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British History

General Notes

This list contains a selection of books on British history for children, old and new, fiction and non-fiction,  including as many as possible with an emphasis on the Christian history of the British Isles. Many are out of print, but may be available from libraries or can be found through Amazon, other online booksellers or Ebay.

Age Suitability

Most of the books are suitable for children aged 9 or 10 upwards, though a few are aimed at younger children, and many could be read aloud to under 10s. Books listed as being for older children are either darker in tone or have content requiring greater maturity. These books are likely to be suitable for children aged 12 and over.

Health Warning

I have not read every book on this list. Titles have been collected from reliable sources, are by authors I know, or have received good reviews. Where I am aware that a book has content that some parents may prefer to avoid, I have made a note of this.

Other Book Lists

Mary Moffat's Reviews - a very extensive UK-based list of historical fiction for children, all with reviews


General Histories

  • Our Island Story (H.E.Marshall) - narrative history of Britain written in the early twentieth century. While out of date in some respects, it is still the best retelling of British history as a story available. Recently republished in both the UK and the US.
  • Britannia (G.MacCaughrean) is a colourful and engaging history storybook, with an eclectic mixture of history and myth. Each story concludes with a section giving the historical context. This book as also been issued as a series of shorter books - Knights, Kings and Conquerors; Daredevils and Desperados; Rebels and Royals; Ghosts, Rogues and Highwaymen;  Movers, Shakers and Record Breakers - but these do not have the illustrations included in the original volume.
  • Note: A handful of stories have content you may consider unsuitable, for example the story of how naked ladies were sent to tempt Saint David. These can easily be avoided if you read the stories aloud.
  • People in History (R.J.Unstead) - a collection of forty six stories about historical characters, from Roman Britain through to 20th century. Out of print.
  • Kings and Things (H.E.Marshall) - another narrative history of England for younger children by author of Our Island Story. Rather more fanciful and with irritating overuse of capital letters, but a good first history book for, say, 6 to 8 year olds
  • The Fearless Treasure - A Story of England from Then to Now (Noel Streatfeild) - out of print. Social history of England told in story form, by an author of classic children's fiction.
  • 2000 Years: The Christian Faith in Britain (N.Currie, pub.Lion 1999) is a short (40 pages) DK style illustrated book on the history of Christianity for children.
  • Our Island Saints (Amy Steedman) - out of print, but available online at www.mainlesson.com
  • Stories from the English Saints (J.Richardson) - a collection of saints' stories, mainly pre-Reformation.
  • Batsford Living History Series (out of print) - a series of themed books written for secondary aged children (11+) in the 1960s by leading writers of children's historical fiction. Titles and authors are:-
    • Monks and Monasteries (Cynthia Harnett) - story of over 20 English monasteries and the monks who lived in them
    • Battles and Battlefields (David Scott Daniell) - stories of 15 battles from Stamford Bridge to Culloden
    • Explorers and Exploration (David Scott Daniell) - describes the voyages and journeys of 12 British explorers
    • Castles and Kings (Henry Treece)
    • Houses and History (Rosemary Sutcliff)
    • The Tower and the Traitors (Barbara Leonie Picard)


Early Britain
  • Warrior Scarlet (Rosemary Sutcliff) - can a young boy with a useless arm earn his place as a warrior with his tribe?
  • Outcast (Rosemary Sutcliff)
  • Beric the Briton (G.A.Henty)


Roman Britain
  • Roman Invasion - My Story: A British Boy AD 84 (Jim Eldridge)
  • The Eagle of the Ninth (Rosemary Sutcliff) - a young Roman tries to find out what happened to the Ninth Legion, lost years before in northern Britain. First in a trilogy about Marcus Aquila; the second and third books are The Silver Branch and The Lantern Bearers.
  • The Capricorn Bracelet (Rosemary Sutcliff) - collection of stories following a family of soldiers through 300 year Roman occupation of Britain
  • Word to Caesar (Geoffrey Trease)
  • Between the Forest and the Hills (Lawrence) - fun and fantasy, set during the later years of Roman Britain

Older Children

  • Song for a Dark Queen (Rosemary Sutcliff) - story based on the life of Boudicca (or Boudicea), queen of the British Iceni tribe.
  • The Queen's Brooch (Henry Treece) - the story of Boudicca seen through the eyes of a Roman legionary. Powerfully written. Includes some graphic violent scenes (these were violent times).


King Arthur

Note: Retellings of the story of King Arthur all include an element of romance and mentions of adultery which some parents may prefer to avoid..
  • The King Who Was and Will Be (Kevin Crossley-Holland) [US Title: The World of King Arthur and His Court] - the facts behind the myth. Includes explanations of the origins of the Arthurian legends, details of characters, explanations of aspects of knighthood and chivalry, and much other background material.
  • King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table (Roger Lancelyn Green) - my favourite retelling of the Arthurian legends, by a friend of C.S.Lewis
  • King Arthur (Matthews and Utton) - illustrated retelling of the story of Arthur, broken up into short sections.
  • The Sword in the Stone (T.H.White) - classic, humerous version of the years before Arthur became king.
  • Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (Selina Hastings) - a high quality picture book. Also a sequel -
  • Sir Gawain and the Loathly Lady
  • At the Crossing Places, The Seeing Stone and King of the Middle March (Kevin Crossley-Holland) - a trilogy written by an author with a long-standing interest in Anglo-Saxon England. Not a retelling of the Arthurian legends, but include King Arthur as a character.


Celtic Saints
  • Knights of God (Patricia Lynch) - stories of Irish saints, including Patrick, Brendan, Brigid and Kevin.
  • Patrick: Patron Saint of Ireland (Tomie de Paola) - simply told story in beautifully illustrated picture book. Great for sharing with younger children (age 4+)


Anglo-Saxon England
  • Augustine Came to Kent (Barbara Willard) - a must read for anyone interested in the history of Christianity in Britain. The story of an Anglo-Saxon boy brought up in Rome, who together with his father returns to England as part of St.Augustine's mission to convert the Anglo-Saxons.
  • Dragonslayer: The Story of Beowulf (Rosemary Sutcliff) - classic retelling by a great writer.
  • Beowulf (Kevin Crossley-Holland) - illustrated version of the story of Beowulf. Shorter and simpler than Dragonslayer. Well told but with rather bizarre black-and-white illustrations.
  • Beowulf the Warrior (Ian Serraillier) - a top quality retelling of Beowulf story
  • The Dragon and the Raven (G.A.Henty)
  • Mist Over Athelney (Geoffrey Trease) - set in the time of King Alfred
  • The Namesake and The Marsh King (C.Walter Hodge) - the story of Alfred
  • Sea Stranger, Fire-Brother and Earth Father (Kevin Crossley-Holland) - three stories about St.Cedd, missionary to the East Saxons, and Wulf, a Saxon boy he converts. Set in 7th century. Originally published as three separate short volumes.

Older Children

  • Hengest's Tale (Jill Paton Walsh) - story of the early Anglo-Saxon settlement of England.
  • Wordhoard (Kevin Crossley-Holland and Jill Paton Walsh) - eight stories of Anglo-Saxon England, some fictional, some based on contemporary sources. Subjects covered include the Anglo-Saxon invasions, the story of Caedmon, King Alfred, the Battle of Maldon and the Norman Conquest.


Vikings
  • Beorn the Proud (Madeleine Polland) - a 12 year old Irish girl sees her village destroyed by Viking raiders and is taken back to Denmark by Beorn, a Viking boy. After the death of Beorn's father, the Viking chief, both the children and the kingdom of Denmark are at risk from Beorn's ambitious cousin. A strong Christian theme, as the girl is determined not to abandon her Christian faith and tries to teach the young Viking that humility can be better than pride. One of my favourite books!
  • Sword Song (Rosemary Sutcliff) - story of a Viking boy who becomes a mercenary soldier.
  • The Orchard Book of Vikings (Robert Swindells) - illustrated collection of stories from Norse mythology.
  • Norse Myths (Kevin Crossley-Holland) - another illustrated story collection with a slightly higher reading / comprehension level.
  • Viking! (Kevin Crossley-Holland) - more Viking mythology


Medieval Britain: 1000-1300
  • The Battle of Hastings (Scholastic Double Take series) - story of the Battle of Hastings told from both sides.
  • The Striped Ships (Eloise Jarvis MacGraw) - set after the Norman Conquest. A Saxon girl helps to make the Bayeux Tapestry. Out of print and unfortunately hard to find.
  • Shield Ring (Rosemary Sutcliff) - also set in the time of the Conquest
  • Wulf the Saxon (G.A.Henty)
  • Harold Was My King (Hilda Lewis)
  • Hounds of the King (Geoffrey Trease) - story of King Harold in 1066
  • The King's Shadow (Elizabeth Alder) - historical fiction about Norman Conquest based on the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
  • If All The Swords in England (Barbara Willard) - twin boys find themselves separated, one in the service of King Henry II and the other a clerk in the entourage of the future saint Thomas Becket.
  • The Hidden Treasure of Glaston (Eleanor Jewett) - a crippled boy is left at Glastonbury Abbey during the reign of Henry II.
  • The Adventures of Robin Hood (Roger Lancelyn Green) - classic version of the Robin Hood story by a friend of C.S.Lewis
  • Robin of Sherwood (Michael Morpurgo) - a boy in 20th century England relives the story of Robin Hood in a dream. A rather different take on the legend.
  • A Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver (E.Konigsburg) - story of Eleanor of Aquitaine told by her friends as they wait in heaven for the possible arrival of her husband, King Henry II.
  • The Lost Baron (Allen French) - set in Cornwall in 1200
  • Castle Diary: the Journal of Tobias Burgess, Page (Platt and Riddell) - illustrated account of the life of a young page in a medieval castle. Fun!
  • The Minstrel in the Tower (Gloria Skurzinsky)
  • Saint George and the Dragon (Geraldine MacCaughrean) - picture book
  • Saint George and the Dragon (Margaret Hodges) - another picture book, beautifully illustrated and based on Spenser's Faerie Queen.
  • The Door in the Wall (Marguerite de Angeli)
  • Adam of the Road (Elizabeth Grey)
  • The Runaway Serf (Geoffrey Trease) - part of a series of historical fiction written for younger children (6+)

Older Children

  • The Ramsey Scallop (Temple) - a young betrothed couple are sent on a pilgrimage [Sonlight]
  • Catherine, Called Birdy (Karen Cushman) - personally I find Karen Cushman's books too modern in tone, and on occasions anti-clerical, but many people enjoy them
  • A Rare Benedictine (Ellis Peters) - first in long series of books about medieval monk and sleuth, Brother Cadfael
  • Murder in the Cathedral (T.S.Eliot) - stage play telling the story of Thomas Becket.


Medieval Britain 1300-1500

  • The Gauntlet (Ronald Welch) - a modern boy shares his ancestors' adventures in a 14th-century Welsh castle. One of a series following a single family through different historical periods.
  • Bowman of Crecy (Ronald Welch) - a band of outlaws from the Welsh borders join Edward III's army during the 100 Years' War
  • Fire, Bed and Bone (Henrietta Branford) - story of the Peasants' Revolt of 1381 from a dog's perspective
  • The Canterbury Tales (Geraldine MacCaughrean) - illustrated retelling of Chaucer.
  • The Gentle Falcon (Hilda Lewis) - story of Isabella of France, the child bride of Richard II, told by a young lady-in-waiting.
  • Ring Out Bow Bells (Cynthia Harnett) - set in London in the time of Henry V. First of a quartet of books set in 15th century England. Top quality historical fiction. [US title: The Sign of the Green Falcon]
  • Agincourt: Jenkin Lloyd, France 1415 (Michael Cox) - My Story series
  • Here Comes Harry (Hilda Lewis) - a boy apprentice befriends the young Henry VI
  • The Writing on the Hearth (Cynthia Harnett) - a young clerk is caught up in the political intrigues of the mid-15th century [US title: The Cargo of the Madalena]
  • The Load of Unicorn (Cynthia Harnett) - the son of a family of scriveners (scribes or copyists) is apprenticed to William Caxton, pioneer of printing. [US title: Caxton's Challenge]

Older Children

  • Matilda Bone (Karen Cushman) - a young girl is apprenticed to a bone setter. Lots of information about medieval medicine. Negative view of formal religion.
  • The Midwife's Apprentice (Karen Cushman) - story of a homeless girl with no name.
  • The King's Swift Rider (Mollie Hunter) - about Robert the Bruce
  • Tales From Chaucer (Eleanor Farjeon) - best retelling of Chaucer I have seen. Out of print.
  • Henry V (Shakespeare)
  • The Black Arrow: a Tale of Two Roses (R.L.Stevenson) - classic fiction set during the Wars of the Roses.


Tudor Britain (1485-1601)

  • The Wool Pack (Cynthia Harnett) - my favourite of Cynthia Harnett's books. Two children uncover a plot to ruin the boy's father. Masses of accurate detail about the late medieval wool trade. The story includes childhood betrothal. [US title: The Merchant's Mark]
  • Henry, King to Be (Geoffrey Trease)
  • The Queen's Smuggler (Jackson) - the story of William Tyndale
  • The Hawk that Dare not Hunt by Day (O'Dell) - William Tyndale
  • The Bible Smuggler (Louise Vernon) - another story on the same theme, written from a Protestant perspective
  • Rivals for the Crown (Margaret Simpson) - Scholastic Double Take series, tells story of Mary and Elizabeth from both sides
  • Bloody Tower: the Diary of Tilly Middleton 1553-59 (Valerie Wilding) - My Story series
  • Elizabeth I: The Royal Diaries (Kathryn Lasky)
  • The Young Elizabeth (Jean Plaidy) - somewhat romanticised version of Elizabeth's life before she became queen
  • Good Queen Bess (Diane Stanley) - one in a series of beautifully illustrated historical biographies by this author.
  • Anne Boleyn and Me: the Diary of Elinor Valjean 1525-36 (Alison Prince) - My Story series
  • To Kill a Queen: an Elizabethan Girl's Diary 1583-86 (Valerie Wilding) - Mary Queen of Scots, My Story series - previous title The Queen's Spies: the Diary of Kitty Lumsden
  • Traveller in Time (Alison Uttley) - a young girl staying with relatives in the country finds herself slipping from the 20th century into the past and becoming entangled with the family who lived in the house in Tudor times, when Sir Anthony Babington took a leading part in a plot to engineer the escape from captivity of Mary, Queen of Scots. A real historical event (the Babington Plot) is merged into gentle historical fiction.
  • Edmund Campion (Harold Gardiner) - story of an Elizabethan saint and martyr. Catholic perspective on the English Reformation.
  • Armada: Thomas Hobbs, England 1587-88 (Jim Eldridge) - My Story series
  • The Sea King: Sir Francis Drake (Marin)
  • The Queen's Pirates (Derek Parker) - Francis Drake and Walter Raleigh, Scholastic Double Take series
  • Shakespeare: His Work and His World (Michael Rosen) - engaging introduction to Shakespeare: the man, his times and his work. Includes synopses of four of his plays. Beautifully illustrated.
  • Bard of Avon (Diane Stanley) - another of her illustrated biographies
  • Shakespeare Stories (Leon Garfield) - two volumes of retellings by a master storyteller.
  • Stories from Shakespeare (Geraldine MacCaughrean) - simpler version than Garfield's
  • Cue for Treason (Geoffrey Trease) - two runaway children fall in with a group of strolling players. A fun adventure story involving Shakespeare and a plot against Queen Elizabeth. A favourite of mine
  • The Shakespeare Stealer and Shakespeare's Scribe (Gary Blackwood)
  • Kingdom of Shadows (Susan Cooper) - modern boy goes back to the Globe Theatre in time of Shakespeare
  • Who Was....?: William Shakespeare (Rupert Christiansen)
  • Red Hugh, Prince of Donegal (Robert Reilly) - Irish queen and her son struggle against Queen Elizabeth of England

Older Children

  • Mary, Bloody Mary (Carolyn Meyer) - story of the young Queen Mary
  • Beware, Princess Elizabeth (Carolyn Meyer)
  • A Murder for Her Majesty (Hilgartner)
  • The Spanish Letters (Molly Hunter) - Elizabethan spy story


Stuart Britain

  • Mayflower: the Diary of Remember Patience Whipple, 1620 (Kathryn Lasky) - My Story series
  • Civil War: Thomas Adamson, England 1643-50 (Vince Cross) - My Story series
  • Hunt Royal (David Scott Daniell) - story of the escape of the future King Charles II from his Roundhead pursuers during the English Civil War.
  • When the Drums Beat (Geoffrey Trease) - Civil War. For younger children
  • The Children of Green Knowe (Lucy Boston) - a 20th century child 'meets' the ghosts of a family of Cavalier children.
  • The Great Plague: the Diary of Alice Paynton, London 1665-66 (Pamela Oldfield) - My Story series
  • Children of Winter (Berlie Doherty) - three children spend a winter hidden in a barn alone in an attempt to escape the plague.
  • The Star and the Flame (Rosemary Weir) - plague and fire of London, 1665/6
  • Master Cornhill (Eloise Jarvis MacGraw) - a boy returns to London after the plague of 1665 to find his family gone. Tells how he builds a new life and survives the great fire of 1666.
  • Popinjay Stairs (Geoffrey Trease) - story focused on Samuel Pepys
  • Pilgrim's Progress (Geraldine MacCaughrean) - retelling for children of classic Christian allegory by John Bunyan (Protestant)
  • Traitor in the Tower (Jackson) - biography of John Bunyan (written from a Protestant perspective)
  • The Great House (Cynthia Harnett) - one of her less well known books, aimed at slightly younger children than her others. Story of two children in the 1690s, with an underlying architectural theme.
  • Martin Hyde (John Masefield) - story of the Monmouth Rebellion against James II. Can be downloaded free from Project Gutenberg.
  • Trumpets in the West (Geoffrey Trease) - set at the time of the overthrow of James II (1688). Musical theme, involving the composer Henry Purcell

Older Children

  • Children of the New Forest (Captain Maryatt) - classic 19th century fiction about a family of children forced to fend for themselves during the English Civil War
  • Down Ryton Water (Gaggin) - story of the journey of the Pilgrims from England to New England.
  • A Parcel of Patterns (Jill Paton Walsh) - based on the true stor of Eyam, a village which chose to shut itself off from the world rather than risk passing on the plague.


Georgian Britain 

  • The '45 Rising: the Diary of Euphemia Grant 1745-46 (Francis Mary Hendry) - My Story series
  • Flame Coloured Taffeta (Rosemary Sutcliff) - a young girl cares for an injured man. Is he smuggler? Or a Jacobite?
  • Bonnie Prince Charlie - A Tale of Fontenoy and Culloden (G.A.Henty)
  • The Young Pretenders (Barbara Leonie Picard) - a young girl and her brother, both secret supporters of Bonnie Prince Charlie, hide a man they imagine to be an escaping Jacobite.
  • Can't You Make Them Behave, King George? (Jean Fritz) - George III and the American Revolution.
  • Chimney Sweep's Ransom (Jackson)
  • A Heart Strangely Warmed (Louise Vernon)
  • - two books about John Wesley, the founder of Methodism
  • Dagger in the Sky (Alan Gibbons) - set during the Industrial Revolution. Two children with very different backgrounds meet (mill owner / mill worker).
  • Transported: the Diary of Elizabeth Harvey, Australia 1790 (Goldie Alexander) - My Story series
  • The Black Lamp (Peter Carter)
  • The Spy Catchers (Geoffrey Trease) - threat of invasion during Napoleonic wars, c.1800. For younger children (6+)
  • Trafalgar: James Grant, HMS Norseman 1799-1806 (Bryan Perrett) - My Story series
  • Waterloo: Bob Jenkins, Royal House Artillery 1814-17 (Bryan Perrett) - My Story series
  • The Stove Haunting (Bel Mooney) - 20th century boy taken back to the time of the Tolpuddle Martyrs (1835)

Older Children

  • Bonnie Dundee (Rosemary Sutcliff) - tells the story of one of the heroes of the Jacobite rebellion.
  • Moonfleet (J.Meade Falkner) - classic fiction set in Dorset. Smugglers, hidden treasure and heroic friendship.
  • The Ghosts of Glencoe (Molly Hunter) - story of the Battle of Glencoe and the massacre of Highlanders during the Jacobite rebellion


Victorian Britain 

  • Victoria, May Blossom of Britannia, England 1829 (Anna Kirwan) - Royal Diaries series
  • Queen Victoria (Noel Streatfeild) - non fiction [World Landmark series]
  • Victoria: the Story of a Great Queen (Elisabeth Kyle) - ideal for younger children [Nelson's Picture Biographies]
  • Who Was....?: Queen Victoria (Kate Hubbard) [Short Books]
  • Mill Girl: a Victorian Girl's Diary 1842-43 (Susan Reid) - My Story series
  • The Hunger: the Diary of Phyllis McCormack, Ireland 1845-47 (Carol Drinkwater)
  • The December Rose (Leon Garfield) - story of a boy chimney sweep.
  • The Crystal Palace: the Diary of Lily Hicks, 1850-51 (Frances Mary Hendry) - My Story series
  • Crimea: Michael Pope, 110th Regiment 1853-57 (Bryan Perrett) - My Story series
  • Florence Nightingale (Ruth Fox Hume) [World Landmark series]
  • Who Was....?: Florence Nightingale (Charlotte Moore) - biography suitable for age 8-12. No illustrations [Short Books]
  • The Drummer Boy's Battle (Jackson) - story about Florence Nightingale
  • Indian Mutiny: Hanuman Singh, India 1857-58 (Pratima Mitchell) - My Story series
  • The Blue Death (Judy Allen) - true story of the 1854 London cholera outbreak and the doctor who discovered the cause of the disease.
  • Victorian Workhouse: the Diary of Edith Lorrimer, England 1871 (Pamela Oldfield) - My Story series
  • Thieves of Tyburn Square (Jackson) - Elizabeth Fry
  • Zulu War: Jabulani, Africa 1879-82 (Vince Cross) - My Story series, Zulu War from perspective of a Zulu boy
  • Escape from the Slave Traders (Jackson) - David Livingstone
  • Who Was....?: David Livingstone (Amanda Mitchison) [Short Books]
  • The Gate in the Wall (Ellen Howard) - a Victorian mill girl ends up working on a canal boat
  • Tom's Midnight Garden (Philippa Pearce) - time slip takes a twentieth century boy into a Victorian garden
  • Black Beauty (Anna Sewell) - famous tear-jerking story of a horse
  • The Warden's Niece (Gillian Avery) - a girl runs away from school to live with her uncle, an Oxford academic. She joins the boys next door for lessons with an eccentric tutor, and learns how to use a library to solve a mystery. Fun.
  • The Greatest Gresham (Gillian Avery) - a Bohemian family moves to Victorian suburbia
  • The Sentinels (Peter Carter)
  • The Butty Boy (Jill Paton Walsh) - a young girl runs away from home on a canal boat
  • Thursday's Child (Noel Streatfeild) - three children run away from an orphanage
  • No Horn at Midnight (Geoffrey Trease) - adventure story set around early years of the railways

Older Children

  • Victoria (Jean-Loup Chiflet) - non-fiction.
  • Grace (Jill Paton Walsh) - story of lighthouse heroine Grace Darling. The effects of publicity on Grace and her family are thought provoking. 

 

Early 20th Century Britain

  • Twentieth Century Girl: the Diary of Flora Bonnington 1899-1900 (Carol Drinkwater) - My Story series
  • Votes for Women (Belinda Hollyer) - part of Double Take series looking at historical events from both sides
  • Suffragette: the Diary of Dollie Baxter, London 1909-1913 (Carol Drinkwater)
  • Miss Rivers and Miss Bridges (Geraldine Symons) - fictional account of the suffragettes, fighting for votes for women in the early years of the 20th century.
  • The Children of Charlecote (Philippa Pearce & Brian Fairfax-Lucy) - true story of 4 children growing up in a country house before WWI
  • The Runaways (Elizabeth Goudge)
  • The Railway Children (E.Nesbit)
  • Titanic - My Story: an Edwardian Girl's Diary 1912 (Ellen Emerson White)

Older Children

  • Bring Out the Banners (Geoffrey Trease) - another book about Suffragettes. Includes graphic description of brutal treatment of women by the authorities.


World War I 

  • The Trenches: a First World War Soldier, 1914-1918 (Jim Eldridge) - My Story series
  • Flying Ace: Jack Fairfax, Royal Flying Corps 1915-1918 (Jim Eldridge) - My Story series
  • War Game (Michael Foreman) - 4 young men from Suffolk go to fight in the trenches. Tells the story of the famous football match in No Man's Land that took place on Christmas Day 1914
  • War Horse (Michael Morpurgo) - story of a farm horse sold to the army and sent to the Western Front in 1914
  • Road to War: a First World War Girl's Diary 1916-17 (Valerie Wilding) - My Story series
  • Charlotte Sometimes (Penelope Farmer) - a schoolgirl from the 1960s and another from WWI accidentally change places. Note: This book has a seance scene
Older Children
  • Private Peaceful (Michael Morpurgo) - moving story about two brothers, and what makes a coward or a hero


Between the Wars

  • Street of Tall People (Alan Gibbons)- set in the East End of London in 1936. Story of the friendship between two boys - one Jewish, and the other connected with Oswald Mosley's Blackshirts.

World War II 

  • Dolphin Crossing (Jill Paton Walsh) - children help to evacuate soldiers from Dunkirk in 1940
  • Never Give In (Stephen Mansfield) - biography of Winston Churchill
  • U-Boat Hunter: Peter Rogers HMS Arum 1939-45 (Brian Perrett) - My Story series
  • Battle of Britian: Diary of a Second World War Spitfire Pilot, 1939-41 (Christ Priestley) - My Story series
  • Nurse: the Diary of Kitty Langley 1939-40 (Sue Reid) - My Story series
  • Blitz: the Diary of Edie Benson, London 1940-41 (Pamela Oldfield) - My Story series
  • Spy Smuggler: Paul Lelaud, France 1942-44 (Jim Eldridge) - My Story series
  • Friend or Foe (Michael Morpurgo) - some boys find a ditched German plane 
  • Carrie's War (Nina Bawden) - story of a girl evacuated to the country
  • War Boy: A Country Childhood (Michael Foreman) - autobiography
  • Goodnight Mister Tom (Michelle Magorian) - moving story of a young evacuee and an old man.
  • One Small Suitcase (Barry Turner) - story of the kindertransporte, Jewish children sent to Britain from Germany. Non-fiction.
  • When the Siren Wailed (Noel Streatfeild) - story of three children evacuated to Dorset
  • In Spite of All Terror (Hester Burton) - another story of a schoolgirl evacuee
  • Evacuee (Gabriel Alington) - story of wartime evacuation & pleasures and responsibilities of friendshlp

Post-War Britain

Older Children

  • A Spoonful of Jam (Michelle Magorian) - slice of life story of a grammar school scholarship girl in 1947