historical novel recommendations please for DS1 (11)

[Teabaglady]

My DS1 seems to be enjoying history in Year 7 and I thought that reading an historical novel could boost that enjoyment etc - Can anyone recommend some? I'm not really looking for Horrible Histories type stories and he has read Percy Jackson and some of the Roman Mysteries but i was thinking of something around 1066 - he has just been learning about - or Tudors
thanks

The My Story series - by different authors - might be worth looking at. They are written from the point of view of, say, a soldier in the trenches in WW1, or a maid of Anne Boleyn. Can't think of one based on 1066, but it might exist!

Stay Where You are Then Leave by John Boyne (WW1 experienced from home by a young boy)
Gods and Warriors by Michelle Paver (Bronze Age Greece)
All Falll Down by Sally Nichols (the plague)
Out of Shadows by Jason Wallace (near past - Zimbabwe when Mugabe came to power)
The Machinegunners by Robert Westall (WW2)

Cue for Treason By Geoffrey Trease is brilliant (Shakespeare time). There are others that are good too-Crown of Violet is another good one (Roman time). The Bannermere series were written as current, but are now dated, I think early 50s, might be a bit before.

If he's up to it, as it's an adult book, the The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey is good (about the Princes in the Tower), not set then, but investigating like a detective. Dd2 aged 11yo enjoyed it last year.

Mystery at Witchend is a good war adventure story (Malcolm Saville),
and then ones like Box of Delights are dated too.
There's also the Rosemary Sutcliffe Eagle set, and set in an imaginary period of history is Joan Aiken's set starting with The Wolves of Willowby (spelling?) Chase.

I loved Rosemary Sutcliffe when I was younger. Novels set in Roman / Anglo Saxon England. There's quite a lot of action in them too, so would prob appeal to an 11year old boy.

Mary Stewart wrote a series about a young King Arthur. Loved them as a child.

Kevin Crossley-Holland also has an Arthur trilogy.

Might "Children of the New Forest" appeal?

How would you feel about "I, Claudius"?

Oh, and would "Cider with Rosie" count as historical now?

Fire, Bed and Bone, by Branford, and Catherine, Called Birdy by Cushman, are two novels set (iirc) in the medieval period, which as KS3 English teachers we considered for Year 7. Both were fab.
Fire, Bed and Bone is the one we went for. It covers the Peasant's Revoly and the plague. Various social issues of the time, too. It is told from the point of view of a peasant's hunting dog (hence the title), which gives an interesting twist. I would recommend it enthusiastically!

Cynthia Harnett's historical novels for children are great. DD1 was a keen reader and enjoyed them at 11, DD2 who wasn't a good reader came to them a bit later. The Load of Unicorn is set in the 15th century, and so is Ring Out Bow Bells - they both have very evocative accounts of London at the time. The Wool-Pack is very interesting because it's set in the early Tudor period, and if I'm remembering correctly, shows characters accommodating to the changes between the medieval guild system and early capitalism. There might be others I've forgotten, but I'd highly recommend those three.

I remember reading those too morningtoncrescent62. Can I add Leon Garfield to the list too?

There are some brilliant recommendations on this thread!

The other Cynthia Harnett you were probably thinking of is The Writing On The Hearth. There are a couple of others - Stars of Fortune and The Great House - but I think she was at her best when writing about the late medieval period tbh.

Also, the Mantlemass books by Barbara Willard.

And there's one by Hilda Lewis called 'Harold was my king' which is exactly the period he's after, but I hesitate to recommend it because I haven't yet read it and didn't get on very well with another of hers, The Ship That Flew.

For a gentle time-slip story, mainly Norman, The Stones of Green Knowe by Lucy Boston.

resists temptation to recommend own book

Yes, some excellent suggestions....Rosemary Sutcliffe and Cynthia Harnett particularly. I loved 'The Ship that Flew' ...and there is a section set in Norman England. 'Harold is my King' is dedicated to a child, and should be suitable for Year 7. Other authors that might appeal include Ronald Welch, author of 'The Gauntlet' and 'Knight Crusader', Henry Treece, and Barbara Leonie Picard, whose book 'One is One' has been reprinted.

You might like to look at this website for some more titles
sherbrooke.ndo.co.uk/bibliography/cont.htm

and these articles are worth a read, for interesting ideas and information.

www.amandacraig.com/pages/childrens-book-reviews/articles/history.htm

historicalnovelsociety.org/childrens-historical-fiction-a-personal-assessment/

Sorry - 'Harold Was My King'! You can read a bit on Amazon 'Look Inside'.

Some great recommendations here. Loved Barbara Willard and Cynthia Harnett. Wpuld also recommend The Boy with the Bronze Axe about Scara Brae.

Children of the King is an absolute must - combines WW2 with the era of Richard III. Brilliantly told.

We've really enjoyed the first two books in a series called the Scar Gatherer which just came out last year. It was recommended by a friend (apparently the author lives in our area) and they're time-travel books.

The first one is Roman, but the second one is Vikings, called "Saving the Unicorn's Horn" so that would be nearer 1066 I guess. It looks like the next one is going to be Tudors (there are some posts on the series page on facebook) but that's not out yet.

My DS1 has always been a reluctant reader, but he's suddenly getting inspired. The author is someone called Julia Edwards. Looks like she's not that well-known yet, but quite a few children at DS1's school are loving her books. There's more about it on the series website www.scargatherer.co.uk.

He would probably enjoy 1066 And All That by W C Sellar, very funny, there's quite a lot of acute historical commentary in there and he's old enough to get the jokes.

Some of the lesser known Rosemary Suttcliffes - The Armourers House is a gem, medieval, set in a family home during Anne Boleyn's reign, lots about shipbuilding and the New World. Brother Dusty Feet is also lovely, about a boy who runs away and joins a troupe of Tudor actors travelling between towns to perform.

I can't think of any Norman ones, but there are the War classics in children's historical fiction - When the Siren Wailed, When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit, Carrie's War. The Machine Gunners by Robert Westhall is probably a very good one for his age. I Am David by Anne Holm is also stunning reading.

Ronald Welch wrote some really good ones; "The gauntlet" is Norman and "Knight Crusader" later. Also try Henry Treece, he wrote one about the death of Edward the confessor and Hastings called "Hounds of the King".

Cue for treason by Geoffrey Treace, Alison Uttley wrote a few similar, Carrie's war, 5 children and It, Family from One End Street, Michael Morpurgo

Alison Uttley's was a Traveller in Time.