Posted on: 13/07/2023
Historical Texts
History and literature permeate each other and, whether we set out to or not, it is impossible not to gain some new historical insight when reading most books - every genre can shed light on history. Even sci-fi and fantasy novels often allegorically reflect the rise and fall, successes and follies of societies past and present. With this in mind, we wanted to compile a rich array of texts and genres that build historical links for children, give them a sense of chronology and consequence, paint vivid portraits of historical figures whilst enhancing a school’s provision of the history curriculum expectations. We wanted to include those books which have an ambitious and broad scope over world and British history. The History National Curriculum aims to ensure that all pupils know and understand the ‘history of these islands as a coherent, chronological narrative’ as well as to ‘know and understand significant aspects of the history of the wider world’ and ‘ancient civilisations.’
Books like What Did the Tree See? by Charlotte Guillain and A Street Through Time by Anne Millard help younger children observe, in a very concrete way, how one patch of space can mirror the huge technological and societal changes happening in Britain across hundreds of years. Mini Grey’s lively and lyrical The Greatest Show on Earth animates the entirety of human history from the very beginnings of life – all narrated by a ‘friendly troop of insects.’
For older children, books like DK’s Timelines of Everything – which has 130 timelines – supports children in building a sense of chronology through a kaleidoscope of different lenses. Humans by Jonny Marx is another fantastic book which helps children gain an insight into various ancient civilisations and empires in an accessible way. It would be hard to not include Horrible Histories in this list (we could have made an entirely separate list for this), and A Horrible History of the World is a brilliant, hugely entertaining look at human history – the more horrible aspects of course…of which there are plenty!
The curriculum also aims for children to understand ‘the methods of historical enquiry, including how evidence is used to rigorously make historical claims.’ The Street Beneath My Feet by Charlotte Giullian helps younger children to see how layers of soil can hide clues about our past. The Fossil Hunter by Kate Winter tells the story of famous palaeontologist Mary Anning whilst the Story of Tutankhamun depicts the methods, discoveries and controversies of archaeologist Howard Carter.
For older children, we wanted to include significant literature from the world wars, including a poignant wealth of narratives from the likes of Michael Morpurgo (again, we could have created an entirely separate list for his books), Judith Kerr and Phil Earle. We also wanted to include poetry, and the book Poems from the Second World War compiled by Gaby Morgan is stunning whilst On the Move by Michael Rosen shared his family’s experiences of World War 2 and its aftermath.
Finally, we wanted to include books that decolonised the history curriculum and tell traditionally oppressed histories. Books that narrate Black and BAME perspectives and support children in unpicking the egregious injustices of the past. A Hero Like Me is a powerful book that could be read by all ages and explores the events in Bristol in 2020 when the statue of slave trader Edward Colston was thrown into the harbour. Black and British: An Illustrated History by the erudite David Olusoga is a tour de force of British Black history.
We have also included the incredible books Suffragette: The Battle for Equality by David Roberts as well as Rebel Voices: The Rise of Votes for Women by Louise Kay Stewart. A Children’s Introduction to Pride by Sarah Prager and Rob Sander’s books Stonewall, A Building. An Uprising. A Revolution and Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag tell the stories of the LGBTQ+ community, their struggles and the origins of Pride.
This list is by no means exhaustive but we do hope there is something – and some period of time – here for everyone!
Posted in: Book Lists
