Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Children's books

Join in for children's book recommendations.

Original poster

Historical fiction for 10 year old girl?!

46 replies

Panicmode1 · 10/01/2016 08:20

I have a bright, but fairly reluctant reader who has finally stopped reading equine fiction and Enid Blyton repeatedly, and has decided that she really enjoys historical fiction (she read a couple of fictionalised 'diaries of a Victorian maid/Georgian lady type stuff). Can anyone recommend some books that are suitable for her age? I don't really want too much ''bodice ripping'' just yet!

OP posts:
flyright · 12/01/2016 14:01

another vote for Lady Grace - my DD loved them at that age

ohdearlord · 12/01/2016 13:59

Northern Lights/His Dark Materials

OwlCurrency · 12/01/2016 13:56

Anne of Green Gables
Heidi
A Little Princess and The Secret Garden

Tokelau · 12/01/2016 13:48

My DD loved the my story books too.

You could also try the Roman mysteries and the Lady Grace mysteries.

One of my DD's favourite books was the diary of a young Tudor lady-in-waiting, and there are others in the same series.

Has she read I am David?

BlueChampagne · 12/01/2016 13:37

Children of the New Forest
A Little White Horse

BlueChampagne · 12/01/2016 13:36

Goth Girl books have a historical feel, as well as being beautiful things. You could also try Sherlock Holmes and P G Woodhouse.

Don't remember any bodice-ripping in Jean Plaidy either.
Roman Mysteries?

LadyEnglefield · 10/01/2016 18:40

My 10 yr old DD loves the Wells & Wong murder mysteries by Robin Stevens.

The first one (Murder Most Unladylike) is set in a boarding school, the second (Arsenic For Tea) is in a country house and number three (First Class Murder) is on the Orient Express.

A cross between Agatha Christie and Malory Towers/St Clares stories but more exciting!

Becles · 10/01/2016 12:16

I may revisit these a few times over the course of the coming year..

Joan Aitken
Diana Wynne Jones
Leon Garfield
LM Montgomery
Mark Twain
Ross Guy
CS Lewis
Julie Berry

Original poster
Panicmode1 · 10/01/2016 11:58

Thank you all for your excellent suggestions - I have now bought the My Story series for a bargain price on Ebay this morning.

She's read some of the ones suggested e.g. Secret Garden, Tom's Midnight Garden, Charlotte Sometimes, Goodnight Mr Tom, E Nesbitt, but I will look at the other suggestions and that should keep her out of mischief for a while!

I read a lot of Georgette Heyer at about her age too and had forgotten about those, thank you.

OP posts:
TrappedInAWitchesCurse · 10/01/2016 11:45

Frost Hollow Hall or The Girl Who Walked on Air by Emma Carroll
All Fall Down by Sally Nicholls

merlinalison · 10/01/2016 11:41

Lots of good suggestions here
also
Cue for Treason by Geoffrey Trease
A Traveller in time by Alison Uttley
When Marnie was there
Goodnight Mister Tom
A pattern of roses (modern and Edwardian intertwined) by KM Peyton plus her Flambards series
Barbara Willard's Mantlemass series - the first is The Lark and the Laurel.

Georgette Heyer is also generally suitably lacking in bodice-ripping.

buffymum · 10/01/2016 11:19

Lady Grace Adventures are lovely

thegiddylimit · 10/01/2016 11:18

When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit
The Little House on the Prairie series
(both fictionalised accounts of the authors childhood)
Carrie's War
The Machine Gunners
(my two favourite war stories)
Tom's Midnight Garden (fantastic timeslip novel)
The Secret Garden
Black Beauty (good follow on from the equine stuff)
Michael Murpurgo (start with War Horse?)
Actually pretty much any children's classic will seem pretty historical to a DC these days and will have language and plotting that will be challenging and stretching without inappropriate plots for a 10 year old. There's no need to move onto trashy 'teen fiction' which may have more grown up topics but is not more complex from a literary viewpoint.

Curiouserandcuriouser30 · 10/01/2016 11:17

There's a book by Jaqueline Wilson called "The Lottiey Project" which she might enjoy. Also my niece liked the Lady Grace Mysteries series at your dd's age, I believe they are set in Elizabethan times.

elspethmcgillicuddy · 10/01/2016 11:11

Laura Ingalls Wilder. I loved this at that age. It really captured my imagination.

BanningTheWordNaice · 10/01/2016 11:10

I know it's not fiction but I devoured the horrible histories around that age.

lljkk · 10/01/2016 10:59

Cat Royale books.

akkakk · 10/01/2016 09:58

If you can find any Cynthia Harnett they are great with children as the characters...
Alan Garner?
E. Nesbitt

Many old classics are set long ago that they might be seen as historical!

JimmyGreavesMoustache · 10/01/2016 09:49

link again

JimmyGreavesMoustache · 10/01/2016 09:47

THe Jacqueline Wilson Hetty Feather series
[http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Executioners-Daughter-Jane-Hardstaff/dp/140526828X the executioner's daughter]]

Robertaquimby · 10/01/2016 09:45

There is a series called My Story whuch she might like. Fictionalised diaries with interesting themes eg Suffragettes, Titanic.

My dd also enjoyed

Charlotte Sometimes
A Little Princess
Wolves of Willoughby Chase
Rooftoppers