This collection of children's books was created to mark the centenary of the end of World War One in 2018. It includes a selection of fiction and non-fiction, new titles and old ones, for a wide range of ages, to reflect the tragedy of the First World War.

We continue to refresh the list on a regular basis as new titles are published.

'Lest we forget'

It is over 100 years since the end of WW1 and even though there are now no people alive today who experienced it first-hand, its impact on the world is still apparent today.

Throughout the anniversary years of WW1 there have been a huge range of books published for children, with WW1 now more prominently in the school curriculum. 

World War One, WW1, The Great War, 1914-1918, was on a scale previously unknown. Millions of lives were lost and vast areas of land destroyed. It was triggered by the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, on 28th June 1914, in Sarajevo.

Described as the First World War, because it involved countries from every inhabited continent in the World although the vast majority of the fighting took place on what became known as the Western and Eastern fronts, on either side of Germany.

The Battle of the Somme (1st July - 18 November 1916) was one of the bloodiest battles of the First World War, as the British and French armies engaged the Germans in a devasting battle of attrition, leaving over one million dead and wounded on all sides.

The First World War paved the way for major economic, political and social change and the map of Europe was redrawn. In Britain the labour and suffrage movements grew in strength and support. Our Royal family cut ties with their German ancestry and took the new name of the House of Windsor.

After the armistice on 11 November 1918 The League of Nations was formed with the aim of ensuring such a terrible conflict would never again occur. But with battle-weakened countries unable to defend themselves and rise of fascism, the world was at war once again in 1939.

The books in this collection can help children to explore the realities of a war that is so now so distant, and will continue to remind young people to never forget the sacrifices made by past generations.

There are further recommended reads to mark:

Remembrance Day

The Second World War

Holocaust Memorial Day