STONE WARRIORS - REVIEWER FROM HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION

 


 
Stone Warriors
Written by Elizabeth Barber
Review by R. Hayes

It’s not easy to imagine how people lived thousands of years ago but Elizabeth Barber has done just that, bringing the lives of Mesolithic hunter-gatherers sharply into focus for young readers.

Following on from Stone Arrows, her first book set in this period (and shortlisted for the prestigious Historical Association’s Young Quills Award), the reader is re-acquainted with Zeta, Finn, Arden and their friends when their tribe is attacked and overcome by the cruel Crow’s Claw warriors. The young people must somehow find a way to save the day before it is too late.

What is exceptional about Stone Warriors (and its predecessor) is the in-depth research undertaken by the author. This is deftly woven into these two exciting and fast-paced stories but never once overwhelms them. The books also have the advantage of well-fleshed-out characters to whom young readers can readily relate.

Early human history is on the KS2 history curriculum in primary schools. Reading Stone Arrows and Stone Warriors would be an excellent way of introducing children to the way of life of the early inhabitants of Britain. In my view, these books should be in every primary school library, if not in every primary school classroom.