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Topic: History

Chapter book

Kathleen Fidler’s classic story is set in the ancient Stone Age village of Skara Brae on Orkney. This is a fascinating and vividly portrayed story of life nearly 3,000 years ago.

Kali and Brockan are in trouble. They have been using their stone axes to chip limpets off the rocks, but they’ve gone too far out and find themselves trapped by the tides. Then, an unexpected rescuer appears, a strange boy in a strange boat, carrying a strangely sharp axe of a type they have never seen before.

Conflict arises as the village of Skara must decide what to do with the new ideas and practices that the boy brings. As a deadly storm threatens, the very survival of the village is in doubt.

Step back into the Stone Age and learn about the daily life and rituals of the ancient village of Skara Brae in this compelling, fictional account of the famous Orkney settlement. Vivid descriptions and accurate historical details bring the village to life and make this an ideal choice for those studying the Stone Age curriculum.

Chapter bookDyslexia-friendly

A tense Seth is waiting to hear if his mum’s got the ‘all-clear’. But instead of relaxing in Cornwall, Seth is haunted by visions. Heads on spikes – bloodied and rotten, eyes pecked out – surrounding an Iron Age hill fort to keep intruders away. When Seth meets two football-crazy brothers from Aleppo their stories offer him a new sense of courage. Can he look death in the face and restore calm to the present? Exciting finale to the Defenders trilogy.

Best Vikings Topic Books For Children

Looking for the best books for the Vikings topic? From raiders and traders to myths and monsters, the Vikings history topic offers a hoard of fascinating themes and this list of recommended children’s books about the Vikings is here to help.

Dig into the mysteries of the Viking topic with recommended chapter books like Riddle of the Runes, She Wolf and Viking Boy, or get stuck into some non-fiction with the fantastic illustrated information book Viking Voyagers.

We’ve put together this list of the best Viking-themed children’s books to help readers take a voyage back in time to the Viking age.

Primary History Topic Booklists

Looking for the best history books for children?

Travel back in time with our handpicked selection of recommended children’s books for history topics. From books for children about the Vikings and Victorians to topic books about Great Fires and Ancient Greeks, we’ve got oodles of book recommendations to support your topic.

Each of our history topic booklists contains a carefully curated selection of books to support the teaching of the curriculum. When we are assessing the quality of books to consider them for our website, we take into account a number of factors – including age suitability, quality of text, visual appeal, readability, level of interest for children, underlying values, curriculum relevance and print production quality. Our review panel of teachers and education experts is invaluable in providing information about which books support the curriculum effectively, as well as writing detailed reviews for some of the books that we feature too.

In addition to our Review Panel feedback, we work with a team of booksellers to make sure that the books on our lists are readily available from publishers in order to supply them to schools and classrooms. Schools can buy full packs of most of our topic booklists directly from Peters.

Whether it’s a trip to the Roman bathhouse, a whistle-stop tour of the Egyptian pyramids or a deep dive into Black British History, our booklists will help you to find the best history books for children. Browse the full list of history topic booklists below.

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Stone Girl Bone Girl

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