Children's Historical Fiction

Move over, Charlotte Brontë. The authors of the New York Times bestselling My Lady Jane are back with an irreverent spin on Jane Eyre—a tale of mischief, romance, and supernatural mayhem perfect for fans of The Princess Bride or A Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue. You may think you know the story. Penniless orphan Jane Eyre begins a new...

It’s aliiiiiiiive! The New York Times bestselling authors of My Lady Jane present an electric, poetic, and (almost) historical tale of the one and only Mary Shelley—perfect for YA fantasy and romance readers. Mary may have inherited the brilliant mind of her late mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, but she lives a drab life above her father’s bookstore, waiting for an extraordinary...

Long live the queen: The authors who brought you the New York Times bestselling My Lady Jane kick off an all-new historical trilogy with the classy, courtly tale of Mary, Queen of Scots—perfect for YA fantasy and romance readers. Welcome to Renaissance France, a place of poison and plots, of beauties and beasts, of mice and... queens. Mary is the...

Hold on to your hats: The authors who brought you the New York Times bestseller My Plain Jane, which Booklist praised as “delightfully deadpan” (starred review) and Publishers Weekly called “a clever, romantic farce” (starred review), are back with another irreverent historical adventure. Welcome to 1876 America, a place bursting with gunslingers, outlaws, and garou—better known as werewolves. And where...

The gripping new mystery in the award-winning, bestselling Murder Most Unladylike series. When Hazel Wong's beloved grandfather passes away, Daisy Wells is all too happy to accompany her friend (and Detective Society Vice President) to Hazel's family estate in beautiful, bustling Hong Kong. But when they arrive, they discover something they didn't expect—there's a new member of the Wong family....

The start of a thrilling new World War Two mystery series from the number-one-bestselling and multi-award-winning author of Murder Most Unladylike. 1940. The world is at war, and a secret arm of the British government called the Ministry of Unladylike Activity is training up spies. Enter May Wong—courageous, stubborn, and desperate to help end the war so that she can...

A lively story with stunning illustrations that reveals the tradition of Matariki. The Astromancer is looking for four new apprentices to learn about Matariki and the Maramataka calendar. She chooses three boys and an orphan girl, Aria, who will come only if she can bring her smelly dog. Aria, though, is bored by the lessons, and she doesn't want to...

In a wise and magical follow-up to The Puppets of Spelhorst, Kate DiCamillo revisits the land of Norendy, where tales swirl within tales—and every moment is a story in the making. At the Hotel Balzaar, Marta’s mother rises before the sun, puts on her uniform, and instructs Marta to roam as she will but quietly, invisibly—like a little mouse. While...

An eleven-year-old’s straight-from-the-heart account of life through the Canterbury quakes and shakes of 2010-11. Anyone would think Maddy’s world had crumbled when she didn’t get a cell phone for her eleventh birthday. But Maddy soon has far more important things to worry about. In the dark of night, with a terrifying rumble and a deafening roar, the world turns upside...

A French village, new friends, fabulous food, a local mystery to be solved and... a ghost. She snaps the locket shut. Just as quickly as he appeared, the boy is gone. Josephine's heart is hammering. Her skin feels prickly and hot. Surely, she's imagined him. That's the only possible explanation. Because boys don't live in lockets. Not unless they're ghosts....

December 6, 1941: Best friends Frank and Stanley have it good. Their dads are Navy pilots stationed at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, and the boys get a front-row view of the huge battleships and the sparkling water. Yes, World War II is raging in Europe and in Asia, but the US isn't involved in the war, and the boys are...

The Dust Bowl of the 1930s was the worst environmental disaster in American history, a time when ‘black blizzards’ of dust, some hundreds of miles wide, swept across the southern plains. Hundreds of people were killed. Thousands of farms were buried. Millions of refugees fled starvation and sickness in the plains only to face hatred and prejudice in California. In...

A heart-racing tale of courage, loss, friendship, and family from the nation’s favourite storyteller, Michael Morpurgo. Escaping from China as the Japanese invade, Ashley and Uncle Sung embark on a perilous journey across the Himalayas. When battling the hostile environments of the mountains, and finding himself alone in an unfamiliar world, Ashley’s courage is put to the test. A mysterious...

Discover the history of our lifetime through the adventure of a girl and her wolf, in the bestselling children's novel from Digging for Britain presenter, Professor Alice Roberts. Selected as Waterstones Children's Book of the Month and The Times Children's Book of the Week. 'A fine storyteller' Philip Pullman ‘This lost world is beautifully rendered, so rich in detail you...

To most people, Piper Sail looks like a rich girl with little potential, but she surprises everyone, including herself, when she starts investigating her best friend’s disappearance. Perfect for fans of Agatha Christie and Maureen Johnson, The Lost Girl of Astor Street combines the allure of Jazz Age Chicago with a twisting mystery that will keep you guessing until the...

A spine-tingling ghost story from bestselling author Lucy Strange Folk say the fog plays tricks – that it shapes itself into little hands and frightened faces that press at people’s doors and windows, desperate to come inside. But Hugo is convinced the ghost he has seen at the window is no trick of the fog. The boy’s hollow eyes are...

Renowned author and historian Jackie French takes us back in time to Greece and Rome and explores young heroes in ancient myths and legends whose stories will now be told. Forget what you know about Cleopatra, the Egyptian queen with a fantastic hairstyle. That's only part of the story. Before she was a ruler, Cleopatra was a girl with a...

A beautiful second volume of Shakespeare retellings, from the master storyteller. Featuring re-tellings of a further eight of Shakespeare’s plays, and beautifully written with Michael Morpurgo’s warm, accessible, and inimitable style, this is the much-anticipated follow-up to Michael Morpurgo's highly-acclaimed Tales from Shakespeare. This brand new collection of re-tellings includes stunning artwork from eight different illustrators. This wonderful collection offers...

War Dog tells the inspiring story of Judy, a dog who loves her crew, and they love her. She knows that she brings comfort to the men, making her job very important during these hard times. But when her soldiers are taken prisoner and she is separated from her beloved Frank, she must find the strength to keep going. She...

Four Christmases have passed since the world went to war in 1914. Struggling to survive in the trenches, close to enemy lines, amid the terror of gunfire and the whine of warplanes, Kiwi soldier Henry Hunt rescues a shaken little dog. He has no idea he’ll soon be facing a disciplinary hearing. To Henry’s relief, the Major allows the little...

As we Otago lads have only enough men for two squadrons, the General has decided that we are to be merged with the incoming Māori contingents to form a new battalion. Our new battalion will be ‘Pioneers’, doing behind-the-lines work: building barracks, railroads, roads, and trenches. As you can imagine, Father, we’re not happy–we want to fight, not dig holes....

From two-time Newbery medalist Lois Lowry comes this warm and resonant story of an unlikely friendship, which unfolds as a revelation on how we hold on to—and pass on—what matters most. The latest compelling work from the master storyteller. When precocious eleven-year-old Sophie sets out to save her elderly neighbour (who is also her dearest friend), her journey will take...

A stunning and heartbreaking new novel from Jamila Gavin MBE, the bestselling and award-winning author of Coram Boy and The Wheel of Surya. England, 1937. Gwen, Noor, Dodo and Vera are four very different teenage girls, with something in common. Their parents are all abroad, leaving them in their English boarding school, where they soon form an intense friendship. The...

A new reign of terror has brought fear and hatred to the land, while an ancient legend stirs in the heart of the wildwood... The Norman conquest of England is complete, but for one young man, the battle has only just begun. When Bran ap Brychan's father is murdered by Norman soldiers, he flees to London, seeking justice. The journey...

Twelve-year-old Lidia is outside her grandfather's house when planes fly overhead, bearing the Nazi cross on each wing. Before the bombs hit the ground, Lidia realises her life is about to change forever. Poland has fallen under German occupation, and her father makes the brave decision to join the Polish army to fight against the Nazis. Lidia wants to follow...

Puffin Classics - the definitive collection of timeless stories, for every child. Rediscover the Puffin Classics collection and bring the best-loved classics to a new generation - including this bold edition of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Huckleberry Finn's childhood wasn't exactly smooth sailing, but everything changed when he met Tom Sawyer. Bound by an oath to make trouble, the...

A swashbuckling adventure from Australia's Children's Laureate Can you still love your father, no matter what his crimes are? Twelve-year-old Ben Huntsmore is the son of a shipowner, an only child who loves the farming life on his mother's family estate, Badger's Hill. But when Ben's father loses their ancestral home in 1809 as payment for a gambling debt, Ben...

Tom Palmer’s bestselling WWI novel, based on the true story of war hero and footballing legend Jack Cock. Over the Line captures the proudest moment of Jack's life – his debut as a professional footballer. Now he has a chance to achieve his dream of playing for his country. But it's 1914 and the world is at war. Talk of...

Buried amongst the treasures in Professor Brownstone's vaults lies a humble collection of books. Filled with legendary stories from his ancestors, they tell of fearless fighters and unlikely heroes. Venturing into Greek mythology, this is the fourth title in the Brownstone's Mythical Collection. Full of dangerous challenges, cunning monsters, and godly heroes, Leo and the Gorgon's Curse is sure to...

Discover magical princesses, mighty dragons, mischievous monkeys and more in this captivating collection of Chinese stories, specially retold for readers today. Illustrated Stories from China features stunning traditional-style brush and ink illustrations by Chinese artist Li Weiding. It includes links to websites where you can find out more about Chinese folk tales and art.

An action-packed, inclusive and breathtakingly magical middle-grade adventure, for fans of The Unadoptables and The Girl Who Stole an Elephant. A spellbinding, epic and heart-racing magical adventure from an exquisite new storytelling talent. Ahmed Pathak is a wonderful new voice; the book took her years to write, and it shows in the depth and care of each beat of the...

Tarn grapples with the loss of her brother at Dunkirk as she faces the threat of Nazi invasion in the Cumbrian countryside in this gripping wartime tale from Tom Palmer. July 1940 – as Tarn struggles to come to terms with the loss of her beloved brother in the chaos of the British retreat at Dunkirk, she and her friends...

Discover the world of Skulduggery Pleasant in this prequel to the bestselling series. So many enemies, so little time... Italy, 1703. As the war with Mevolent rages on, the Dead Men are dispatched to a walled town in the Tuscan hills—not to assassinate the Lord of the Dark Sorcerers, but to save him. A rift has opened to a hellish...

“A warmhearted story that will resonate with anyone who has ever dreamed of reinventing themselves.” —Kirkus Reviews It’s 1987, and sixteen-year-old Gracie Byrne wishes her life were totally different. Shy and awkward, she has trouble fitting in at her new school, she’s still reeling from her parents’ divorce, and her grandmother Katherine’s Alzheimer’s is getting worse. So when Gracie finds...

The Kingdom by the Sea is The Guardian award-winning novel about courage, friendship, and war. When a bomb during an air raid destroys Harry's home and kills his family, he knows that he is all alone in the world and has only himself to rely on. Anxious that he will be sent to live with his fussy Cousin Elsie, he...

A tale of loyalty, loss, betrayal, and rebirth. It is 1911 and London’s docks thrum with underhand deals, none so great as the arrival of a valuable, rare and exotic animal, smuggled from the depths of the Congolese rainforest. The baby gorilla stands to make one man, the shady Goliath Deeds, very, very rich: he and his right-hand man, juvenile...

Set during the turbulent segregation era, Kwame Alexander weaves a spellbinding story of struggle, determination, and the unflappable faith of an American family. Twelve-year-old Charley is set on becoming the first female pitcher to play professional baseball, even if that’s a lofty dream for a Black girl in the American South in the 1920s. Even so, her grandfather Kofi’s thrilling...

A gripping World War II adventure from War Horse author and former Children's Laureate, Michael Morpurgo. Jo did not stop until he’d shut the door behind him and even then his heart could not stop pounding in his ears. Jo finds out that Jewish children are being smuggled away from the Nazis over the mountains near his village. All goes...

In this second book of the Jane Austen Murder Mystery series, Tirzah Price takes readers for another fun, murderous romp through one of Austen’s beloved novels. Perfect for fans of The Lady Janies and Stalking Jack the Ripper. A Junior Library Guild pick! When eighteen-year-old aspiring scientist Elinor Dashwood discovers her beloved father slumped over the desk of his office...

In this queer retelling of the classic novel and third book in Tirzah Price's Jane Austen Murder Mystery series, Mansfield Park is the centre of a deadly accident (or is it). Perfect for fans of the Lady Janies and Stalking Jack the Ripper. Aspiring artist Fanny Price is an unwelcome guest at her uncle Sir Thomas Bertram’s estate. It’s his...

In this reimagining of the classic nursery rhyme, best friends Jack and Jill recover from a sledding accident surrounded by family and friends in this inspiring story from Louisa May Alcott, author of Little Women! Jack Minot and Janey Pecq are next-door neighbours and best friends so frequently seen together that Janey earns the nickname Jill after the rhyme Jack...

A special anniversary edition of a modern classic. Winner of the CBCA Book of the Year for Young Readers. The bombs were falling, the smoke was rising from the concentration camps, but Hitler's daughter knew nothing of this. All she knew was the world of lessons with Fraulein Gelber, the hedgehogs she rescued from the cold, and the exciting visits...

A novel of heart and courage inspired by the incredible story of a real-life princess and the foal she loves. Princess Haya, daughter of the King of Jordan, loves her family more than anything. So when tragedy strikes at its heart, she is devastated. The Princess becomes ever more withdrawn until, on her birthday, the King gives her a life-changing...

The Goonies meets James Patterson's Treasure Hunters in this funny, kid-friendly adventure series for middle-grade readers! This funny, action-filled series is perfect for adventure-loving fans of Indiana Jones and James Patterson's Treasure Hunters! Twelve-year-old Addison Cooke just wishes something exciting would happen to him. His aunt and uncle, both world-famous researchers, travel to the ends of the earth searching for...

WINNER ABIA BOOK OF THE YEAR FOR YOUNGER READERS 'Fans of Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events will eat up Withering-by-Sea' -- Shelf Awareness High on a cliff above the gloomy coastal town of Withering-by-Sea stands the Hotel Majestic. Inside the walls of the damp, dull hotel, eleven-year-old orphan Stella Montgomery leads a miserable life with her three dreadful...

The #1 New York Times bestseller Shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal for Writing "At once vivid and simple, lyrical and surgical, expressive and exacting" — Lupita Nyong'o Dreams are today’s answers for tomorrow’s questions. Eleven-year-old Kofi Offin has dreams of water, of its urgent whisper that beckons with promises and secrets. He has heard the call on the banks of...

In the fourth part of Felix's story, continuing his adventures in World War Two, he faces perhaps his greatest challenge - to find hope when he's lost almost everything, including his parents. As Europe goes through the final agonizing stages of the war, Felix struggles to reconcile hatred and healing. He's helped by a new friend, but if he should...

A Puffin Book - stories that last a lifetime A tense and compulsive survival story of a young boy and an old man adrift on the ocean, then marooned on a tiny, deserted island. It is also a fascinating study of the relationship between Phillip, white, American, and influenced by his mother's prejudices, and the black man upon whom Phillip's...

The powerful, unforgettable new novel from the bestselling author of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas. When Pierrot becomes an orphan, he must leave his home in Paris for a new life with his Aunt Beatrix, a servant in a wealthy household at the top of the German mountains. But this is no ordinary time, for it is 1935 and...

One of BuzzFeed's best YA books of 2021! Perfect for fans of the Lady Janies and Stalking Jack the Ripper, the first book in the Jane Austen Murder Mysteries trilogy is a clever retelling of Pride and Prejudice that reimagines the iconic settings, characters, and romances in a thrilling and high-stakes whodunit. When a scandalous murder shocks London high society,...

New York Times bestseller and Newbery Honor Book! A gorgeously written, hopeful middle grade novel in verse about a young girl who must leave Syria to move to the United States, perfect for fans of Jason Reynolds and Aisha Saeed. Jude never thought she'd be leaving her beloved older brother and father behind, all the way across the ocean in...

A fresh, funny and accessible retelling of Jane Austen's classic story, with witty black and white illustrations throughout. Fanny Price is one of nine children, and her family are very poor. So when a distant relative offers to take her in—giving her the opportunity to grow up wealthy and comfortable—her parents jump at the chance. But money doesn't always bring...

Zohra Nabi has clearly done her research. Deep Dark dives into history to enthralling effect. The street life of the time, particularly London’s lost economy of patterers and ballad-sellers, shouting out the latest songs and stories, is brought into raucous, vivid colour … Outstanding. – The Times Children's Book of the Week The dark was deep; it opened like a...

Terry Pratchett's masterpiece - a desert island story of epic and hilarious proportions. Now available in this brand-new, stunning edition. Widely thought of as the best book Terry Pratchett ever wrote, this is a story of a Nation, a story of a friendship, a story of growing up and the truths we must learn. It is epic in every sense......

A brand new novel from the bestselling Jacqueline Wilson, perfect for older readers! The bestselling, beloved Jacqueline Wilson returns with a brilliant novel for older readers. Baby Love explores themes that resonate with readers, capturing their hearts with its engaging narrative and relatable characters.

The story of Robin Miller - the woman who single-handedly flew life-saving vaccines in her own plane to remote communities. Imagine flying solo, crisscrossing the north-west of Australia in your own plane, and single-handedly delivering life-saving vaccines to remote communities. Robin Miller did this, and at a time when most people didn't think women should be pilots at all. Her...

The astonishing, beautiful new story for all readers of 10 and over from the bestselling and Costa-shortlisted author of Time Travelling with a Hamster. "A wonderful story" – Kiran Millwood Hargrave There are stories about people who want to live forever. This is not one of those stories. This is a story about someone who wants to stop… Alfie Monk...

Huge scaly DRAGONS roamed the land In long gone days of olde. They LOVED to wear big underpants In colours bright and bold. With flaming holes in their undies, a pack of pant-loving dragons embark on a knicker-nicking adventure through the Kingdom of Pantasia in this hilarious new story from the creators of the bestselling Aliens Love Underpants! Praise for...

Five titles included: The Queen's Rising, The Queen's Resistance, Sisters of Sword and Song, Divine Rivals, Ruthless Vows The Queen's Rising Brienna is an arden, a student of the five passions – art, music, wit, dramatics and knowledge. On the summer solstice in her seventeenth year, she hopes to become mistress of the passion – one who has mastered her...

When the Sky Falls is the multi-award-winning story about the incredible friendship between a young boy and a silverback gorilla during the Second World War, inspired by a true story. It's 1941. War is raging. Joseph has been sent to live in the city, where bombers rule the skies. There, he lives with Mrs F, a gruff woman with no...

Go back in time with No. 1 bestselling author David Walliams for a whizz-bang epic adventure of action, laughter and secret plots – and the extraordinary friendship between a little boy and a huge gorilla that just might save the day… 1940. Britain is at war with Nazi Germany. Eleven-year-old Eric spends his days at the place that makes him...

The eighth Murder Most Unladylike mystery from bestselling, award-winning Robin Stevens. Daisy and Hazel are finally back at Deepdean, and the school is preparing for a most exciting event—the fiftieth Anniversary. Plans are in full swing. But all is not well, for in the detectives' long absence, Deepdean has changed. Daisy has lost her crown to a fascinating new girl—and...

The final novel in the number-one bestselling, award-winning Murder Most Unladylike series. Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong are in Egypt, where they are taking a cruise along the Nile. They are hoping to see some ancient temples and a mummy or two; what they get, instead, is murder. Also travelling on the SS Hatshepsut is a mysterious society called the...

It was said that if you write to the Bridegroom's Oak, the love of your life will answer back. Now, the tree is giving up its secrets at last. In 1940s Germany, Sophie is excited to discover a message waiting for her in the Bridegroom's Oak from a mysterious suitor. Meanwhile, her best friend, Hanna, is sending messages too—but not...

WINNER ABIA BOOK OF THE YEAR FOR YOUNGER READERS 'Fans of Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events will eat up Withering-by-Sea'-- Shelf Awareness High on a cliff above the gloomy coastal town of Withering-by-Sea stands the Hotel Majestic. Inside the walls of the damp, dull hotel, eleven-year-old orphan Stella Montgomery leads a miserable life with her three dreadful Aunts....

A full-colour illustrated chapter book for readers 6 years plus that returns to the exciting magical world of the Astromancer! Will headstrong Aria manage the impossible climb up to the stars and free Te Kokorangi from Ruatapu's clutches before time runs out? Enter the exciting and dangerous world of the Astromancer... This epic magical adventure inspired by Māori mythology is...

There is a day you never forget, the day the whole world changes. When you close your eyes, light becomes dark, night never ends, beasts walk freely down the street, stars fall from the sky. You were young one second, and then you were far too old. You lived years in minutes and decades in weeks. You wanted to travel,...

No training could have prepared Frank for a dangerous coastwatching mission against the Japanese in this award-winning WWII novel by David Hill. David Hill's tense, exciting war adventure inspired by the coastwatchers of Operation Pacific - winner of the 2022 NZSA Heritage Children's Book Award. It's not going to be a cushy job, young Benson. You're on your own. Japs...

The New York Times bestseller from co-author of Five Feet Apart and She Gets the Girl comes a fresh and inventive sapphic romantic comedy that's What If It's Us meets Bridgerton. What if you found a once-in-a-lifetime love… just not in your lifetime? Seventeen-year-old Audrey Cameron has lost her spark. After an embarrassing run-in with her ex-boyfriend, she’s told that...

Behold 20 brand-new, hilarious adaptations of classic tales from Greek mythology, written by the dynamic duo behind the smash hit podcast Greeking Out! Want to know the greatest feats and strangest secrets of the Olympians and other gods, goddesses and heroes of Greek mythology? You’re in the right place! Told in the same fresh, tongue-in-cheek voice that’s made National Geographic...

The powerful new novel from master storyteller Katrina Nannestad. I don't want to remember the truck, or the night I was taken, or the family I left behind. I am not a sad Polish girl. I am a good and happy German girl. I am. I am. I am. It's the Second World War, and Himmler's Lebensborn Program is in...

The classic and ultimate edition of the original tales by Laura Ingalls Wilder about life on the frontier and America’s best-loved pioneer family. This edition features a stunning new cover look and classic inside illustrations from Garth Williams, now the inspiration for a brand new and much-anticipated Netflix show. It is time for Laura Ingalls and her family to leave...

In Nazi-occupied Denmark, ten-year-old Annemarie Johansen is called upon for a selfless act of bravery to help save her best friend from a terrible fate. Winner of the Newbery Medal. “They plan to arrest all the Danish Jews. They plan to take them away. And we have been told that they may come tonight.” It is 1943 and life in...

Barry's family tries to evacuate before Hurricane Katrina hits their home in New Orleans. But when his little sister gets terribly sick, they're forced to stay home and wait out the storm. At first, Katrina doesn't seem to be as bad as predicted. But overnight the levees break and Barry's world is literally torn apart. He's swept off by the...

Penguin Readers are made for people learning English as an additional language. The short, simple texts are also perfect for anyone looking for a shorter read. This ELT Graded Reader is made for people learning English as an additional language. The short, simple text is also perfect for anyone looking for an easier read. It is an adapted version of...

Want to know the greatest feats and the funniest secrets of the gods and heroes of Greek mythology? You're in the right place. Told in the hilarious, kid-friendly voice that's sent the Greeking Out podcast to the top of the charts, these stories of heroic victories, perilous adventures, and plain old mischief are sure to delight kids and adults alike....

Part historical mystery, part sweeping romance, The Rebel Girls of Rome brings the stories of two young women to brilliant life: Lilah, a college student looking to understand her grandfather’s mysterious past, and Bruna, a queer Jewish woman who joins the resistance during World War II. From Jordyn Taylor, author of The Paper Girl of Paris, this dual-contemporary and historical...

A specter is haunting the Atlantic! After growing up together on the luxurious SS Lark, Neeta Pandey and Emery Botwright are ready to start their lives. Emery wants to follow in his father's footsteps and sail the Lark forever, while Neeta yearns to travel the world. But neither will have any future at all if the Lark's new owner, Mr....

Charles Dickens captures the spirit of Christmas in this classic holiday novella A Christmas Carol, Dickens’s timeless tale of greed, regret, and reform—featuring a beautiful new look! In one of the most popular holiday stories of all time, meet Ebenezer Scrooge, a miserly old man who hates Christmas and all the people asking for money that the holiday brings. One...

In Once, Felix escapes from an orphanage, only to learn that Poland is a dangerous place for a Jewish boy on his own. He manages to look after himself and another young orphan, Zelda, until they are taken under the protection of a kind Polish dentist. But when the Nazis uncover their hiding place, Felix and Zelda must once again...