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A (brief) listing of children's books about the Tudors

Deary, Terry and Tonge, Neil.  The Terrible Tudors.  Scholastic Publications, 1993.
and
Deary, Terry.  Even More Terrible Tudors.  Scholastic, 1998.
    Both books are part of the Horrible Histories series of children's history books.  As the series title suggests, the books focus on the "horrible" aspects of history, while getting in quite a few digs at history lessons and teachers.
    While not all the facts are accurate (for example, reference is made to women wearing iron corsets, where in reality there are very few surviving corsets of the period and those contain no metal), they are pretty good and make the subject accessible to readers.

MacDonald, Alan. Henry VIII and His Chopping Block. Scholastic Children's Books, 1999.
    This book is part of the Dead Famous series.  It looks at Henry VIII's reign with humor.  The information is usually good, with a few instances where things are out of order.  Some features include Henry's "Secret Diary," which they claim Henry could have written (but didn't), and the Tudor Tatler, a fictional newspaper that presents stories as they are happening.

Morpurgo, Michael. The Ghost of Grania O'Malley. Mammoth, 1997.
    The Big Hill on Clare Island is threatened by islanders who want it mined for the gold they think is in it.  Jessie's mother and old Mister Barney are the only people on the island who do not want the mining.  Soon Jessie and her visiting American cousin Jack also want to save the hill.  Jessie and Jack realize they have help in the form of Jessie's "guardian angel," the ghost of the pirate Grania O'Malley.
    While mainly a ghost story set in modern day Ireland, there are still many historical references within the story. Grania O'Malley, the Elizabethan pirate leader, is presented in a strong, positive light. The importance of not always believing what is taught in schol is shown several times.

Wallace, Karen.  King Henry VIII's Shoes.  Collins Children's Books, 1995.
    On a school trip to Hampton Court Palace, Catherine picks up a package that she finds in the hedge maze.  The package turns out to contain one of Henry VIII's shoes, and his ghost comes to the present to retrieve it.  Catherine and her friends find they have to entertain a long-dead Tudor king.
    This is an entertaining way to introduce King Henry VIII to young readers.  By putting Henry into the context of modern times, he becomes less alien to readers and hopefully they are more able to relate to him.

    Well, I did say the list was brief!  I have my eye on a few other books once I get the chance to read them.  In the meantime, please email me if you have any suggestions for other books to add.