I Am a Royal Rulebreaker: Women Who Shaped History - Hardcover

Riddell, Fern

Hardcover

ISBN 13: 9798217136346

Publisher: DK Children, 2026

Synopsis

The NOT-SO boring biographies of the queens and princesses who shattered royal conventions and empowered generations of girls just like you.

Forget wilting wallflowers and doting daughters - the royal women in this unapologetic history book for kids 9-12 rocked the world with their skills, smarts, and confident attitude. Strap in for the true stories of willful women who defied expectations, changed the course of history, and were sometimes just downright badass!

From fearless fighters who rallied spectacular armies to no-nonsense negotiators who fought for independence, each woman in this book - from English queens to Byzantine empresses and African leaders - turned norms on their head and smashed gender stereotypes.

Written by cultural historian, Dr. Fern Riddell, and brought to life with fresh, zingy illustrations by Taylor Dolan, this is history with a punk rock twist. Fun, relatable, and totally inspiring.

Get ready for:

• History with Attitude: Royal biographies get a modern, energetic update, highlighting the specific ways women throughout the ages defied conventions.
• Global Legends: A truly diverse collection of women in history books for kids, featuring fierce females from all around the world.
• Bold, Bright Artwork: Badass illustrations reimagine historical queens as you’ve never seen them before.
• Educational & Empowering: A creative approach to learning about real historical figures, making their stories relatable to young readers’ lives today.

Perfect for children aged 9–12, this is a must-have addition to any young feminist’s bookshelf - or for anyone who loves books about strong women.

About this title

About the Author

Dr Fern Riddell is a cultural historian, specializing in sex & gender. Presenter of Sky History’s Truthseekers, and host of their podcast series #NotWhatYouThoughtYouKnew, she is the author of multiple books including Death In Ten Minutes: The forgotten life of radical suffragette Kitty Marion and the forthcoming Victoria’s Secret: The Private Passion of a Queen. Historical Consultant for the BAFTA award-winning BBC and Amazon Prime drama, Ripper Street, she has advised on multiple shows for both the BBC and ITV2.

As an on screen expert and series consultant, Fern has appeared on documentaries for the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5, Sky Arts, Sky History, Smithsonian and Discovery+, and is an internationally recognized expert historian for both radio and television. Writing widely for press, her work can be found in The Guardian, Huffington Post, Times Higher Education, the i, The Telegraph, Prospect Magazine, New Statesman, History Today and BBC History Magazine.

Edition details

• Publisher: DK Children
• Publication date: 2026
• Language: English
• ISBN 13: 9798217136346
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Dolan Taylor
• Number of pages: 80