Can anyone recommend a historical fiction book about the War of the Roses that is suitable for children?

[Penguintears]

We have been watching the TV Series "The White Queen" based on Phillipa Gregory's books. My DC are loving it and want to read a historical fiction book set in this era. Are there any that are suitable for age 11-13? The DC are very keen that we fast forward the sex scenes in The White Queen!! They are both advanced readers so I just want to avoid too much "adult" content.

Historical fiction isn't really a kid's genre. The most you get are different takes on myths and legends or modernisations of ancient history.

Historical fiction is also a genre known for it's violence and sex. That's kind of it's whole deal.

Not Wars of the Roses but Lucy Worsley has written a series of historical novels for teens on the studies. I think it starts with "Lady Mary"

The Tudors honestly autocorrect!

DD was 12/13 when she started reading Philippa Gregory, I found the books less explicit than the TV adaptation. She started reading my historical biographies with 12.

We went with non-children books as DD loves history and pre-teen/teen books for historic topics are difficult to find unless you want WWII. I was similar at that age and raided the library for books.

If you have a library with a decent catalogue for historical fiction you could get some and check how explicit they are and go from there.

Sun of York by Ronald Welch, written in the 60s I think & part of a series about a family running from 1066 to WW1.

The Summer in Splendour?

They may be considered a bit dated now but I love Norah Lofts novels.

Oh, and Josephine Tey, 'Daughter of Time'

The Sunne in Splendour FFS. Autocorrect not book minded, obviously.

"Historical fiction isn't really a kid's genre... Historical fiction is also a genre known for it's violence and sex. That's kind of it's whole deal."

What utter nonsense. My love of historical fiction began as a child reading historical fiction.

The Children of the New Forest by Frederick Marryat - written c1850 and set in the civil war. I've not read it myself.

The Warden's Niece by Gillian Avery. Set in 19th century, the niece becomes intrigued by a civil war portrait and researches its subject. An old favourite of mine.

Historical fiction is brilliant for kids and I read loads as a child. It’s the more recent tv shows that have upped the sex and violence angle - great fun also but not exactly endemic to the genre.

More Henry VIII than wars of the roses, but I loved Rosemary Sutcliff’s book The Armorer’s Child - about a girl in Tudor London. There’s no high adventure but it’s hugely evocative and well written. I loved all her Roman and old Briton books as well but this is the only one I think that had a female protagonist so I loved it particularly.

Second Josephine Tey as well.

Cynthia Harnett wrote brilliant historical fiction books for children. And I found Jean Plaidy fairly accessible at that age.

They might like the Matthew Shardlake (a Tudor lawyer/detective) series of books by CJ Sansom?

Barbara Willard The Lark and the Laurel is set in this period. There is a series of them but they are not all in this period.

Not sure if still in print - you could try eBay

Jean Plaidy's novels are very well researched (much better than Lucy Worsley who can make some real howlers) and are usually sex free. I read them at this age - The goldsmith's Wife, Uneasy Lies the Head, red Rose of Anjou and Sunne in Splendour. Anne O Brien also writes about this period as do Anne easter Smith and Georgette Heyer has one Wars of the Roses book My Lord John.

The Sunne in Splendour is excellent and I don’t remember there being much (any?) sex in it.

I’m taking about “The Sunne in Splendour” by Sharon Kay Penman, btw.

I was also going to recommend Barbara Willard. My introduction to historical fiction. Such a fantastic series. I've still got all of my collection

I was coming on to recommend Cynthia Harnett, Barbera Willard and Rosemary Sutcliffe, but I see I've been beaten to it! I loved all three of these authors as an older child.

Alison Uttley's A Traveller in Time is a good read. So is Katherine by Anya Seaton - not a children's book, but I first read it as a young teen and it has remained a firm favourite. Neither are set in the War of the Roses but are very enjoyable historical novels.

Thank you all so, so much! Will look into all of these and probably end up reading them all myself 😊

There is a book called Cecily about Cecily of York (mum of Edward and Richard) which had limited sex (I think) and was really interesting. It's fiction. The most uncomfortable part for me was the description of the death of Joan of Arc.

Agree with Jean Plaidy. I read them in my early teens. There was one I loved about Francis Lovell growing up but I can't remember the name.

I'm off to Bosworth next week. Will check out the gift shop and see if they have any other suggestions for you.

Definitely the Sunne in Splendour.

Geoffrey Trease has a few set around this period…Snared Nightingale comes to mind. But getting hold of them might be tricky.

Yes my parents bought be the Lark and the laurel for Christmas one year ( they always liked to buy a hard back good book 😂). I didn’t realise the period of history until much later.

Love these sorts of threads on mumsnet.

If you’d like children’s non fiction as well, there’s a Ladybird book about the Wars of The Roses, called Warwick The Kingmaker. Several copies coming up 2nd hand for peanuts.

The old Ladybird books were brilliant for children - not only so informative, written by experts in each field, but also a whole page colour illustration opposite every page of prose.