Historical fiction is a great way for children to learn history, and be engaged at the same time.
Published: 2014 Theme: Prejudice Best for: 11 and up "It struck Tomi then that Mom had changed a little just in the months since Pop was arrested. She had always done what everyone else wanted. Now for the first time in her life, she was in charge." More and more, I'm struck with the power of literature to educate children about injustice, and this book is a great example...
Published: 2012 Theme: Overcoming Hardships Best for: 5th grade "We are going to Colorado! Pa told us. He just came home from his first trip to Colorado Territory and announced that he and Ma and I were moving west to strike it rich.'" Set in 1858, this delightful historical fiction is an easy and informative read, based on a real incident in Colorado history...
Published: 2015 Theme: Melting Pot Best for: 9 and up "Sarah's parents had been planning their escape to America for two years before the attack on their village. To prepare for their new life, Sarah had been studying English with the son of the village wool merchant." In a fresh new children's book, we revisit America through the eyes of a new immigrant, a young girl who has just lost both her parents...
Published: 2011 Theme: Family Best for: 12- 14 "Everything changes, child," Grandmama observed calmly. "Me, you, the world... Who knows what the future will bring? The one thing that doesn't change is the family. It always comes first. Keep everyone in it safe. Keep them happy." Laurence Yep is a fabulous chronicler of Chinese culture and Chinese American culture This particular children's book includes both, as it traces a family from 1835 in China to 2011 in America...
Published: 2010 Theme: Adapting to Change Best for: 8 and up "I'm Turtle," I say. "Turtle?" the boy, Beans, says, "What kind of name is that?" "At least I'm not named after something that gives you gas," I say. In this historical fiction, a humorous and plucky girl narrates her life during the 1935 depression demonstrating just how important a good attitude is for survival.
Published: 1993 Theme: African-American History Best for: ages 8-11 Sarah looked at Addy. "You is coming to school, ain't you?" "Momma say I can go," Addy answered. "That's good," said Sarah. "We learn to read and write...You gonna like school. You'll see." Written in dialect, an African-American girl's journey from slavery to freedom unfolds in this series of historical fiction children's books.
Published: 2002 Theme: Baseball Best for: Baseball fans, ages 10 and up "I looked at my mother. A few minutes ago, she was refusing to give me permission to travel through time because it was so dangerous. Now she was asking me to go..". This book is a cross between fantasy-- time travel; and historical fiction-- we go back to Shoeless Joe's time...
Published: 1956 Theme: Survival, War Best for: ages 9 and up "The family pig, the three ducklings, and the little stone mill to grind the rice for the baby sister– these they have saved from the mud house of the family of Tien...Besides these they had saved absolutely nothing, except Beauty-of-the-Republic, Tien Pao's baby sister." It's never easy to read a story about war, even if it's packaged in a children's book. Yet there's no denying that it is important to help children understand just how difficult war can be.
Published: 2006 Theme: Historical Fiction Best for: 10 and up "Any outrage as big as hiring a librarian was bound to bring everybody out of the woodwork. The hitching rail was chock-a-block with horses and wagons, and there was a farmer's tin Lizzie...a Ford Model T." Humor, eccentric characters, and a love of old cars flows through this historical fiction children's book. The story unfolds creatively and unpredictably...
Published: 2010 Theme: Bravery Best for: ages 11 and up "Mattie felt a sudden dizziness. Just for a second or two, it was almost as if she herself were tumbling through the air. And once again the boundaries that separated human beings from birds seemed to dissolve." A wonderful creative look at the early life of Robin Hood and Maid Marian, with lots of equality for women thrown in...
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