⠀
I'm Steph Bellwood, children's author and educator. Please explore and find out more about me and my work!
I'm Steph Bellwood, children's author and educator. Please explore and find out more about me and my work!
The sequel to Wrens: Answering the Call continues Birdie's gripping adventures on the Front Line in France. It's now 1917 and tanks are amassing, battles are intensifying and the deadly Spanish flu is sweeping through the trenches… and just to complicate matters, there's a four-year-old French stowaway in a motorcycle sidecar! Can Birdie and her dispatch-rider friends dodge enemy shelling to reunite a mother and child - and can Birdie beat the tanks to deliver the most important message of her life?
Meanwhile, listening to Birdie's story, her granddaughter Amy begins to discover more about her past… and it leaves her in a whirlwind of confusion. Is her family who she thought they were? And who is she?
This novel is published by Mogzilla Books in October 2025.
I think Wrens Racing Against Time is an amazing book that sends shivers through your body every read. It's a thrilling and exciting book about a group of girls who are in the Women's Royal Naval Service, and they go through life together in WWI and fight to stop it. This book has cliffhangers which instantly make you intrigued to read more! I recommend this book to anyone who wants a real adventure and loves to dive into history. The characters in the book all have their own distinct personalities. For example, my favourite character Charlie is bubbly, always on her feet and she always has a wide grin that stretches from ear to ear. Whereas Neesh can be quite shy but wise. Overall, I think this book has its own character, story and I can't wait for Book Three to come!
Lila, aged 11
This novel for readers aged 10 and up is set during the First World War.
Young Alice Byrd has never had a rebellious bone in her body until she reaches 17 and makes the daring decision to run away from home - or rather to roar away on her trusty motorcycle, Lassie - and become a dispatch rider for the Women's Royal Naval Service (Wrens for short). Soon she has a nickname, Birdie, a group of fantastic friends and a posting to an army camp in northern France. Here she and her new pals must risk their lives daily to deliver vital messages to the trenches, dealing with all the perils of the Front line - bullets, bombs, potholes, German soldiers and more. But who is her friend hiding in the ruined church? And what will happen when Birdie is sent on a top-secret mission?
Answering the Call is the first in a four-book series following Birdie's life story through both the First and Second World Wars, as told by Birdie herself to her great-granddaughter, Amy. As deep family secrets come to light, Amy begins to wonder: is Birdie really the hero she thought she was? Or is she hiding something dark about her past?
The novel is published by Mogzilla Books.
I write historical fiction for children aged 10 and up, bringing the past to life with a huge array of characters, mostly female - take your pick from daring pirates, fearless suffragettes, intrepid wartime dispatch riders, secret agents, fake 1920s heiresses, so-called "witches," and many more! My stories span a wide range of time periods, from the Tudor era to the First and Second World Wars, and many are inspired by real people and events.
Alongside fiction, I've also written over a hundred children's non-fiction books on topics including history, geography, science, arts and crafts, cooking, magic tricks, survival skills and more.
When I'm not writing, I work in a large primary school in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, where I teach English skills, create lessons and resources, give talks on my writing, run the library and help children fall in love with reading.
For me, the Northumberland countryside is the most beautiful place on earth, and I spend as much time walking there as possible - though I do love a sunny trip to Spain!
Here are some of my favourite historical children's fiction - some classics, some newer. If you haven't read them, why not give some a go?
Explore my collection of non-fiction books for children (under the name Stephanie Turnbull) on various topics including history, science, crafts, and more.
Select a book to view details
The fascinating tales of six amazing women through history accused of crimes unique to the times they lived in: incredible, heartbreaking, inspirational... and all true.
Who doesn't love a villain? And these six real-life women were as bad as they get: ruthless, selfish, ambitious... and completely fascinating. Did they get what they deserved - or were they victims themselves of the times they lived in? You decide!