a frog named after him? Or that he’s a qualified pilot and diver? How about that Charles is an accomplished artist? Find out everything there is to know about Great Britain’s newest king with this remarkable history book.

A Life Story: With striking black and white illustrations, this gripping series throws the reader directly into the lives of modern society’s most influential figures.

Our King Charles

Eleanor Grey & Rose Gerrard

Non-fiction, Picturebook

Did you know the king powers his car with cheese? Or that he was the first royal to have rescue dogs in Buckingham palace? And that he likes to shake hands with trees?

Discover everything there is to know about King Charles III in this beautifully illustrated book. Readers will learn about Charles’ childhood as the first British royal to attend school, his efforts to protect and campaign for the environment, his incredible charity work, and much more.

Along the way, meet his beloved chickens, Jack Russells and of course, his very famous family. And discover how everything from money to postboxes get a makeover when a new monarch ascends the throne.

This is a perfect gift for all the family to celebrate King Charles III’s coronation.

Did the kings of Benin keep pet leopards? And other questions about the kingdom of Benin

Tim Cooke

Non-fiction

Discover the weird and wacky history of the kingdom of Benin!

Did the kings of Benin really keep pet leopards? Did spirits live in the African rainforest? And did bicycles REALLY destroy the Benin kingdom? A Question of History: The Kingdom of Benin answers all these questions and much more.

With an engaging question and answer format, this series draws young readers into the fascinating, sometimes gruesome, world of famous peoples and civilisations through history. Each spread opens with a simple question, opening up an exploration of an aspect of the life of a people or civilisation and busting some popular myths along the way!

The Genius of The Benin Kingdom: Clever Ideas and Inventions from Past Civilisations

Sonya Newland

Non-fiction

Which genius ideas and inventions began in the Benin Kingdom? What did the people of the Benin Kingdom develop that we use to this day? Find out how a collection of separate villages and communities grew into a strong, united kingdom and developed a network of successful trading relationships. Discover the brilliant developments in town planning, language, art and medicine that have influenced the way we live today.

Explore!: Benin

Izzi Howell

Non-fiction

Benin was an important kingdom in West Africa in the 15th and 16th centuries. Find out about Benin’s magnificent capital city, the objects that Benin traded with Europe and their intricate bronze plaques and statues.

Read about food and farming, armies and weapons, the life of a craftsman and how to make a leopard statue!

Packed with fascinating information, the Explore! series inspires children’s curiosity to find out more about the past. A useful tool for readers age 8+ or teachers looking for books to support the curriculum.

Daily Life in Ancient Benin

Paul Mason

Non-fiction

This book explores what life was really like for everyday people in Ancient Benin. Using primary sources and information from archeological discoveries, it uncovers some fascinating insights and explodes some myths. Supported by timelines, maps and references to important events and people, children will really feel they are on a time-travelling journey when reading this book.

Explore!: Early Islamic Civilisation

Izzi Howell

Non-fiction

Early Islamic civilisation spread across the Middle East, Africa, Europe and Asia in the 7th and 8th centuries CE, forming a massive empire. Find out about the birth of Islam, amazing inventions and trade across the empire.

Read about weapons and war, the city of Baghdad, the life of a scribe, science and medicine and find out how to make an Islamic tile design!

Packed with fascinating information, the Explore! series inspires children’s curiosity to find out more about the past. A great tool for readers age 8+ or teachers looking for books to support the curriculum.

1001 Inventions & Awesome Facts About Muslim Civilisation

National Geographic Kids

Non-fiction

We often think that people from a thouand years ago were living in the Dark Ages. But from the 7th century onward in Muslim civilisation there were amazing advances and inventions that still influence our everyday lives.

People living in the Muslim world saw what the Egyptians, Chinese, Indians, Greek and Romans had discovered and spent the next one thousand years adding new developments and ideas. Inventors created marvels like the elephant water clock, explorers drew detailed maps of the world, women made scientific breakthroughs and founded universities, architects built huge domes larger than anywhere else on earth. astronomers mapped the stars and so mucn more! This book takes the winning formula of facts, photos and fun, and it applies it to this companion book to the 1001 inventions exhibit from the Foundation for Science, Technology and Civilisation. Each page is packed with information on this little-known history, but also shows how it still applies to our world today.

The Golden Horsemen of Baghdad

Freya Hartas & Saviour Pirotta

Chapter book

This fast-paced story is set in the Islamic Golden Age when Baghdad was considered the largest and most dazzling city in the world. Perfect for fans of thrilling adventure. Thirteen-year-old Jabir is hoping to save his family from being made homeless by finding work in Baghdad. Famished after his long journey to the city, Jabir is caught stealing bread and sent to prison. Luckily, one of the guards there notices that he has a gift for carving wooden models and he is released on the orders of the grand caliph Harun al Rashid himself. In return Jabir must carve twelve golden horsemen, a gift from the caliph to the emperor Charlemagne. But someone is determined to stop Jabir from completing the work and he will stop at nothing, not even arson, to achieve his aim. Can Jabir and his friend Yasmina finish the horsemen or will Jabir be sent back to prison?

This exciting and readable adventure story is packed with great characters and insight into Islamic civilisation and the historic culture of the Middle East circa AD 900, a period which is now studied in the National Curriculum.

Saxon Tales: The Shepherd Who Ate His Sheep

Terry Deary

Chapter book, Dyslexia-friendly

In Saxon Kent the law says thieves should be executed, and soup made from a stolen sheep has been found in the Medway house. Young Edward takes the blame, but does his father know more than he’s letting on? And can he find a way to save his son from hanging?

Join master storyteller Terry Deary for a trip back in time to Saxon times and an exciting adventure.