Horrible Histories

Ally · Post by **Ally** » Wed Oct 21, 2009 7:17 pm

Hi

My DS loves non fiction, espeicailly the horrible histories. We've got most of the horrible histories, geography, maths, science. He have enjoyed the dead famous series.

Can anyone this of any interesting history books that are more advanced than the horrilbe histories.

yoyo123 · Post by **yoyo123** » Wed Oct 21, 2009 7:20 pm

probably not more advanced , but my daughter loved 'The Lost Diaries of...'

Can;t have done her any harm as she is in final year of history degree at UCL

I remember she loved The lost diary of Eric Bloodaxe. It's very much in the vein of the horrible histories

Bexley Mum 2 · Post by **Bexley Mum 2** » Wed Oct 21, 2009 7:55 pm

Aha! Ally you've hit on a huge bug bear of mine. My kids have all devoured the Horrible Histories series and are all very interested in the subject. They'll happily watch historical documentaries and dramas on TV. I keep looking for some age-appropriate history books (they're 10, 12 and 14) but there doesn't seem to be anything between the young child focused/spoof type history book and the very dry adult-focused history book. If you find anything, please let me know!

yoyo123 · Post by **yoyo123** » Wed Oct 21, 2009 9:00 pm

how about following up from the horrible histories/

Go and visit remnants of Roman, Tudor, Viking etc.......

it brings it all to life.

miss yoyo started reading ;The Sandal' a picture book in Yr 1 with going to corinium Museum in cirencester and the rest as they say is history...........

ourmaminhavana · Post by **ourmaminhavana** » Wed Oct 21, 2009 10:10 pm

My son enjoyed The HH and also The Roman Mystery series. They're not as bloodthirsty, but a good read.

Ally · Post by **Ally** » Wed Oct 21, 2009 10:36 pm

Hi

Iâ€™m glad someone else agrees with me. Last year my son who is avid reader ( now in Year 6) would only read or re-read the horrible histories, well anything by Terry Deary. It introduces them to history in a fun interesting way, increasing their knowledge base not their vocab. We have followed this up by visiting numerous museums

Iâ€™ve asked numerous teachers and also booksellers and no one can suggest a more advanced version of the horrible histories. ( I must look at the Lost Diaries of â€¦ ) Itâ€™s a real pity thereâ€™s a gap in the market as many kids will lose interest in history

ourmaminhavana · Post by **ourmaminhavana** » Wed Oct 21, 2009 10:39 pm

There's also historical fiction like Anthony Horowitz's 'The Devil and His Boy' set in Elizabethan England and pretty gory if my memory of the extracts my son read out is correct

solimum · Post by **solimum** » Wed Oct 21, 2009 10:39 pm

Depending on age, the Caroline Lawrence Roman Mysteries are quite fun for younger teens. There used to be lots of children's classics with a historical theme - my memory is a little hazy but authors like Roger Lancelyn Green spring to mind. In fact I've just found a Guardian article from a few years ago listing 10 possibilities including RLG's King Arthur, Treasure Island etc:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2006/oc ... al.fiction

Lots of time travel fiction takes children back to the past :
Charlotte Sometimes (Penelope Farmer), The Story of the Amulet (E Nesbit) - and often their "original" setting in the early-mid 20th Century feels like history too! A recent series set in the late 17th Century by Ann Turnbull (starting with "No Shame, No Fear") looks at the early Quakers : I Coriander by Sally Gardner is set earlier in the same century. Jamila Gavin's "Coram Boy" gets a mention in the Guardian article above.

For those a bit older who feel as if they've grown out of children's books how about the Cadfael detective novels (Ellis Peters) for some well-crafted late medieval historic background in Shrewsbury, or the Bartholomew Chronicles (Susanna Gregory) based in the early years of Cambridge university. Those with more grown-up tastes and reading stamina might be able to cope with the series of books by CJ Sansom set in Tudor England ) - a bit more boy-friendly than the numerous historical romances by Phillippa Gregory!. Or try one of the several books by Robert Harris such as Pompeii

paula · Post by **paula** » Wed Oct 21, 2009 10:43 pm

How about the My Story series. Fictional but set in various historical situations. eg The Story of a Mill Girl

Bexley Mum 2 · Post by **Bexley Mum 2** » Wed Oct 21, 2009 10:59 pm

I'm looking for factual stuff. There's quite a lot of historical fiction out there and we do visit museums, historic sites, watch the History Channel etc but I am always on the look out for factual history books written for pre/early teens. My older two (14 and 12) get a lot of history projects for homework and they look stuff up on the internet, use recommended sources and will chat about what they are doing. They both seem very engaged in the subject and I'm sure they would be interested in reading more than they need to for their projects. I often find myself looking through our bookshelves in the vain hope of something light and interesting for them to read but there doesn't seem to be anything age-appropriate.