Cat Sparrow lives in Tudor England during the reign of King Henry VIII. When her sister Meg is taken away by a strange figure, Cat sets out on a quest to find her. Living with a learning difficulty in a Tudor world means that Cat is often perceived by others as a ‘half-wit’. With the help of a young actor, called Jacques, who has his own quest to complete, Cat embarks upon her quest and ends up joining a travelling troupe before joining Katherine of Aragon’s court as the queen’s fool. With plenty of historical details as well as everything you’d hope for in a Tudor adventure, from plots and perils to tournaments and feasts, this story offers fresh perspective into life during the Tudor period. Free chapter-by-chapter reading resources are also available to download from the publisher.

Part of the ‘Voices’ series, which celebrates the experiences of BAME figures in British history and written as a first-person narrative, Diver’s Daughter gives a uniquely fascinating perspective into life in Tudor times.

Eve, our narrator, and her mother start the story in South London. Eve’s mother was stolen from Mozambique as a child and so the story offers insight into the lives of black families in England during this time, something that is rarely mentioned in either historical fiction or non-fiction texts about the period and something that, in the notes at the back of the book, the author further discusses.

Patrice Lawrence paints a vivid picture of life within the cramped and dirty London streets, which transports the reader into Tudor times. The action moves from London down to the South Coast and brings in the story of the sinking of the Mary Rose, as well as the fascinating lives of the divers who went to search for its treasures.

It is a gripping story to enjoy, with intrigue and so much suspense, and offers so many opportunities for discussion about the Tudor period. The author has included lots of Tudor vocabulary, which can be investigated within the topic.

The book would be highly recommended as a class novel or used as a guided reading text within upper KS2, although could also be enjoyed by confident readers within Year Four and Five.

Award-winning children’s author Michael Morpurgo brings past and present together when Tudor explorer Sir Walter Raleigh visits a modern day family as a ghost. A good text to choose for making past-and-present comparisons as well as for learning more about the figure of Sir Walter Raleigh and his legacy.

Part of Philip Ardagh’s popular ‘The Secret Diary of…’ series, this is highly entertaining historical fiction for a young audience, bringing a place, a time and a way of life alive for its readers. This one focuses on Thomas Snoop, a trainee spy looking to uncover Tudor traitors making plots against the king.

An illustrated Tudor story accessible to most readers in lower KS2, providing a lighter read than some of the other children’s novels based on this topic. Stable boy Hal longs to work at King Henry’s palace, but his dreams appear to be dashed when he gets accused of being a spy. Free guided reading notes are also available to download from the publisher.

From the author of the popular Horrible Histories, this book is part of the ‘Tudor Tales’ series. The story is about a young boy who dares to challenge King Henry VII’s claim to the throne. The text, which is accompanied by fun illustrations, is easily accessible to most pupils in lower KS2. You may also like the other tales in this series: The Thief, the Fool and the Big Fat King, The Maid, the Witch and the Cruel Queen and The Actor, the Rebel and the Wrinkled Queen.

Retelling key events from Tudor history in an accessible way, pupils will enjoy looking over this book time and time again. The historical tales are retold in Marcia Williams’ distinctive comic book style, with speech bubbles and many humorous details in both the text and illustrations that pupils will love. Topics include the Wars of the Roses, the Spanish Armada, Christopher Columbus’s voyage to America and Henry VIII’s many marriages.

Shakespeare for Everyone is a step-by-step book that describes William Shakespeare’s plays and poetry in an engaging and informative way. Although there is a lot of text within the book, it remains easily manageable to read in distinct sections using the contents page and varying text layout on each page.

The book contains not just the details of Shakespeare’s writing in comedies, tragedies, histories, romances, poetry and sonnets but also about his life and the impact of his work. Each page has interesting facts about his writing, life, quotes from texts and historical links.

This is an excellent text to use for anyone studying Shakespeare or his works. It gives detail about his works and ensures a deeper understanding of his life and legacy. The illustrations by Sarah Tanat Jones add extra understanding to the text and the plot of different plays are portrayed in a range of visual ways, including in story map style presentations. To add further to the detail within the book, there is a glossary and a timeline of the greater works of Shakespeare.

Part of the ‘Find Tom in Time’ series, ‘Shakespeare’s London’ is a brilliant book for introducing young readers, and reluctant readers, to the concept of exploring Shakespeare’s historical context. Tom travels back to Shakespeare’s London, and the book tells the story of his adventure, whilst providing an immersive and very educational experience of what the city was like in the playwright’s time.

Each double-page spread is a ‘Where’s Wally’ style image in which Tom, his Grandma, and his cat are hidden for children to find, along with various other characters and happenings listed in a ‘Can you Spot?’ box on each picture. On his trip back in time, Tom visits the Belle Sauvage Inn, St Paul’s Cathedral, the Tower of London, and, of course, the Globe, among other places, and each location plays its part in the story of Tom’s day and has its own two-page picture.

Peppered across the busy illustrations are also fascinating facts about each place and its role in Shakespeare’s London – did you know that the Tower of London housed a Menagerie of exotic animals from across the world, or that builders once used St Paul’s Cathedral as a shortcut, carrying their heavy loads right through its centre?

This is an excellent choice for a school library, combining fun with learning, and a great book to have in the classroom during a topic on Shakespeare.