8 of the best children’s and teenage historical fiction books
Why should children read historical fiction?
As with all novels historical fiction also helps to strengthen our powers of imagination and empathy. The further removed the setting is from our own reality, the more we have to work to understand and empathise with what we’re reading.
There’s also always some universal truths to be found in historical fiction. Without realising it, we’re asked to ponder the connections between the past and present. What has changed and what remains the same? Do people behave in the same ways they always have?
Top historical fiction picks for 8 to 12-year-olds:
Time Travel Twins: The Roman Invasion by Josh Lacey
This is a part of a fun, illustrated historical adventure series for readers aged 8 and up. Other historical eras explored in the series include Vikings, Stone Age and Mayans!
Twins, Scarlett and Thomas, are learning about the Romans at school. So Grandad uses his time machine to send them back to Roman Britain - but they become separated. Scarlett ends up within a Roman Camp, while Thomas falls in with Boudicca's tribe. Will the twins find each other and escape their situation?
Time Travellers: Adventure Calling by Sufiya Ahmed
This is the first in an exciting series that combines historical fact with science fiction! The second book, Time Travellers: Secrets and Spies, takes the intrepid adventurers to India in 1799.
Suhana, Mia and Ayaan are thrown together on a trip to Parliament, where they are fascinated by all the history that happened there. Little do they suspect that they’ll be LIVING that history when they are transported back to 1911! Finding themselves in the middle of a women’s suffrage demonstration, they are amazed to see people from all over the world taking part. Suhana wants to explore but Mia and Ayaan are anxious to get back. Then they lose each other… Will they be able to return to the present without changing the course of history forever?
I Am Rebel by Ross Montgomery
This is a heartwarming historical adventure about the unbreakable bond between a boy and his dog. It's written by one of our favourite middle grade authors and perfect for readers aged 8 and up. It was rightly chosen as the Waterstones Children's Book of the Year 2024!
Rebel is a good dog, and he loves his simple, perfect life on the farm with his owner Tom – until one day the war comes too close… Now Tom is determined to join the rebellion to defeat the king’s men. But Rebel knows war is dangerous, and he will stop at nothing to save the human he loves.
The Great Phoenix of London by Lindsay Galvin
Lindsay's breakout novel, Darwin's Dragons, catapulted her to the top of our list of favourite historical fiction authors. She combines historical fact with a twist of magic and buckets full of imagination to create stories that captivate readers aged 8 and up.
When fire breaks out in, eleven-year-old Gil is separated from his family in the chaos. One of his few remaining possessions is a mysterious ball of rock that fell from the sky. As he races to beat the inferno spreading across the city, neither he, nor his new friend Jennet, has any idea that the stone in his satchel is an unhatched bird of myth and fire...
Her Majesty's League of Remarkable Young Ladies by Alison D. Stegert
Plots, spies and inventors abound in this epic Victorian adventure set between London and Paris, which celebrates girls in STEM. It has been a runaway bestseller in our bookshop for readers aged 8 and up.
Mischief is afoot, and Queen Victoria is not amused. Her stalker must be stopped. Forget the cavalry – this is a job for Her Majesty’s League of Remarkable Young Ladies! The League’s newest recruit is Winifred Weatherby, a feisty girl-genius and gadget-maker. Winnie’s creations are remarkable, but is she clever enough to protect the Queen – and achieve her own dream of winning the top prize in Paris for young inventors?
Shrapnell Boys by Jenny Pearson
This is Jenny's first historical fiction story but it's a must-read for age 8+. Jenny has combined warm and empathetic characters with a gripping adventure story, exploring friendship and courage of a group of young boys living through the Second World War.
When war comes to London in 1939, Ronnie Smith is scared and excited: scared of the bombs that fall at night, but excited to race his friends to collect the best bits of shrapnel every morning. But for Ronnie, the battles aren't just in the sky and on the streets. They're at school and at home too. His little brother is up to no good with a secret job and dangerous new friends, and Ronnie's worried he's getting himself into big trouble.
Historical fiction recommendations for teens aged 12+
Fallout by Lesley Parr
This is an moving, gritty and heartfelt story set in the summer of 1980 from a master storyteller who specialises in historical stories that explore friendship and family.
Marcus has one brother in a youth offender centre and the other is working with their dad on plans for their next theft. Everyone assumes Marcus will follow in their footsteps, but he has other ideas, different hopes. When a mysterious accident lands a man in hospital, it confirms what everyone in their community expects and Marcus gets the blame. He feels trapped. Only new girl Emma - with her peace protest banners and political badges - questions this story. Can they work together to clear his name - and help Marcus become the person he really wants to be?
Under a Fire-Red Sky by Geraldine McCaughrean
We sent this fantastic World War Two story to our Macaw subscribers in April 2025. It stars a cast of hugely likeable and relatable characters that we were rooting for from page one. It's packed with action, drama and heartbreak.
With World War II looming, four young people sit on a train waiting to be evacuated to a safer place...but they don't want to go. They climb out of the carriage window and head back to Greenwich, forming an unlikely friendship. But as the Blitz unleashes a barrage of bombs on London, turning the sky ragged with flame, can the friends keep each other safe and survive?
In the end, historical fiction gives kids the best of both worlds—a good story and a glimpse into the lives of people from long ago. It helps them see that history isn’t just about dates and wars but about real humans who laughed, cried, made mistakes and stood up for things that mattered.
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