British history books for children: The Tudors
This post is part of a series on the theme of incorporating more British history into Story of the World 2. You can read the overview post here.
These book suggestions are for England from after the Battle of Bosworth Field until the death of Elizabeth I. They run alongside SOTW2 Chapters 28-42 and Our Island Story chapters 60-73.
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General Tudor resources
Henry VIII (Usborne Beginners)
Jonathan Melmoth
A good book for children to read to themselves. There are plenty of pictures, and short chapters. It is easy to be simplistic about Henry VIII and portray him as a monster, and I appreciated the depth that this author brings to Henry’s character. The book devotes a good amount of time to Henry’s early life, and covers some of the key events which explain his adult character, such as the jousting accident which gave him a leg injury.
The choice of paintings in the book is excellent, some contemporary, some painted later. They really giving a feel for the Tudor Court and the drama of the events of Henry’s reign.
Struggle for Power: A Pictorial History 1485-1689
R.J. Unstead
I really appreciate these books by R.J. Unstead. They are full of interesting pictures, and present a range of historical themes from the period in broadly chronological order. These include important individuals and events (e.g. Mary I, the Armada) but also social history, such as Elizabeth domestic life and changes to farming.
I don’t usually read these straight through, but find them helpful for providing a bit more depth on a particular person or theme. Roughly 40 pages (or just under half) of this book is devoted to the Tudors.
People in History: Great Tudors and Stuarts
R.J. Unstead
Another book by Unstead, this time from his series on People in History. From the Tudor period, this book covers Sir Thomas More, Richard Chancellor, the Princess Elizabeth (up to her accession), Francis Drake, William Shakespeare, and Walter Raleigh. There are lots of black and white illustrations, and a few colour ones.
Britannia: 100 Great Stories from British History
Geraldine McCaughrean and Richard Brassey
This book contains 100 illustrated stories from British history, beginning with Gog and Magog, and running up to the stranding of the Braer oil tanker in 1993. Of particular interest from this period, it includes stories of William Tyndale, Anne Boleyn, Anne of Cleves, Walter Raleigh, Francis Drake, and Mary Queen of Scots. For reasons of the mixing of history and legend, this isn’t my favourite book, although I think lots of children would enjoy it, and the stories are part of our culture. There is a little box for each story explaining the historical basis, and to what extent it is likely to be legend.
The Elizabethan Era
For books on Mary, Queen of Scots, please refer to my suggestions for Scottish history books here.
Famous People in History (Naxos Junior Audiobooks)
Nicholas Soames
This audiobooks contains (among others) short biographies (roughly 15 minutes) of Queen Elizabeth I and William Shakespeare. Elizabeth’s biography opens with an excerpt from her famous speech to the troops at Tilbury, which is very stirring!
A Traveller in Time
Alison Uttley
A historic fiction book set in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. The protagonist, Penelope, visits her ancient family home, and finds that she keeps slipping back in time to the Elizabethan era. The house was then inhabited by the Babingtons, who were involved in the plot to free Mary, Queen of Scots from imprisonment.
A very well written story, rich in details about Elizabethan life.
The Queen’s Pirate: Francis Drake
Sarah Courtauld
A title from the Usborne Young Reading 3 series, with plenty of pictures, a map of Drake’s voyages and a timeline. Drake was not a pleasant man, as events in the book make clear. In Chapter 2 Drake captures and transports slaves from West Africa to the Spanish colonies. At various points he abandons other men in battle to suit his own advantage. There is plenty of piracy. In Chapter 4 he has a man tried and beheaded for accusing Drake’s brother of theft.
The book includes some useful information on Queen Elizabeth, and a chapter on the Spanish Armada. It provides some helpful context for the enmity between England and Spain at this time.
William Shakespeare
Stories from Shakespeare (Naxos Junior Audiobooks)
This is a wonderful resource from Naxos. Short, roughly 20 minute versions of each of Shakespeare’s plays, interspersed with plenty of original quotes. The stories are read by Shakespearean actors, so they are well dramatised.
There are a number of audiobooks available, including the Plantagenet plays.
Shakespeare: His Work and His World
Michael Rosen & Robert Ingpen
An unusual book which is a little hard to describe! The Ingpen illustrations are captivating, as always. There is a biographical section about Shakespeare’s life, and sections about Tudor London and the playhouses. There are also illustrated summaries of several of his plays.
I loved the illustrations in this book, but found the text harder to follow than the two simpler books below.
William Shakespeare (Usborne Beginners)
Rosie Dickins
A short biography in the Usborne Young Readers series. I think some of the early part of Shakespeare’s life is moderately conjectured, but it fits nicely around the known facts. There are illustrations on every page, mostly drawn, but some pictures of relevant buildings. Many are scenes from Shakespeare’s plays with original lines as captions. A fast paced introduction to Shakespeare’s life, and the world of the London playhouses.
Welcome to the Globe! The Story of Shakespeare’s Theatre
Peter Chrisp
We enjoyed this book more than I expected to for a children’s reader! It introduces you to a number of characters at the Globe such as Cuthbert and Richard Burbage, a cutpurse, and a boy actor. The latter part of the book discusses the impact of the plague, and the fire at the Globe in 1613.
