Historical fiction Books

This is the story of my mother and her friend Juan, of how she discovered books and he the light of day.So begins Clara and the Man With Books in His Window. In this beautifully illustrated book, set in rural 1920s Argentina, Hans Christian Andersen...

Some cats really do have nine lives: after a stay at the legendary Savoy hotel, Kaspar the cat sets sail – on none other than the Titanic . . . ‘A cracking narrative’ ObserverThey say cats have nine lives, and that’s certainly true of Kaspar. From the...

Seth learns some important life lessons when he's transported back to Ancient Egypt in this absorbing time-slip adventure. While awaiting punishment in his headmaster’s office for his latest piece of mischief, prankster Seth picks up an Egyptian amulet...

As World War ll drags on, Susan sets out on a mission to cheer up her mum in this heartwarming wartime tale from award-winning historical fiction writer Tony Bradman. Susan is worried about her mum. She’s struggling with long hours at her job in the...

An arranged marriage interferes with star-crossed love in this sweeping medieval romance from Sally Nicholls – perfectly pitched for struggling teen readers. Lady Elinor of Hardford has fallen in love for the first time, with Dan, her cousin and...

Fagin’s infamous gang comes to life once again in this exciting Oliver Twist-inspired adventure from bestselling author Karen McCombie. Orphan Ettie Shaw is penniless and homeless on the streets of London when she is spotted by her older brother Joe.Joe...

Friendship forms in the midst of war between a young German boy and a Russian bomber-dog, in this poignant and gripping historical adventure. East Prussia, Germany, 1945. War is raging across Europe, and as Russian soldiers close in across eastern...

Reluctant reader favourite Tony Bradman returns with a captivating historical tale inspired by the true story of Britain’s Tomb of the Unknown Warrior. November 1920. The body of an unknown soldier is to be buried at Westminster Abbey. The war has...

Pioneering aviatrix Dolly Shepherd comes alive in this thrilling reimagining of her death-defying exploits from bestelling author Karen McCombie. When sixteen-year-old Dolly Shepherd is offered the chance to take to the sky in a hot-air balloon, there’s...

The hilarious, rollicking adventures of mighty (but little) Norman the Norman, brought together for the first time in this bumper paperback edition. Norman the Norman from Normandy and his not-so-wild boar, Truffle, are off on a sword-swinging...

Queen of Historical Fiction Emma Carroll makes her Barrington Stoke debut with a powerful, evocative, and spine-tingling story of childhood on the brink of war. SUMMER 1914When Fran uncovers a bone in the garden of Longbarrow House on the same afternoon...

A thrilling fictionalised account of the life of Matthew Henson, the first African-American man to travel to the North Pole, from the Carnegie-nominated author Catherine Johnson. Matthew Henson was simply an ordinary man. That was, until Commander...

Tom Palmer celebrates the unsung athletic heroes of the Armistice in a powerful tale of the fell-running messengers on the front-line of war, publishing for the centenary anniversary of the end of WWI. Lily has lots of worries. She's...

Family drama set during World War II. When Jimmy and Molly lose their mother in an air-raid, their father has no choice but to leave them in the care of their Nan when he goes to fight. Will the children ever see him again? Particularly suitable for...

A gripping historical tale set during World War One. Orphans Bert and Frank are sent as cheap labour to the colonies in Australia, but are separated before they arrive. When the Great War calls on ANZAC soldiers to raid Gallipoli, will the brothers find...

A thrilling Viking adventure from the bestselling Tony Bradman. Harald Hardnut was a Viking outlaw, but he became an emperor's bodyguard, a princess's husband and, at last, a king. Based on the life of a real historical figure. Particularly suitable for...

Get ready to be swept away. An irresistible YA romantasy – perfect for fans of Alexandra Christo, Sarah Underwood and Shelby Mahurin ‘A magical tale with a lot of heart’ Alexandra Christo, author of To Kill a Kingdom‘Brimming with wild magic, adventure...

A perfect picture book about perseverance, overcoming challenges, and working hard to achieve your goals! Sydney learns to conquer her fear of public speaking at school, in this affectionate father-daughter story referencing inspiring role models who...

Vera was made for vengeance. Lithuania, 1943. The Nazis have killed Ezra’s daughter. He can’t bring Chaya back from the dead, but he can craft something in her image — a golem, infused with pointed rage, to avenge Chaya’s death. A Nazi killer made with...

Learn about the origin of silk alongside Princess His-Ling Chi in this wonderful adventure.Based on the ancient fable of the Silk Princess, this original story tells the history of silk in an adorable light. Charles Santore’s beautiful, best-selling...

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...

WINNER OF THE LITTLE REBELS AWARDS FOR RADICAL CHILDREN’S FICTION 2024The second book in the thrilling middle grade mystery series, perfect for fans of Robin Steven’s Murder Most Unladylike. Set in eighteenth-century London, with all the fun and zest of...

In this moving and timeless story, award-winning author L. M. Elliott captures life on the U.S. homefront during World War II, weaving a rich portrait of a family reeling from loss and the chilling yet hopeful voyage of fighting for what matters,...

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...

“One of the most unique books you'll read this year” Buzzfeed“A strikingly different trilogy opener” Kirkus Reviews Twins destined to bring about devastation. . .Since the beginning of Mu there has been a prophecy. Twins born of fire and water will lay...

Return to the magical world where lost things are found After Jake and Marisol's last adventure in the World Between Blinks, the cousins are safely back where they belong.Until, suddenly, they're not. When they return unexpectedly to the World once...

From the bestselling author of The Garden of Lost Secrets and The House of One Hundred Clocks, A.M. Howell, comes a gripping new adventure filled with buried secrets and dark lies, set against the evocative backdrop of the Edwardian era. MAY, 1910 As the...

Travel back in time to the era no one has ever forgotten - the '80s - because those outfits were so rad you had to wear shades Welcome to the 1980s - a time when crimped hair and perms were cool, kids listened to cassette tapes, thought dancing on your...

The first in a new series that focuses on a secret part of our history From best-selling and award-winning author Jackie French comes a new series for younger readers called the Secret Histories. This first book in the series tells the story of a young...

'Historical fiction at its best' -- Bookseller & Publisher It's 1939, and for Georg, son of an English academic living in Germany, life is full of cream cakes and loving parents. It is also a time when his teacher measures the pupils' heads to see...

Inspired by Moulin Rouge! and set on an island in a magical version of Prohibition-era New York, Revelle is a breathtaking YA stand-alone fantasy full of dazzling magic, romance, and mystery from debut author Lyssa Mia Smith.On the island of Charmant,...

Full of explosive magic, searing romance, and heartbreaking betrayal, These Infinite Threads is the breathtaking sequel to the instant New York Times and Sunday Times bestseller This Woven Kingdom With the heat of a kiss, the walls between Alizeh, the...

A 2023 Sydney Taylor Honor Book! * A Bustle Best YA Books Out in 2022 title!Culinary delights abound, romance lingers in the air, and plans go terribly, wonderfully astray in this gender-bent take on My Fair Lady from Jennieke Cohen, author of...

From Australia's best-loved storyteller comes the final book in the bestselling Matilda Saga This is a love song to our nation, told in a single sweeping storyJed Kelly has finally persuaded her great aunt Nancy to tell the story of her grandparents...

THE MAGICAL CONCLUSION TO STELLA MONTGOMERY'S AWARD-WINNING STORY'the perfect conclusion to a wonderfully quirky Victorian fantasy series'-- Pages & Pages Stella Montgomery is in disgrace. The Aunts have sent her to Wakestone Hall, a grim boarding...

THE MUCH-AWAITED SEQUEL TO THE RUNAWAY BESTSELLER WITHERING-BY-SEA'you won't be disappointed. Wormwood Mire is another page-turner.' -- Kids' Book Review When Stella Montgomery returned to the Hotel Majestic cold and wet but exhilarated by adventure,...

'French knows how to conjure [an] imagined past, full of detail about how people lived during particular periods and within particular cultures' -- Viewpoint Martin lives in the city with his mum. He's come to walk the boundaries of the farm that's...

Just shut your eyes and picture yourself walking around the corner. that's what my friend told me. Somewhere around the corner and you'll be safe. the demonstration was wild, out of control. Barbara was scared. She saw the policeman running towards her...

From million-copy bestselling author David Walliams comes his first ever murder mystery – with thrills, spills and laughs galore. Dilly loves a good murder. Not a REAL murder. A made-up murder. One you would find in a murder-mystery novel.Sherlock...

A thrilling new fantasy about the lengths two sisters will go for each other from Rebecca Ross, the extraordinary Sunday Times and New York Times number-one-bestselling author of DIVINE RIVALS. Perfect for fans of Ember in the Ashes, Sky In the Deep, and...

The year is 1859 and the goldfields are filled with diggers -- and danger! Orphaned twelve-year-old Tigg is the Bandicoot Bushranger, the youngest bushranger on the Ballarat goldfields in 1859.When a robbery goes wrong, Tigg must flee in disguise as one...

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...

A heart-lifting story of hope and courage in a time of war, set in the South of France ‘The storytelling is, as always, irresistible and the characters clasp your heart’ Sunday Times, Children’s Book of the WeekThere are lots of things Lorenzo doesn’t...

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...

Readers who love the fairytale charm of Melanie Dickerson, and the historical richness of Philippa Gregory and Bernard Cornwell, will be drawn into this riveting tale of courage, romance, and hidden treasures. Feel the tension and intrigue as a brave...

Uncover the incredible true story of Howard Carter’s world-changing discovery in this fun and informative retelling of the secrets of Tutankhamun’s tomb. On 4 November 1922, a young Egyptian boy working on Howard Carter’s archaeological dig in the...

An unusual visitor brings light to the life of the lighthouse keeper’s daughter in a stunning new adventure from the award-winning author of the Cogheart series. When the lighthouse no longer shines, what else has the power to guide you to shore?Deryn’s...