Children's Historical Fiction

A hotel opening, a budding romance, a missing locket and . . . a ghost. Josephine Eloise Thomas and her family are getting ready for the grand opening of their hotel. And with the surprise gifting of a beautiful tabby kitten from Josephine's next-door neighbours, the Martins, things are looking up. Until chaos strikes. To start, the criminal mastermind Anastasia,...

It’s 1936 in Berlin and Evie Harris can't believe her luck: She's competing in the Olympics, along with fellow American athletes like Jesse Owens. True, there's something creepy about Germany's leader, Adolf Hitler, who watches over the games with his Nazi henchmen. But Evie's just here to win a gold medal in gymnastics for her country. Until she discovers a...

An irresistible dark fae romantasy, inspired by Welsh mythology and perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Faebound, Leigh Bardugo, and Holly Black's The Cruel Prince. Ceridwen Parry has run away with the fairies. But this is not her story. For Sabrina Parry, the world is tough, cruel, and practical. With her father in prison, her aims in life are:...

A lover in peril. A nation under threat. The clock is ticking . . . Winter is drawing thick in 1932 Shanghai, as is the threat of a Japanese invasion. Rosalind Lang's identity as a national spy has been exposed. Orion has been taken, his memories wiped. Their marriage might have been a sham, but Rosalind won't rest until she...

Enter the Grishaverse with the Shadow and Bone bestselling trilogy and international Netflix sensation by no. 1 New York Times bestselling author, Leigh Bardugo. Perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Laini Taylor. "This is what fantasy is for." - The New York Times Book Review All three books in Leigh Bardugo's New York Times-bestselling Shadow and Bone Trilogy...

From million-copy bestselling author Liz Kessler comes the powerful new landmark World War II novel for fans of Michael Morpurgo and Phil Earle. When Liv finds a secret box from her grandmother’s childhood, she uncovers an extraordinary wartime story of bravery, betrayal, and daring defiance—a story that will change Liv and her family forever… Holland, 1942. The world is at...

An epic and exhilarating story of deception, love and revenge, from the extraordinary Sunday Times and New York Times number-one-bestselling author of Divine Rivals. Perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo, Sarah J Maas, and Shelby Mahurin. Brienna is an arden, a student of the five passions – art, music, wit, dramatics, and knowledge. On the summer solstice in her seventeenth...

Meet Pocket, created as a good luck charm for soldiers going into battle, whose bravery and loyalty lives on long after the war. Thimble-born from tip to toe, Pocket Bear remembers every moment of his becoming: the glimmering needle, the silken thread, the tender hands as each careful stitch brought him closer to himself. Born during the throes of WWI,...

Three different kids. One mission in common: ESCAPE. Josef is a Jewish boy in 1930s Nazi Germany. With the threat of concentration camps looming, he and his family board a ship bound for the other side of the world… Isabel is a Cuban girl in 1994. With riots and unrest plaguing her country, she and her family set out on...

From the bestselling author of Wonder comes White Bird - an unforgettable Second World War story about bravery, friendship, and the power of kindness. Soon to be a major film starring Helen Mirren and Gillian Anderson. From the bestselling author of Wonder comes White Bird - an unforgettable Second World War story about bravery, friendship, and the power of kindness....

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...

It was supposed to be unsinkable... George Calder must be the luckiest kid alive—he and his little sister, Phoebe, are sailing with their aunt on the Titanic, the greatest ship ever built! George can’t resist exploring every inch of the incredible boat, even if it gets him into trouble. But one night while George is off exploring, a terrible boom...

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 Court of Fives. Two sisters… one unbreakable bond Evadne is finally going to be reunited with her...

A new heart-wrenching, impeccably researched historical novel for middle-grade readers The Nazis want everyone to be the same. If you're different, you don't belong. Not belonging is dangerous ... Anna's little sister, Eva, is frail and needs time to learn new things. She has a huge heart and a gift for loving, but Hitler doesn't value such riches. And so...

A battle that changes the course of the war... Paul Colbert’s French village has been under Nazi control for years. His Jewish best friend has disappeared. Food is scarce. And there doesn’t seem to be anything Paul can do to make things better. Then Paul finds an American paratrooper stuck in a tree. When Paul helps the soldier, he discovers...

Visiting his dad’s hometown in Japan four months after his father’s death would be hard enough for Ben. But one morning, the pain turns to fear: first, a massive earthquake rocks the quiet coastal village, nearly toppling his uncle’s house. Then the ocean waters rise, and Ben and his family are swept away—and pulled apart—by a devastating tsunami. Can he...

From actor and writer Felicia Day, a sapphic graphic novel about the forgotten sister of Helen of Troy, for fans of Lore Olympus and Girl Goddess Queen. Helen. Clytemnestra. Timandra. Three famous sisters and one shared curse – that each will betray their husband. As the youngest sister, Philonoe is desperate not to follow in their footsteps. After pleading with...

The deadliest disease in the history of the world... Elsie dreams of becoming a brave warrior like her father, who is an archer fighting in England’s war against France. But life isn’t fair in 1348 Europe. Peasant girls like Elsie can’t be archers or knights or anything exciting. Then one day in the forest, Elsie and her best friend discover...

In the 80th anniversary year, Jackie French explores the dropping of the bombs at Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945, which ended World War 2. 1942 Japan has bombed Sydney Harbour. Sixteen-year-old Ossie lies about his age to protect his country, even though it means abandoning his only family, a one-eyed dog named Lucky. Kind-hearted Mrs Plum is already looking...

Remember, you are bound by the Official Secrets Act… Summer, 1940. Nineteen-year-old Jakob Novis and his quirky younger sister Lizzie share a love of riddles and puzzles. And now they’re living inside of one. The quarrelsome siblings find themselves amidst one of the greatest secrets of World War II—Britain’s eccentric codebreaking factory at Bletchley Park. As Jakob joins Bletchley’s top...

Children of the Rush - Book 3 is the third and final book in the Children of the Rush middle grade novel trilogy. It is historical fiction, set in Otago and Hokitika, New Zealand during the gold rushes of the 1860s. Atarangi, Michael, and Siu have crossed the Southern Alps and settled in Hokitika just as a new gold rush...

A trip to Paris and Versailles, an escaped convict, an ancient underground cave network, family mysteries and . . . ghosts. Josephine Eloise Thomas is in Paris receiving a huge reward for solving one of the world’s greatest art heists. But she’s not alone. Gabriel Barbier, the gorgeous French boy who helped her solve the crime is there too, along...

In the dead of winter, deep in the Forest of Ardennes, as the devastation of World War II drew to a close, a desperate Nazi army launches a surprise attack on Allied forces in the early morning hours of December 16th. As the ground is blown apart by mortar shells and an endless curtain of bullets rains down upon them,...

Perfect for fans of The Hazel Wood and Small Favors, this genre-bending page-turner from New York Times bestselling author Madeleine Roux follows two girls who transport themselves into the world of their favourite book only to encounter the sinister alternate reality that awaits them. No matter how different best friends Adelle and Connie are, one thing they’ve always had in...

This handsome boxed set of Homer’s epics — powerfully retold by Gillian Cross and strikingly illustrated by Neil Packer — belongs on every reader’s bookshelf. Epic and thrilling, Homer’s two age-old classics have been revisited countless times. Gillian Cross and Neil Packer’s exquisite versions of The Iliad and The Odyssey make up an essential set for both Homer collectors and...

Don't miss any of the action in the final thrilling instalment of Rick Riordan's Kane Chronicles trilogy. The Serpent's Shadow (The Kane Chronicles Book 3) follows Carter and Sadie Kane, descendants of the magical House of Life, who are in pretty big trouble. Despite their bravest efforts, Apophis, the giant snake of Chaos, is still threatening to plunge the world...

The powerful novel from award-winning Australian writer Katrina Nannestad. Shortlisted in the 2021 CBCA Book of the Year Awards. Winner of the 2021 Australian Book Design Awards. Longlisted in the 2021 Australian Book Industry Awards. Sometimes it's good to be wild. Sometimes you have to be wild. When the Russian Army marches into East Prussia at the end of the...

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...

The most powerful earthquake in American history... Growing up in the Alaskan wilderness, Jackson has always prided himself on being tough. His family lives in a tiny cabin where their neighbours are grizzlies and wolves. The nearest store is a three-day walk away. Jackson loves his life... until a fire destroys the family’s cabin, and they have to move to...

Nation by Terry Pratchett is a 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...

It’s 1861, and gold fever is sweeping the world. Otherwise sensible adults have gone mad and will do anything to get their hands on the precious metal. But two children have been caught up in the rush. Michael and Atarangi couldn’t be more different, but they share one thing: each has a remarkable and magical talent. Circumstances conspire to bring...

Nathaniel Fox never imagined he'd find himself in the middle of a blood-soaked battlefield, fighting for his life. He's only eleven years old! He's barely paid attention to the troubles between America and England. Instead, he's been worked to the bone by his cruel uncle. But when his uncle's rage forces him to flee home suddenly, Nate finds himself in...

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 Holmes is her favourite detective. She even named her dog Watson after his faithful companion and trained him to sniff...

ONE MOMENT CAN CHANGE A LIFE FOREVER. "An exceptional read" — The Sunday Times "Vital glimmers of hope enlighten this profoundly poignant book" — The Guardian A powerful and heart-breaking novel about three childhood friends living during the Second World War whose fates are closely intertwined, even when their lives take very different courses. Inspired by a true story, this...

Trapped by an evil dictatorship, will Cristian be forced to betray his family or will he risk everything he loves to resist? A powerful, heart-breaking thriller based on real events. I Must Betray You is a gripping tale set against the backdrop of a repressive dictatorship. Cristian has lived his entire life under the constant threat of fear imposed by...

Readers who love the fairy tale 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 and determined young woman embarks on an adventurous journey to unearth the legendary "Giant's Treasure" in Melanie Dickerson's Lady...

A fictionalised account of the real-life British soldier who let Hitler live in the First World War, and his attempt to put right his mistake – from a master storyteller ‘Brilliant. Historical fiction at its most magnificent’ Jackie French An Eagle in the Snow tells the story of Billy Byron, one of the most decorated privates of the First World...

Holland, 1943: In the last eighteen months of World War II, 14-year-old Anna’s life becomes a perilous world of secrets and danger. Her town in German-occupied southern Holland is transformed into a war zone, where trust is rare, and courage and resistance are everything. When the Nazis begin arresting local men and deporting them to work in German factories, Anna’s...

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...

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...

All is well in Gabriel’s Gully, the ramshackle gold rush town. But not for long. Michael and Atarangi have become firm friends with Siu, a Chinese miner’s daughter who came to the schoolhouse to learn. But when bad news from the coast draws their parents away, things take a shocking turn. Disaster strikes, and sinister faces from the past reappear....

From New York Times bestselling author Jennifer A. Nielsen comes a thrilling World War II story of espionage and intrigue, as one girl races to save her father and aid the French resistance. Six hundred and fifty-seven days ago, Meg Kenyon's father left their home in France to fight for the Allies in World War II, and that was the...

Elizabeth Bennet and Mr Darcy’s romance comes to life once more in a stunning and truly accessible retelling of Austen’s beloved classic from bestseller Laura Wood. Witty, intelligent Elizabeth Bennet has no desire for a marriage of convenience. When she meets the handsome, wealthy Mr Darcy, her opinion of him is quickly set: he is aloof, selfish and proud –...

The seventh thrilling (and rather theatrical) murder mystery from bestselling author Robin Stevens. Someone will take their final bow . . . Fresh from their adventure in Hong Kong, Hazel Wong and Daisy Wells are off to the Rue Theatre in London to face an entirely new challenge - acting. But danger has a nasty habit of catching up with...

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...

A stunning full-colour illustrated adaptation of H. G. Wells' sci-fi classic, from the illustrator of A Boy Called Christmas and The Iron Man. 1894. Across space, this Earth is being watched by envious eyes. What seems to be a meteorite falls to Earth, but from the debris unfolds a terrifying alien threat... Leon and his scientist wife race against the...

In this gorgeous stand-alone cozy fantasy romance perfect for fans of Margaret Rogerson and Allison Saft, a rebellious witch undertakes a last-ditch quest to restore magic to medieval Wales—as two princes vie for her heart.Magic is fading from Wales—choked off by King Offa’s Dyke, the enemy earthworks that spans the entire border. Even the dragons have disappeared. And now an...

The thrilling conclusion to Ryan Graudin's Carnegie Medal 2017 nominated alternative history and fantasy epic, WOLF BY WOLF. In 1950s Germany, the war may be over, but the fight has just begun . . .There would be blood. Blood for blood. Blood to pay. An entire world of it. With their mission to overthrow the Nazis in danger, Yael and...

A powerful new historical novel from one of New Zealand's best-loved YA authors An exciting new novel from the author of Alex. In September 1840, two ships arrive on the shores of the Waitemata Harbour to establish Auckland, the new capital of New Zealand. Among the settlers on board the Platina is young Harry, travelling alone and determined to return...

The adventures of the time-travelling Butterfly Club continue . . .Film is set to become the new craze. Butterfly Club member and filmmaker Georges Mlis pleads to be allowed to go forward in time to harvest a movie camera from the future to make his ambitious film, A Trip to the Moon.The Butterfly Club call up Professor Lorenz's hologram from...

Harper Wells: Renegade Timeline Officer is an intriguing tale where Harper Wells finally gets a bedroom of her own, away from her annoying big brother. However, on the first night in her new bed, she mysteriously wakes up in the past and meets a troubled young girl named Edie. Has befriending Edie changed the course of Australia's history? Who does...

Five minutes ... Two minutes ... Young soldier Jim McLeod waits in the trenches of World War I for the order to attack the enemy. With him are his friends and Nipper, the messenger dog. When they charge across no-man’s land, Jim is shot ... and finds himself face-to-face with an enemy soldier. A sensitively-written war story that shows the...

Peter, a boy of five, makes an extraordinary journey through war-torn Europe, travelling with his parents from a small Hungarian town, through Austria and on to Germany. Along the way, unforgettable images of adventure flash one after another: sleeping in a tent and then under the night sky, discovering a disused brick factory, catching butterflies in the meadows. Before Peter...

Young Joe is living in pre-World War II Berlin, with his British father and NZ mother, attending school and witnessing the excitement of his friends who are enthusiastically joining the Hitler Youth Movement. Joe feels uncomfortable with the growing mistreatment of local Jews, and after the arrest of his father as a spy, he is forced to escape from Berlin...

"I have been accused of whitewashing the Nazi leadership in my memoirs. Some people say I make them seem human. But therein lies the problem. I saw these men up close. They were human. If we think of them only as monsters and demons we may lose sight of the fact that they were very much like you and I....

A deadly and strange disaster... It's been four years since Carmen and Papa moved from Italy to Boston. Life here is exciting, but not always easy. And then there's the massive metal tank that rises up over their crowded North End neighbourhood. The ugly tank, filled with sticky brown molasses, has always leaked. But nobody imagined that it could one...

Young Michael Morpurgo always loved the small painting of a boat hanging on Aunty Iris’s wall. But all she would ever say about it was that her beloved Alfie had painted it and given it to her years ago—before he’d left for France during World War II and had never come back. Michael decides to try and find out what...

Sometimes your only weapon is the will to survive... Taken from their home, forced to leave their country, put to work in labour camps, frozen and starved, Adam and his family doubt that they will ever make it out alive. Even if they were to get away, they might freeze to death, or starve, or the bears might get them....

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....

Four wonderful stories from the world of nature written by master storyteller, Michael Morpurgo. You have to breathe the world in deep, and all its creatures too ... become part of it. Immerse yourself in the great outdoors and travel around the country in these four heart-warming modern fables. Join Michael, who spots a whale on the shores of the...

One of Us Is Lying meets Knives Out – with beasts, murder, and magic – in this first book in a thrilling locked-room whodunnit YA fantasy duology by Andrea Hannah and New York Times bestseller Rebecca Mix. After a decade of war, the kingdoms of Avendell and Istellia have finally agreed to peace. As nobles and magic wielders from both...

Life has never been easy for Antonio, but since the war began, there are German soldiers on every corner, fearsome gangsters and the fascist police everywhere, and no one ever has enough to eat. But when Antonio decides to trust a man who has literally fallen from the sky, he leaps into an adventure that will change his life and...

A brand new novel from the beloved, bestselling children's author, Jacqueline Wilson! The must-have new Victorian novel from bestselling, much-loved children's author, Jacqueline Wilson. Victorian London, 1851. Queen Victoria is on the throne and the Great Exhibition is about to open! Lucy Locket lives with her father, the New Mother, and the New Baby. They sent away her beloved Nurse...

Two girls divided by time, united by their love for some very special horses – an epic Caribbean adventure! On a remote tropical island, twelve-year-old Beatriz is about to embark on an epic journey, through hurricanes and across the high seas and back to the time of Christopher Columbus. When Beatriz stumbles across a wild mare with strange markings in...

Heroism or cowardice? A stunning story of the First World War from a master storyteller. ‘Full of warmth as well as grief, conveying vividly how precious it is to be alive’ Sunday Times. As young Thomas Peaceful looks back over his childhood from the battlefields of the First World War, his memories are full of family life deep in the...

The powerful novel from award-winning Australian writer Katrina Nannestad. Shortlisted in the 2021 CBCA Book of the Year Awards. Winner of the 2021 Australian Book Design Awards. Longlisted in the 2021 Australian Book Industry Awards. Sometimes it's good to be wild. Sometimes you have to be wild. When the Russian Army marches into East Prussia at the end of the...

The highly anticipated, unforgettable new story from the internationally bestselling, multi-award-winning author of Wonder. When Silas Bird wakes in the dead of night, he watches powerlessly as three strangers take his father away. Silas is left shaken, scared, and alone, except for the presence of his companion, Mittenwool, who happens to be a ghost. But then a mysterious pony shows...

Essential Modern Classics are relaunched in gorgeous new covers, bringing these timeless stories to a new generation. For Omri, it is a dream come true when the plastic American Indian he locks into the old cupboard comes to life. Little Bull is everything an Indian brave should be – proud, fearless, and defiant. But being in charge of a real,...

'So heart-rending and familiar, and so brilliantly, unforgettably different.' - Morris Gleitzman, bestselling author of Once Emma is a young student about to be drawn into what will become the biggest bank heist in European history: swapping 50 million guilders' worth of forged treasury bonds for real ones—right under the noses of the Nazis. Emma's life—and the lives of thousands,...

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...

A new heartwarming novel set in 1950s Australia from bestselling author Katrina Nannestad. Silver Linings follows Nettie Sweeney, who has a dad, three big sisters, a farm full of cows, and a cat called Mittens. But it's not enough. She longs for a mother—one with a gentle touch and sparkles in her eyes. Instead, she has Aunty Edith with slappy...

A frozen palace and a sparkling secret – an epic Russian adventure awaits! Anna Orlov might be the luckiest girl in the world. She is the daughter of a Russian Count and lives in a beautiful snowbound palace that is home to a menagerie of wonderful animals: tigers, wolfhounds and, of course, horses. She is also the owner of a...

Rex investigates funny goings-on in the city museum in his latest adventure. The third book in the side-splitting series for 7+ readers, from a Lollies Prize winning author-illustrator. Rex Dinosaur in Disguise: Museum Mystery sees Rex eagerly anticipating his first trip to the city museum. But, hold on, are those ... bones? Dinosaur bones?! It turns out that museums can...

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...