Illustrated Legends of Scotland's Kings and Queens

by Theresa Breslin

Strong queens, wise kings, secret plots and fierce battles – discover the historic legends of Scotland's most famous monarchs in this stunning celebration of Scottish heritage by a Carnegie-medalist. Award-winning children's author Theresa Breslin tells captivating tales of ten significant Scottish kings and queens, inspired by historical sources and ancient legends, all sumptuously illustrated by Liza Tretyakova. Children will experience history up close – rescuing the Stone of Destiny with Scotland's first king, Kenneth McAlpin, battling at Bannockburn with Robert the Bruce, making friends with young Mary, Queen of Scots, and braving a would-be assassin with Queen Victoria.

Genres: Childrens

144 pages, Hardcover

Published January 10, 2023

About the author

Theresa Breslin is a Scottish author of over 50 books, known for her contributions to children's and young adult literature. She won the Carnegie Medal in 1994 for Whispers in the Graveyard, which tells the story of a dyslexic boy overcoming personal struggles. Born and raised in Kirkintilloch, Scotland, she started writing as a teenager and later worked as a librarian before becoming a full-time author.

Her works often explore historical and social themes, as seen in Divided City (2005), which addresses sectarianism in Glasgow, and The Medici Seal (2006), a historical novel featuring Leonardo da Vinci. Her book Prisoner of the Inquisition (2010) was shortlisted for another Carnegie Medal.
Breslin has received numerous accolades, including the Scottish Book Trust's Outstanding Achievement Award and an Honorary Fellowship from the Association for Scottish Literary Studies. In 2019, she was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for her services to literature.

Reviews

[Bear Bahoochie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written for children this is a clear and enjoyable look at the Scottish Kings and Queens. As a Scot who has missed out on learning much of Scottish History I found it really good fun. The chronology was really clear and each tale was given context by a before and after page which I found really helped. It’s also a beautiful book with lovely illustrations which help to add to the tales.

I read it with my son (aged 9) who had just finished his Scottish Wars of Independence topic in school and he really enjoyed it as well. He liked that he knew many of the locations and thanks to school some of the royals being talked about.