Queen Victoria's sixty-four-year reign identifies a fascinating period that transformed England into a democracy and a world power. When Victoria became queen, the industrial revolution had already launched technological and economic innovations that changed social and cultural life.
An informative book on the culture and history of Victorian England. I read it all the way through, but I doubt I would have done so in middle or high school. It is a good reference source for those grades. It does read a bit like a textbook. Swisher includes a lot of good citations and there are pictures and illustrations to further help understanding.