Top History Books for Home Educated Children | Engaging and Educational Reads
Some favourite history books for home ed
History is one of those subjects that really comes alive when you mix great books with hands-on exploration. These are a few of the history books that have sparked imagination and conversation in our house. Add in visits to National Trust and English Heritage sites too - to really bring it all to life. We printed out timelines from Twinkl too - ideal for visualising when in time, an era was, in relation to 'now'.
We also highly recommend ‘History Heroes’ games, and when my son was younger he enjoyed the ‘Mysteries in Time’ subscription boxes.
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A few picks from our bookshelf:
‘The Big History Timeline’ (What on Earth Wallbooks) by Christopher Lloyd 🛒 These are amazing. We bought a big boxset many years ago in order to get all the wallbooks (inc. British History, Science, Nature). You can remove and display the timelines on your wall (warning, they are massive!).
Imagine taking a trip through the history of everything from the beginning of the universe to the present day! This unique wallbook includes a 2 metre-long fold-out timeline containing more than 1,000 pictures and captions that tell the story of the history of the world. The timeline is divided into 12 sections covering both natural history as well as the history of human civilisations in each of the world’s continents. Readers can easily compare what was happening across the world at any given moment in time. The books also feature newspaper articles, a quiz, and a pocket magnifier to make it easier to explore all the timeline's details.
‘Take Me Back’ by DK Books 🛒 This is an oldie now, but still available and low in price. Do you think history is just about boring dates and long-dead kings and queens? This quirky book covers religions, empires, ancient wonders, world wars and zero boring stuff. Explore history as you've never seen it before. Read Napoleon's profile on a social networking site and see a news anchorman present the headlines as the heads roll in the French revolution. Packed with 3,500 years of bloody battles, glorious empires, revolting revolutions, monstrous monarchs, and so much more. Discover the good bits, the amazing bits, the gory, exciting, bizarre and jaw-droppingly incredible bits of history, as you've never read, seen, heard or experienced it before.
Any of the ‘Horrible Histories’ books by Terry Deary (Author) and Martin Brown (Illustrator) 🛒 We’ve collected countless books from this series from second hand shops. They are all fantastic for kids, so humorous and brilliantly illustrated. Horrible Histories informs kids of historical events while being stuffed full of blood, battles and black humour. Also watch the CBBC series based on the books, on YouTube and BBC iPlayer. Horrible Histories informs kids of historical events while being stuffed full of blood, battles and black humour.
‘A Street Through Time’ by Steve Noon 🛒 Think of the street you live on. Now think of how it may have looked in 10,000 BCE, or in Roman times, or in Victorian England at the height of the Industrial Revolution. A Street Through Time takes you on a time travelling journey through 12,000 years that you won't forget. Beautiful double-page illustrations bring fourteen key periods in history to life. You will see magnificent buildings go up and come down, new churches built on the site of ancient temples, wooden bridges destroyed and then remade in stone, and statues demolished then unearthed many years later. You'll find out how people lived long ago - the tools they used, what they wore, what they ate and what they did all day. In an added twist, you can search for the time traveller in each period and locate the objects that have managed to survive through the ages.
‘History Year by Year’ by DK Books 🛒 A beautiful visual reference book with key events of world history. Take chronological steps through human history. Learn about significant global events like the rise of different societies, revolutions, invasions, and new discoveries. Meet the most memorable people from history books including charismatic leaders, brutal dictators, influential thinkers, and innovative scientists. This book uses unpretentious language and gives straightforward fun facts. The multitude of photos, maps and graphics make reading about history simple and enjoyable. This guide provides an overview of the most fascinating events in history, with concise and bite-sized information.
Discover & Learn: History by CGP Books. Aimed at KS2 school years 3 to 6, but suitable for all ages when you home ed. CGP titles are excellent. They're colourful, informative and optionally paired with workbooks if your child enjoys structured learning. We often just read them for fun. Choose from: Anglo-Saxons, Stone Age to Celts, Romans, Ancient Egyptians, Ancient Greeks, Mayan Civilisation and Vikings.
