Introducing Horrible Histories

What’s it about: History
Where is it from: London
How often is it published: Monthly

Anyone who grew up in the 90’s should be familiar with Terry Deary’s utterly superb Horrible Histories books, which prided themselves on introducing kids to history with the nasty bits left in. Wonderfully cartoonish, the books brought history to life with a tongue in cheek look at our ancestors and a gallows humour that never talked down to keen readers.

More recently, Horrible Histories moved from the page to the screen, with a highly acclaimed, wildly popular and award winning television sketch-comedy series running on CBBC since 2009. The show is the basis for the Horrible Histories magazine, featuring as it does the actors in familiar character costumes, but the articles inside are true to the books as well.

Each issue is full of the usual mix of random facts and toilet humour that you would reasonably expect from the franchise, ensuring that any reader of a certain age will be laughing and learning in equal measure.

Rather than focusing on one area of history per issue, Horrible Histories uses its pages to jump throughout time, introducing and reacquainting readers and viewers with key figures from history and their various dodgy goings on.

Each issue also contains a range of activities to keep youngsters interested once they’ve read all of the pithy jokes included within, including board games, spot the difference and more. There’s also regular free gifts that are guaranteed to annoy parents. What’s not to love?

Subscribe to Horrible Histories here.