History Books for Children

Explore this curated collection of history books for children. Covering topics including the Anglo-Saxons, Vikings, Victorians, Mayan civilization, Ancient Greece, Romans, World War 2, British Black History, Remembrance and War, and pirates, these lists are tailored for KS2, KS3 and KS4. Browse books by Tony Bradman, Rosemary Sutcliff, Terry Deary, Michael Morpurgo, and more. From Anglo-Saxons, featuring Robert Fowke and Anita Ganeri to World War 2, these resources offer a diverse blend of fiction and nonfiction.

Useful websites and resources

BBC’s primary history minisite.
BBC’s secondary history minisite.
Free resources from The National Archives.
National Curriculum programmes of study.
Black History Month.
A vast collection of free teaching resources and ideas for teachers of KS3,KS4 and KS5 from Balliol College, Oxford.
Free classroom resources from Historic England.
The History Association.
Free downloadable resources from English Heritage.
Oak National Academy’s history curriculum for KS1, KS2, KS3 and KS4.
Resources for primary schools from National Geographic.
Resources for schools from The Black Curriculum.

History magazines and journals

20 pirate books for children

Last updated on November 22, 2024 by Jan Tolkien

20 pirate books for children interested in life on the high seas and primary schools looking for pirate books for cross curricular topics. Authors include James Davies, Celia Rees, Neil Gaiman, Lindsay Eagar, Derek Keilty, Cornelia Funke, and Philip Ardagh.

Remembrance and war topic books for children in KS1 and KS2

Children’s books about war and remembrance

Last updated on November 22, 2024 by Tom Tolkien

Remembrance and war topic books for children in KS1 and KS2 suitable for literacy, research, and cross-curricular topics. Including titles by Michael Rosen, Lois Lowry, Tom Palmer, Kate Saunders, Martin Impey, Bali Rai, and Judith Loske.

Castles – children’s nonfiction books

Last updated on November 22, 2024 by Jan Tolkien

Here’s our selection of great nonfiction books and topic books for children about castles. These reading suggestions contain a range of books suitable for primary aged children aged 5-11 in KS1 and KS2.

Anglo-Saxons topic books

Last updated on November 7, 2024 by Jan Tolkien

Anglo-Saxon topic books for children aged 7-11 in KS2. This list includes nonfiction books and stories by Tony Bradman, Rosemary Sutcliff, Terry Deary, Karen Wallace, Robert Fowke and Anita Ganeri.

Ancient Greece non fiction books for children and teens

Ancient Greece topic books for KS2

Last updated on October 17, 2024 by Tom Tolkien

Ancient Greece children’s books for KS2 with titles by Sue and Steve Weatherill, Chae Strathie, James Davies, Dominic Sandbrook, Maz Evans, Saviour Pirotta, Caroline Lawrence, Marcia Williams and more.

Vikings topic books

Last updated on October 7, 2024 by Jan Tolkien

Vikings topic books for children aged 7-11 in KS2. This list includes nonfiction books and stories by Tony Bradman, Jane Chisholm, Michael Morpurgo, Cressida Cowell, Terry Deary, and Neil Gaiman.

Ancient Egyptian topic books

Last updated on October 7, 2024 by Jan Tolkien

Ancient Egyptian topic books for Key Stage 2, including titles by David Long, Emma Carroll, Emily Bone, David Weitzman, Marcia Williams, Joe Todd-Stanton, Laura Wood and Terry Deary.

Romans topic books

Last updated on October 7, 2024 by Jan Tolkien

Romans topic books for children aged 7-11 in KS2. This list includes nonfiction books and stories by Tony Bradman, Christina Balit, Andy Stanton, Theresa Breslin, Gary Northfield, and Marcia Williams.

Exploration topic books for KS2

Last updated on October 7, 2024 by Jan Tolkien

Exploration topic books for KS2, including fiction and nonfiction novels, picture books and real life stories by writers including Sally Walker, William Grill, Libby Jackson, Nellie Huang, Catherine Johnson, Katherine Rundell, Alexandra Stewart and Joe Todd-Stanton.