Historical fiction is a great way for children to learn history, and be engaged at the same time.
Published: 2017 Theme: WWII Resistance and Courage Best for: 9 to 12 "A few days later, I was one my way to meet Katrin for school when the German office cornered me at the end of the path. "Where's the dog, Fraulein?" Meme and I should have decided to what to say to him..." It seems important for children to know that resistance is not just for history, or adults, but is something that even young people can participate in.
Published: 2016 Theme: Religious Tolerance Best for: 12 and up "Louis of France is not yet thirty, and already he is the greatest king in Europe. His armies have never been defeated. This war is different... He is fighting three children. And their dog." I don't know how he pulled it off, but along with the historical description, Gidwitz adds contemporary outrage, and humor as well, giving perspective on the bizarre behavior of the human race!
Published: 2015 Theme: Historical Fiction Coming of Age Best for: 12 - 14 "I have escaped! I have achieved the first stage of my emancipation! In a little while I will go on to Baltimore--and from thence I will begin my new life." This beautifully written historical fiction children's book is quite hard to put down.
Published: 1939 Theme: Historical Fiction Biography Best for: 8 - 11 "All of these ill-informed scribblers seemed astonished at Ben's great fund of information, at his brilliant decisions, at his seeming knowledge of all that went on about him. I could have told them, It was ME." A biography like this is perhaps the best way to bring history to children without bringing tears of boredom..
Published: 2012 Theme: WWII- Japanese Internment Best for: ages 10 to 12 "Gila River was where I would turn thirteen, and live with my mama and my sister, while waiting for my papa to be brought bak from Fort Lincoln, North Dakota, where the FBI had sent him..." This historical fiction children's book adds yet another new piece of history and humanness to the story of the internment of Japanese citizens after Pearl Harbor was attacked.
Published: 1989 Theme: Heroism Best for: 10 - 13 "...The dream for you all, young and old, must be to create an ideal of human decency, and not a narrow-minded and prejudiced one. That is the great gift our country hungers for..." This children's book is first and foremost about the courage of ordinary people to do the right thing, even in the worst of times...
Published: 2012 Theme: Civil Rights Best for: 11 to 14 "I think a friend is someone who helps you change for the better. And whether you see them once a day or once a year, if it's a true friend, it doesn't matter." This is a compelling and important book for today's world, and yet, it was painful to read, because I wished none of it were true...
Published: 1976 Theme: Native American tragedy Best for: 12 and up "Misson Santa Barbara, where the Padres were taking us, was near the Island of the Blue Dolphins...Perhaps if I went there, I could find one who would help me reach the island and bring Karana back." A wonderful work of historical fiction, this children's book is a sequel to Island of Blue Dolphins, and also offers a chilling look at the treatment of Native Americans by missions.
Published: 1987 Theme: Historical Fiction Best for: 9 - 12 "The title 'Joint Reign' is a foolishment and emphasizes what I have always contended: that men are more fortunate than women. Joint reign! It is I who inspects, examines, weighs and wrings her brain ..." Coming on the heels of an historic election, it is interesting to go back in history and understand more about the obstacles women faced hundreds of years ago.
Published: 2014 Theme: Bravery Best for: 14 and older "We'd never been through a war, so we didn't know what war was like. We thought it would be an adventure. Later of course, we realized the truth: that war is almost the opposite to an adventure..." This is a complex, serious book about a very serious topic: war. It asks the question, What is bravery? What does it take to show one's bravery?...
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