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This biography links Bourgeois’s childhood, her mother’s weaving and their close relationship with the artist she became.

A mystery about Ella’s disrupted sense of self gives the story a strong psychological focus. The central pull is her effort to understand a reality that only she seems to question.

This is a historical account centred on the lives of people affected by the Holocaust, including young people. Museum objects, images and recorded testimony bring personal accounts alongside the wider history.

A concise historical account centres on Parks’s refusal and places it in the civil rights movement. The book also uses cut-paper images alongside Nikki Giovanni’s text.

A life story of Francis Scott Key that ranges beyond the anthem to childhood, family, education and courtroom work, with faith and religious service given particular prominence.

A fact-led introduction to how the brain and nervous system work, pairing eye-catching prompts with scientific explanations and visual material.

This is a history of cotton told through people whose lives were shaped by farming, slavery, sharecropping and textile mills. Personal voices and photographs sit alongside a broader account of American change.

Expect a football-centred childhood story rather than an account of Burglar Bill. Its unofficial team, friendships and setbacks provide comic energy, while the reflective voice gives the book a poignant, nostalgic dimension.

This is an informational life story centred on Sacajawea’s involvement with Lewis and Clark. It combines personal history, motherhood and travel with a broader account of the expedition and its place in American history.

A warm, historically grounded account of how a rescued bear became connected with Winnie-the-Pooh. Its layered storytelling, photographs and family records offer both an engaging animal story and an introduction to memory, wartime history and literary origins.

This is a pick-and-mix reading experience: familiar characters, comic poems, memoir, letters and story extracts offer changing moods and subjects. It suits shared selection of individual pieces more naturally than uninterrupted reading.

A history-rich picture-book biography about Philip Reid’s craftsmanship, enslavement and contribution to the Statue of Freedom. It brings an overlooked African American figure into the story of a prominent American landmark.

A richly visual memoir follows Say from childhood in Japan through wartime upheaval and family strain to a serious apprenticeship with cartoonist Noro Shinpei.

A child-led mystery combines friendship and practical detective work with factual touches. The central problem involves a tame lion connected to a film.

This is a visually rich wartime memoir about service, segregation, friendship and artistic persistence.

A child’s-eye memoir about displacement, family love and survival, moving from wartime adventure-like discoveries towards the realities of bombing, Bergen-Belsen, starvation, illness and bereavement.

This is an emotionally candid memoir about depression, coming out and survival. It offers a first-person account of painful experiences alongside reflection on identity, social messages, relationships, memory and the gradual work of finding self-acceptance.

This is an interactive introduction to rainforests, organised around children’s questions and answers. Its activities and memory-game cards may make factual exploration more participatory than a straightforward read-through.

This is a personal investigation into relatives who vanished during the Holocaust. Rosen follows clues, disappointments and discoveries, while poems and family materials give emotional and historical shape to what happened.

A true story follows Jennie from childhood through meeting Abram, love, his death and her search for courage. It links fear and bravery while showing grief as part of continuing life.

This is a direct, intimate account of grief: sadness can arrive anywhere, feelings change, memories may hurt or help, and sometimes being alone or talking feels preferable.

This is a concise historical introduction: it brings together the conspirators, their intended attack, Guy Fawkes’s discovery beneath Parliament and the connection with Bonfire Night.

A vividly remembered village childhood, told through family routines, school, work, local characters and changing rural life. Its interest lies in crafted atmosphere and perspective rather than a complete factual account of Lee’s life.

This is a substantial, browseable introduction to Black history, balancing familiar and less-known people and events. It ranges from anti-slavery movements and racism to science, sport, art, music, activism and political change.

A visually rich life story about a pioneering pilot and writer: adventurous flights, difficult conditions and wartime service lead towards Saint-Exupéry’s literary work, while the illustrations invite close attention beyond the basic biography.

This is a factual, story-led collection about animals involved in wartime. It combines rescue, communication, morale and service with a gentle, sometimes uplifting presentation, while acknowledging that some animals died.

A warm intergenerational Christmas memoir combines storytelling with recipes and handmade decoration ideas. It offers a portrait of family traditions in Italy, centred on cooking, gathering natural materials and remembering celebrations with grandparents.

A first-person Holocaust memoir centred on a young woman’s choices, imprisonment, separation from family, relationship with Dick, and eventual survival. Its account connects private courage and hope with systematic Nazi persecution.

A gentle historical-fiction picture book about a child observing an artist, then joining him in painting the changing natural world. It emphasises looking closely, shared making and the lingering significance of a brief summer.

A vivid childhood memoir that turns family memories, school adventures and holiday experiences into funny, unsettling and sometimes painful stories. It offers a personal view of historical schooling and connects remembered experiences with Dahl’s development as a writer.

This is a personal Holocaust memoir centred on Riva’s separation from her family, imprisonment and determination to survive. It presents endurance alongside persecution, bereavement and occasional kindness.

A short introduction to Dolley Madison’s public role, social influence and wartime actions, with emphasis on her strong will and distinctive personality. It may suit discussion of how a historical figure is remembered.