This section recommends the best history books for kids. Not all of these recommendations are for books explicitly written for children, but simply history books that are accessible to a younger interest—in other words, a good read. In his recommendations for best classics books for teenagers, Olly Murphy recommends, among others, Mary Beard’s SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome and Tom Holland’s Dynasty: the Rise and Fall of the House of Caesar.
Elsewhere Janina Ramirez, cultural historian and author, recommends the best Viking history books for kids and KJ Whittaker recommends the best historical fiction for teens.
The Best Classics Books for Children, recommended by Annelise Gray
Ancient Greece and the Roman Empire continue to fascinate children and provide fertile ground for historical novels that resonate with today’s readers. Author and classicist Annelise Gray talks us through some of her favourite books for children set in the ancient Mediterranean world and Roman Britain.
The Best Classics Books for Teenagers, recommended by Olly Murphy (Wycombe Abbey)
Caesar, Cicero, Achilles, Socrates, Plato: millennia later, we still talk about them. Olly Murphy, classics teacher at Wycombe Abbey, one of England’s top girls’ schools, recommends books and explains why classics remains one of the most exciting subjects for teenagers to study.
The Best Viking History Books for Kids, selected by Janina Ramirez
Celebrated Anglo-Saxonist and art historian Janina Ramirez has written her first book for children: a Viking mystery with a fearless young heroine, Alva – both detective and shield-maiden. Here, Dr Ramirez recommends five superb history books to help young readers get an in-depth understanding of this exciting and often misunderstood era.
