- E. Nesbit’s own unique chronicle of famous kings & queens throughout English history
- told in matter-of-fact story form and avoids sugarcoating the less-than-stellar moments
- convo: general battle talk including deaths, occasional drinking, a man is ordered to burn out a child’s eyes but does not do it, a man throws himself off a tower and dies, magic mentioned but mostly because it was a label assigned to anything unfamiliar
- language: x1 stupid
- ranges from Alfred the Great (849 AD) to Victoria Regina (1819)
Type: chapter story book
Ages: 8-12
Author: E. Nesbit
Illustrators: Frances Brundage, M. Bowley, Joe Hox
Children living both in and outside of England should appreciate this unique way of reading history. Nesbit has a voice all her own, and if your family is familiar with her fictional stories, you’ll feel right at home here.
The stories have recognizable names to many, including Robin Hood, Shakespeare, William Wallace, etc. We learn how there came to be a Prince of Wales and some of the reasons behind Scotland and England’s persistent disagreements. It’s not all battle and death by any means, please know. There is one section in particular I love for how beauty arose once again in a culture that had forgotten it–in both art and the written word.
Nesbit purposely crafted this for children to help them love history. The adventure, feuds, battles, princes and princesses, and so much more are sure to have a good grip on attention spans. Consider adding it to your family read-alouds!
The book releases on November 7, 2026 from Bookmonkey Press, who so thoughtfully is gifting the world by putting it back into circulation. Hope you can enjoy it!
P.S. Since reading the book, I discovered that Bookmonkey Press has curated an amazing, royal-themed Spotify playlist to listen to as you read. I found it –here– but if that link breaks, it’s easy to find with the app’s search function. How fun!