Books set in Victorian times

In an inspired reimagining of the Jules Verne classic Around the World in Eighty Days, readers are swept across the globe against a backdrop of fearlessness, treachery, sabotage, and family secrets.

Can Lily and Tom help their new friend find the special treasure her mother left for her? An engaging historical mystery, set in a dyslexia-friendly way.

A parallel volume to Doherty’s powerful 2009 story set in the 1860s around Jim Jarvis, Dr Barnado’s inspiration for the orphanages he set up.

Cosima and her fellow ​‘Unfortunates’ forge a plan to expose a villain through a jewellery heist. Funny but also thought-provoking, it’s a mystery adventure with a difference.

The New Cut Gang are a rag-tag group of resourceful young rascals who get up to all manner of adventures on the streets of Victorian Lambeth.

Can Nush find her family’s emerald in Queen Victoria’s palaces? A jewel of a book – shining a light on historical events through memorable characters and a pacy plot. 

Twelve-year-old Ted discovers he has roots in the circus and must join his father’s company for the first time to discover his own talent! Great for history buffs and those looking for historical fiction featuring people of colour.

In 1884, Emma Linden dreams of being a fossil hunter like her hero Mary Anning – but her world comes crashing down when her brother James becomes mysteriously ill. Meanwhile, in 2023, football-mad Jude finds a friend in Rosie Linden, who is plagued by visions of tigers and the need to protect the ones she loves.

In 1840s London, Wild Boy leads a miserable life in a travelling freak show. Treated as a monster and excluded from society, he develops an unusual talent for observation.

An extraordinary story based on the horror of child exploitation in Victorian times, but crammed with positivity, determination, hope and edge-of-seat drama. Anyone lucky enough to read it will not forget it for a very long time. 

12 year-old Bridie sells matches on the mean streets of Victorian London. Her mother works 14 hours a day making matches in the Bryant and May factory… and the poison from the factory is making her ill. Even though they work so hard, they are very poor and often hungry. Then one New Year’s Eve, when Bridie seems to have lost everything, she lights her three remaining matches with miraculous effects.

It is 1865 and Humza’s big brother Dani has been missing for two years. Humza and his best friend Ranj make the four-month journey from India to England by ship, determined to find him. A gripping historical tale, set among the treacherous streets of Victorian London. 

When Isaiah discovers a time portal in the basement of his tower block, he meets Jacob, who lived in the same building when it was a workhouse in the 1830s. This gripping, multilayered time-slip novel explores poverty from both a historical and contemporary perspective.

This brilliantly evocative take on Cardiff in 1899 will take young readers on a heartstopping ride as they follow Nansi’s quest to find out the truth about what happened to her missing mother.

In this rather innovative book, Rosen tells the tale of a modern-day Oliver Twist: Shona. Shona’s story is completely relatable and well-drawn, demonstrating Dickens’ grasp of the human condition, which makes this a great read for more mature readers.

An exciting, fast-paced adventure, which paints a vivid picture of mid-nineteenth century Britain and Russia