Historical fiction is a great way of finding out more about history.
But some places and times are harder to find books on than others. Where as there is lots of historical fiction for children on the stone age which could be set in the British Isles, I have found very few books on bronze age Britain, and nothing for younger children.
Both of the books featured examine the possible impact of the introduction of objects of new metals on a community.
Mini reviews of the ones we have read:
The Boy with the Bronze Axe by Kathleen Fidler
Kali and Brockan live in the village of Skara Brae on Orkney. Â Their’s is a stone age way of life, but when a boy with a bronze axe is washed ashore everything changes.
This is a good read, which despite its age doesn’t seem stilted. The story vividly depicts stone age life on Skara Brae and wrestles with the issues that arise when new technologies and ideas are introduced.
It is a more approachable read than Warrior Scarlet.
Warrior Scarlet by Rosemary Sutcliff
Drem is born with a withered arm. Follow his story as he faces the obstacles this poses for him in proving himself and becoming a warrior. Will he be able to overcome his disability?
A story of friendship, persistence, and harsh realities.
Rosemary Sutcliff’s descriptive, more complex style makes this book a harder read than The Boy with the Bronze Axe.
 More children’s historical fiction set in the bronze age (we haven’t read these yet)
- The Faraway Lurs by Harry Behn, 1963
Danish bronze age romance between young people of warring tribes. - The Wolf King by Ann Turnbull, 1976, 2008
Bronze age boy sets out to kill Wolf King controlling raiding wolf pack. - The Whitestone Stories: Seven Tales from the Stone Age to the Bronze Age for the Children (and Grown-ups)Â by John R Barrett
- Stone Lord: The Legend Of King Arthur, The Era Of Stonehenge by J.P. Reedman
View Children’s Historical Fiction: Bronze Age Britain on Amazon Listmania
Do you have any comments on these or any other historical fiction set in the bronze age?
I found this page because I was looking for the name of a book I read as a child that I remember loving about a boy and girl during the bronze age, and I found it here! “The Faraway Lurs.” I don’t remember much about it except the end, and what I remember most is the imagery it created in my mind. Thank you for letting me find it here!
I’m looking for the title of a book about the end of the Bronze Age in Britain. The protagonist was a boy who was going through the initiation into manhood and his girl friend was abandoned at their village as a baby and kept believing her father would return one day to claim her. He didn’t and at the end of the book they married by holding hands and jumping over a fire. I believe this book would’ve been written sometime in the 60s. Thanks for your help.