Gross & Fascinating Horrible Histories Book Series Review
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If you have a history-loving kid—or a reluctant reader who thinks history is boring—you need to know about Horrible Histories by Terry Deary.
I can’t believe it took me so long to discover these books!
They’ve been around for over 20 years, and now that we’ve found them, they’ve quickly become some of my boys’ absolute favorites.
If you’re looking for a fun, unforgettable homeschool resource (or just a new book series to keep your kids entertained and learning), this one is a must-have.
What Are the Horrible Histories Books Like?
In a word? Horrible — and that’s the best part!
These Horrible History books are packed with:
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Gruesome facts
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Funny comic strips
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Real letters and diary entries from historical periods
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Wild, unbelievable true stories you won’t find in typical textbooks
The series covers dozens of eras and events—from ancient Egypt to the world wars—with a style that’s equal parts hilarious and cringe-worthy.
Perfect for kids who love:
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Gross-out humor
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Shocking facts
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Quirky illustrations
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Bite-sized, action-packed reading
They’re especially great for reluctant readers who think “history is boring.”
(Spoiler alert: They will absolutely change their minds.)
Some of the “Horrible” Highlights We Found
Here’s a tiny glimpse into the weird, wonderful world inside these books:
Horrible Thing #1:
During Victorian times, some parents would dunk their newborn babies into buckets of water to test their strength. If the babies survived, they were considered “strong enough” to keep. Later, they’d leave them outside alone for hours as another “survival” test! CRAZY.
Horrible Thing #2:
In The Frightful First World War, there’s a story of a soldier wounded in battle. He was taken to Istanbul where a doctor began amputating his leg… but got too tired halfway through sawing. So the doctor just broke the rest of the leg off by hand. GROSS—and fascinating in a can’t-look-away way!
These are exactly the kinds of unforgettable stories that kids will retell (with great enthusiasm!) to anyone who will listen.
Other Series You Might Love
Terry Deary didn’t stop with just history—he and other authors also created companion series, including:
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Horrible Geography (for young adventurers)
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Murderous Maths (for kids who like puzzles, mysteries, and silly humor)
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Horrible Science (for curious, experiment-loving minds)
And yes, there’s even a Horrible Histories TV series that’s just as wildly funny!
Why We Love Horrible Histories for Homeschooling
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Real history through a kid-friendly lens: These books dive into real historical events, but from an angle that grabs attention.
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Keeps kids reading: The fast-paced, quirky style keeps even reluctant readers engaged.
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Conversation starters: Trust me, you’ll be hearing “Did you know…?” at the dinner table for months.
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Great for unit studies: You can easily build projects, writing prompts, or art activities around the themes.
These books were such a hit at our house that after reading just a few, I went ahead and bought the entire boxed set for summer learning!
Where to Start?
If you’re new to Horrible Histories, a few favorites to start with include:
You can find them individually, as small sets, or grab the complete box set online!
Horrible Histories are a fantastic way to make learning feel exciting, funny, and a little bit gross — in the best possible way.
If you want your kids to fall in love with history (and laugh their heads off while doing it), these books are absolute treasures.
I’m so glad we added them to our homeschool library — and I’m sure your kids will love them too!
See More Ways to Make History Fun!
Cave Painting for Kids: A Hands-On Ancient History Art Project
Beautiful Feet American History
Making History Fun~ Ancient History
These books sound really, really gross. Just the thing my son would enjoy reading!
I’d want to go back to the time of Laura Ingalls.
I’d like to go back to the Garden of Eden 🙂
Never heard of the Horrible Histories books but am intrigued. I think my boys would love them.
That’s a tough question! I’d love to visit Ancient Japan.
I think I’d like to go back to Ancient Greece. We loved studying that time period!
My kids would LOVE these!
I would love to go back to the days of knights and castles!
I would like to go back and visit either when Jesus was on earth or the 1700s. Thanks for the chance to win! Anytime you can make history more fun is awesome!
Honestly, I don’t want to go back in time! I like today’s convienances and privileges for women. Maybe I would go to the future. But I still love to learn about history.
Thanks for telling us about these books, these look perfect for my history loving bookworm! I’m not sure what time period I’d love to go back to, but I have always been intrigued by the Tudors.
I would love to see Ancient Greece
We love the horrible histories! We homeschool and have watched many of the videos, but never read any of the books. Looking forward to investigating.
OMG these would be perfect for my boys!
My girls love all those horrible details of history!
Medieval! 🙂 Thanks for the chance!
Growing up, I always thought I wanted to live like a pioneer . . .
I’m not very adventurous, I guess. I wouldn’t go back any further than the invention of penicillin. I’m all for reading about history, but not so much living it.
Colonial! Thanks for the review, I just heard of these books the other day!
I’d love to go back to ancient Greece
I’d love to travel back to the colonial times.
I just found these too! I ordered Wicked Words and my son just loves it!
I just heard of this series too so don’t feel bad 🙂
I’d go back to England in the early 19th century. jane Austen… yum!
I think I would like to go back to maybe the pioneer days. Things seemed simpler then. I have never heard of these books either, will definitely check into them now!
Love these books! My kids have enjoyed them through the years.
I just ordered the math set and a box set of 20 of the history ones! They look just like the kind of thing my son would love, thanks!
I’d like to go back to the Colonial Times specifically when the founding fathers were deliberating on the constitution. I’d like to see and witness what went on those conventions.
I think the early 1900’s…but I would want to travel to France as well as the US!
I would love to go back to the pioneer days. I would love to have been on a covered wagon travelling west.
I would like to go back to the Civil War times.
I would like to go and see the pioneer days. See it..not really live it..lol.
I would go to ancient Egypt (and side note I adore the British TV show but have yet to see it in book form 🙂 )