Families who loved The Children of the King by Sonya Hartnett often look for books with a similar feel. These 20 recommendations were selected for their similarity in style, theme, and reading level.
Reach for this book when your child is navigating a period of transition or feeling the weight of world events beyond their control. This atmospheric story follows Cecily and Jeremy, who are sent to the English countryside to escape the Blitz of World War II. In their uncle's manor, they encounter May, a young refugee, and two mysterious boys hiding in the ruins of a nearby castle. Through these encounters, the story explores how history lingers in the present and how young people find agency when the adults around them are preoccupied with crisis. Hartnett's prose is sophisticated and haunting, making it ideal for 10 to 14 year olds who enjoy mysteries with a touch of the supernatural. It is a beautiful tool for normalizing feelings of displacement and the bittersweet process of growing up during a time of upheaval.