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Children's reading lists

17 must-have historical fiction books for kids

Abridged Edition

Penguin Readers Level 3: Tales of Ancient Egypt (ELT Graded Reader)

Penguin Readers is an ELT graded reader series for learners of English as a foreign language. With carefully adapted text, new illustrations and language learning exercises, the print edition also includes instructions to access supporting material online. 
 
Titles include popular classics, exciting contemporary fiction, and thought-provoking non-fiction, introducing language learners to bestselling authors and compelling content. 
 
The eight levels of Penguin Readers follow the Common European Framework of Reference for language learning (CEFR). Exercises at the back of each Reader help language learners to practise grammar, vocabulary, and key exam skills. Before, during and after-reading questions test readers&rsquo; story comprehension and develop vocabulary. 
 
Tales of Ancient Egypt, a Level 3 Reader, is A2 in the CEFR framework. The text is made up of sentences with up to three clauses, introducing first conditional, past continuous and present perfect simple for general experience. It is well supported by illustrations, which appear on most pages. 
The time of Ancient Egypt began about 5000 years ago. The Egyptians worshipped many gods and goddesses, and they told stories about them to help them understand the world. These wonderful stories will help you understand more about the lives and ideas of the Ancient Egyptians.Visit the Penguin Readers website 
Exclusively with the print edition, readers can unlock online resources including a digital book, audio edition, lesson plans and answer keys.

Roger Lancelyn Green was born in 1918. He loved storytelling and was fascinated by traditional fairy tales, myths and legends from around the world. His retellings include Egyptian, Greek and Norse legends, plus a retelling of Robin Hood. He died in 1987.

With carefully adapted text, new illustrations, language practise activities and additional online resources, the Penguin Readers series introduces language learners to bestselling authors and compelling content. Titles include popular classics, exciting contemporary fiction, and thought-provoking non-fiction. 
 
Tales of Ancient Egypt, a Level 3 Reader, is A2 in the CEFR framework. The text is made up of sentences with up to three clauses, introducing first conditional, past continuous and present perfect simple for general experience. It is well supported by illustrations, which appear on most pages. 
 
The time of Ancient Egypt began about 5000 years ago. The Egyptians worshipped many gods and goddesses, and they told stories about them to help them understand the world. These wonderful stories will help you understand more about the lives and ideas of the Ancient Egyptians.

Tales of the Greek Heroes

Puffin Classics: the definitive collection of timeless stories, for every child 
Rediscover the Puffin Classics collection and bring the best-loved classics to a new generation - including this legendary edition of Tales of the Greek Heroes. 
 
The mysterious and exciting legends of the gods and heroes in Ancient Greece, from the adventures of Perseus, the labours of Heracles, the voyage of Jason and the Argonauts, to Odysseus and the Trojan wars.

Rediscover the Puffin Classics collection and bring the best-loved classics to a new generation - including this legendary edition of Tales of the Greek Heroes. 
 
The mysterious and exciting legends of the gods and heroes in Ancient Greece, from the adventures of Perseus, the labours of Heracles, the voyage of Jason and the Argonauts, to Odysseus and the Trojan wars.

Tales of Ancient Egypt

Puffin Classics: the definitive collection of timeless stories, for every child 
Rediscover the Puffin Classics collection and bring the best-loved classics to a new generation - including this epic edition of Tales of Ancient Egypt. 
 
Travel back deep in time to Ancient Egypt and discover the great myths and legends of the Sun God, Amen-Ra; the love story of Osiris and Isis; the curse of the book of Thoth and many other captivating tales of magic, treasure and adventure from one of the oldest and most fascinating civilizations in the world.

Rediscover the Puffin Classics collection and bring the best-loved classics to a new generation - including this epic edition of Tales of Ancient Egypt. 
 
Travel back deep in time to Ancient Egypt and discover the great myths and legends of the Sun God, Amen-Ra; the love story of Osiris and Isis; the curse of the book of Thoth and many other captivating tales of magic, treasure and adventure from one of the oldest and most fascinating civilizations in the world.

The Adventures of Robin Hood

Rediscover the Puffin Classics collection and bring the best-loved classics to a new generation - including this legendary edition of The Adventures of Robin Hood. 
 
Robin Hood, champion of the poor and oppressed, stands against the cruel power of Prince John and the brutal Sheriff of Nottingham. Taking refuge in the vast Sherwood Forest with his band of men, he remains determined to outwit his enemies.

Myths of the Norsemen

Puffin Classics: the definitive collection of timeless stories, for every child 
Rediscover the Puffin Classics collection and bring the best-loved classics to a new generation - including this epic edition of Myths of the Norsemen. 
 
The great Norse sagas are full of magic and heroic deeds. Odin's wanderings, Thor's hammer, the death of Bakkur, the vision of Ragnarok - tales which have been told since time immemorial - are given a fresh life in this version, written as one continuous exciting adventure story.

Rediscover the Puffin Classics collection and bring the best-loved classics to a new generation - including this epic edition of Myths of the Norsemen. 
 
The great Norse sagas are full of magic and heroic deeds. Odin's wanderings, Thor's hammer, the death of Bakkur, the vision of Ragnarok - tales which have been told since time immemorial - are given a fresh life in this version, written as one continuous exciting adventure story.

Penguin Readers Starter Level: Loki and the Giants (ELT Graded Reader)

Penguin Readers is an ELT graded reader series for learners of English as a foreign language. With carefully adapted text, new illustrations and language learning exercises, the print edition also includes instructions to access supporting material online. 
 
Titles include popular classics, exciting contemporary fiction, and thought-provoking non-fiction, introducing language learners to bestselling authors and compelling content. 
 
The eight levels of Penguin Readers follow the Common European Framework of Reference for language learning (CEFR). Exercises at the back of each Reader help language learners to practise grammar, vocabulary, and key exam skills. Before, during and after-reading questions test readers' story comprehension and develop vocabulary. 
 
Visit the Penguin Readers website 
Exclusively with the print edition, readers can unlock online resources including a digital book, audio edition, lesson plans and answer keys. 
 
Come into the world of the vikings. The gods and giants are enemies. Loki's mother is a goddess but his father is a giant. Is he the gods' friend or is he their enemy? They don't know...

With carefully adapted text, new illustrations, language practise activities and additional online resources, the Penguin Readers series introduces language learners to bestselling authors and compelling content. Titles include popular classics, exciting contemporary fiction, and thought-provoking non-fiction. 
 
Loki and the Giants, a Starter level Reader, is A1 in the CEFR framework. Starter level is ideal for readers who are learning English for the first time. Short sentences contain a maximum of two clauses, using the present simple and continuous tenses, possessives, regular and irregular verbs, and simple adjectives. Illustrations support the text throughout, and many titles at this level are graphic novels. 
 
Come into the world of the vikings. The gods and giants are enemies. Loki's mother is a goddess but his father is a giant. Is he the gods' friend or is he their enemy? They don't know...

Penguin Readers Level 7: Tales of the Greek Heroes (ELT Graded Reader)

Penguin Readers is an ELT graded reader series for learners of English as a foreign language. With carefully adapted text, new illustrations and language learning exercises, the print edition also includes instructions to access supporting material online. 
 
Titles include popular classics, exciting contemporary fiction, and thought-provoking non-fiction, introducing language learners to bestselling authors and compelling content. 
 
The eight levels of Penguin Readers follow the Common European Framework of Reference for language learning (CEFR). Exercises at the back of each Reader help language learners to practise grammar, vocabulary, and key exam skills. Before, during and after-reading questions test readers' story comprehension and develop vocabulary. 
 
Visit the Penguin Readers website 
Exclusively with the print edition, readers can unlock online resources including a digital book, audio edition, lesson plans and answer keys. 
 
Learn all about the mysterious and exciting legends of the gods and heroes in Ancient Greece, from the birth of Heracles and the adventures of Theseus, to the first fall of Troy and the battle of the giants.

Ladybird (Author) We make growing up the best story ever! Here at Ladybird, we publish playful books for little hands. From touch-and-feel books to bedtime stories and non-fiction, we help 0-7s to learn, play and grow - sparking plenty of smiles along the way. The home of Ten Minutes to Bed, Baby Touch, Peppa Pig and Hey Duggee, we know just how to capture curious little imaginations and guide them from one story to the next. Roger Lancelyn Green (Author) Roger Lancelyn Green was born in 1918. He loved storytelling and was fascinated by traditional fairy tales, myths and legends from around the world. His retellings include Egyptian, Greek and Norse legends, plus a retelling of Robin Hood. He died in 1987.

With carefully adapted text, new illustrations, language practise activities and additional online resources, the Penguin Readers series introduces language learners to bestselling authors and compelling content. Titles include popular classics, exciting contemporary fiction, and thought-provoking non-fiction. 
 
Tales of the Greek Heroes, a Level 7 Reader, is B2 in the CEFR framework. The longer text is made up of sentences with up to four clauses, introducing future perfect simple, mixed conditionals, past perfect continuous, mixed conditionals, more complex passive forms and modals for deduction in the past. 
 
Learn all about the mysterious and exciting legends of the gods and heroes in Ancient Greece, from the birth of Heracles and the adventures of Theseus, to the first fall of Troy and the battle of the giants.

Tales of the Greek Heroes (Film Tie-in)

Roger Lancelyn Green was born in 1918 and lived in Oxford and at his family home in Cheshire, which the Greens had owned for more than 900 years. He loved storytelling and was fascinated by traditional fairy tales, myths and legends from around the world. He was a professional actor, a librarian and a teacher. His retellings include Egyptian, Greek and Norse legends, plus a retelling of Robin Hood. He also wrote many books for adults, including a biography of his friend C. S. Lewis, creator of the The Chronicles of Narnia. Roger Lancelyn Green died in 1987.

Explore the real Greek myths behind Percy Jackson's story - he's not the first Perseus to have run into trouble with the gods . . . 
 
These are the mysterious and exciting legends of the gods and heroes in Ancient Greece, from the adventures of Perseus, the labours of Heracles, the voyage of Jason and the Argonauts, to Odysseus and the Trojan wars. 
 
Introduced with wit and humour by Rick Riordan, creator of the highly successful Percy Jackson series.

The Green Knight and Other Tales

Join the legendary adventures of King Arthur and his knights in this beautiful, collectable new Little Puffin Clothbound Classic. ‘The great doors flew open, and into the hall rode a strange and terrible figure.’ From the chivalrous quest of ‘Sir Gawain and the Green Knight’ to the heroic deeds of ‘The First Quest of Sir Launcelot’, this Little Puffin Clothbound Classic collects the most thrilling, noble, and enduring tales of Arthurian legend into a perfectly giftable hardback edition. The Little Puffin Clothbound Classics collect some of the most beloved classic short stories for young readers into stunning, highly collectable small format editions. Bound in high-quality cloth with dazzling new foil-stamped designs, they're little enough to fit in a pocket and lovely enough to keep forever. Gift the best-loved classics to a new generation with Puffin’s gorgeously accessible Little Puffin Clothbound Classics collection.

Isis and Osiris and Other Tales

Delve into the enchanting, epic world of ancient Egyptian mythology in this beautiful, collectable new Little Puffin Clothbound Classic. 'The Lord of All comes forth into the light!' From the divine prophecy of 'Isis and Osiris' to the legendary battles of 'Horus the Avenger', this Little Puffin Clothbound Classic collects the most captivating and timeless tales of Egyptian mythology into a perfectly giftable hardback edition. The Little Puffin Clothbound Classics collect some of the most beloved classic short stories for young readers into stunning, highly collectable small format editions. Bound in high-quality cloth with dazzling new foil-stamped designs, they're little enough to fit in a pocket and lovely enough to keep forever. Gift the best-loved classics to a new generation with Puffin’s gorgeously accessible Little Puffin Clothbound Classics collection.

Roger Lancelyn Green

Rediscover the Puffin Classics collection and bring the best-loved classics to a new generation - including this legendary edition of King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table. 
 
King Arthur is one of the most famous kings, and best-known legends, ever. From the magical moment when Arthur releases the sword in the stone to the quest for the Holy Grail and the final tragedy of the Last Battle, Roger Lancelyn Green brings the enchanting world of King Arthur stunningly to life. 
 
One of the greatest legends of all time, now with an inspiring introduction by David Almond, award-winning author of Clay, Skellig, Kit's Wilderness and The Fire-Eaters.

Roger Lancelyn Green

Books by Roger Lancelyn Green

Series by Roger Lancelyn Green

Little Puffin Clothbound Classics

Articles featuring Roger Lancelyn Green

17 must-have historical fiction books for kids

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