Non-Fiction November: Facts and Folklore

Non-Fiction November is not over yet at GCH Library! This week our library team has put together a display focusing on ancient history, mythology and folklore - all of which topics can be found in the non-fiction section of the library.

To help students better access these topics, we have paired some modern fiction books with a non-fiction pick about the history or mythology that inspired it.

For example, fans of Oh My Gods by Alexandra Sheppard or the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan might enjoy learning more about ancient Greek deities in Leon Ashworth's Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Greece.

You may also be familiar with classic historical adventure novel The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliffe, but how much do you know about Roman Britain? To find out more check out Terry Deary's Rotten Romans or Hadrian's Wall by James Forde-Johnstone. 

Many kinds of history, mythology and folklore feature in modern books today. Why not borrow a title from the popular my story collection and pair it with a non-fiction book to gain some further insight into your historical fiction reading? 

If you're looking to learn more about ancient Egyptian rulers you could also borrow The Egyptians by Michael Hayes from the non-fiction section and pair it with Princess of Egypt: an Egyptian Girl's Diary to experience the royal political drama of 1490 BC. 

We also have fiction books which directly retell classic folktales. For example, an exciting new addition to the library, The Wrath and the Dawn is heavily based on the traditional Middle Eastern folktale collection known as One Thousand and One Nights (or often known as The Arabian Nights in English). 

If you would like any further recommendations, or help looking for a book on a certain topic, please do ask at the desk!

Happy reading!