Historical Fiction Books
Historical fiction is my favorite genre, and a wonderful genre for students, especially those who are interested in historical events. Historical fiction books are those that take place in the past (and often location). While things are made up, there are historical details, events, and figures that actually existed. Children may find more interest in history through historical fiction because of the exciting plots, complex characters, and interesting themes. Below are some of my favorite examples, though I could definitely add a whole lot more.
The Watson's Go to Birmingham, 1963
Author: Christopher Paul Curtis
Genre: Historical Fiction Reading Level: 6th-8th grade Personal Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars Favorite Quote/Aspect: “But I was kind of surprised that God would send a saver to me in such raggedy clothes.” Summary: This story takes place in 1963, a time of great civil unrest in the United States. The story follows the “Weird Watsons” as they navigate life, and head south to Alabama from Michigan. The story is told from the perspective of the Watson’s son, Kenny. He tells his story of being bullied at school, and by his older brother Byron. When Byron acts out one too many times, the Watsons back up into their car—with their Ultra Glide record player, and head south to Alabama in hopes of leaving Byron there to fix his behavior. However, in Alabama, they are faced with more of the realities of racism, including the climax of the story, when the church is bombed. Though all of the Watsons survive the attack, Kenny struggles a great deal with what he witnessed in Alabama. Evaluation: Overall, I really loved the Watsons. I thought the characters were well-developed and were entertaining. Kenny was a very real young boy, who liked to get into trouble, fought with his older brother, and didn’t fully understand all the things going on around him. This book is also a very good example of well-written historical fiction. There were many details in the story that spoke of the time period, from the “Ultra-Glide” record player, to the segregation (especially in the South), to the cost of food at the store. These details weren’t overabundant and unnecessary to the story or distracting, and Curtis did a great job incorporating them smoothly. The writing style was nice as well. The story was paced rather slowly at first, but built as the dangers for the Watsons grew in the second half of the story. However, I do have several criticisms. I thought there should have been more story after the bombing. I thought there was too much build up to the bombing, and not enough afterwards. I wanted to see how Kenny was coping more, to see how things were changing, but we only got two chapters after the bombing. This wasn’t enough for me. I also would have liked the story to have been written in another perspective so that I could have gotten a fuller look at the situation and the time period. Despite these shortfalls, the writing was good, and this book would be great to use in the classroom. Not only could racism be discussed, but also bullying, as Kenny is bullied at school and by his older brother Byron. Other themes throughout the story included monsters and hated, which could lead to deep and meaningful discussions in the classroom. No character in the book is completely one way or another and they grow and develop throughout the course of the story, which is a point that could be discussed. Byron in particular was a very interesting character because of his initial meanness toward Kenny, and then his protectiveness and kindness after the bombing. It would be great to discuss these changes in the classroom. I do think this book is appropriate for the classroom as well because talking about racism, history, and how things have changed (or haven’t changed), are important aspects of being tolerant and inclusive. In general, I thought the book was well-written, and though I wanted more, I definitely enjoyed the read. |
Code Name Verity
Author: Elizabeth Wein
Genre: Historical fiction Reading Level: 9th-12th grade Personal Rating: 5 out of 5 stars Favorite Quote/Aspect: “And this, even more wonderful and mysterious, is also true: when I read it, when I read what Julie's written, she is instantly alive again, whole and undamaged. With her words in my mind while I'm reading, she is as real as I am. Gloriously daft, drop-dead charming, full of bookish nonsense and foul language, brave and generous. She's right here. Afraid and exhausted, alone, but fighting. Flying in silver moonlight in a plane that can't be landed, stuck in the climb—alive, alive, ALIVE.” Summary: In one word, this story is about friendship. Code Name Verity follows the lives of two women during world war two. One is a Royal Air Force pilot named Maddie, and the other is a special operations operative nicknamed “Queenie.” Her true identity is revealed later in the book. In the first half of the book, readers meet “Queenie” also called “Verity” as she is instructed to write a confession. Queenie had been arrested on charges of being an enemy spy when she accidentally crossed the street the wrong way in Nazi-occupied France. She is brought to a hotel, and interrogated there. In exchange for codes, she is given back clothing, and in exchange for a written confession of everything she knows, she is given time. Queenie, or Verity, writes for hours each day while enduring brutal interrogation and cruelty at the hands of the Nazis. Meanwhile, her best friend Maddie, is desperately trying to find a way to save her. A pilot by trade, Maddie arrives in France herself, and joins up with French resistance operatives to try and free the prisoners. The ending is raw, heart-breaking, and honest, but the friendship is ever present throughout each page of the story. Evaluation: This story broke my heart. For the last one-hundred or so pages, I was consistently crying. Not only is it about a heartbreaking time period, but it is also very raw. Elizabeth Wein does not shy away from writing about honest circumstances for prisoners of war. What makes it more heartbreaking is watching the way Verity’s courage rises and falls, and the way Maddie responds to different situations. Their friendship is so real it felt as though I was reading non-fiction, rather than fiction, and that is powerful. These characters are so well developed that I felt as though I knew everything about them. They were very real. Verity was very afraid; she even discusses her lack of courage in the first few pages of the story. Despite this, both women are wonderful role models, strong females, and empowering. They laugh, they cry, they make stupid mistakes, they shout, they scream, and they do what it takes to survive. These characters are what truly made this book so very special to me. Beyond that though, Elizabeth Wein crafted a remarkable story just in the writing itself. Her writing is so beautiful and haunting. There were small moments, little quotes that took my heart in its hands and kept it long after I’d closed the book. More than that, she was very educational. Verity wrote for a long time about different planes being used in World War Two. There were many, many historical comments about rationing, types of planes, uniforms, sentiments, clothing, women’s roles in the war, blackouts, bombings, and more. The story really felt like history had come to life within its pages. Even more than that was the themes that came from the book. This book empowers females. Wein showed that even though females are not superheroes, they can be brave, and selfless, incredibly intelligent, soldiers, pilots, and more. She gave readers two fantastic role models and I think teenagers could definitely take a lot away from them. While the content of the book definitely raises the reading level to at least high school, I think this book would be good to discuss in the high school classroom. Going more in depth than simply talking about World War Two, class discussions could be about courage, and hatred, and fear and how these feelings effect our behavior. They could discuss humanness, and how even the most horrible human beings have backgrounds and families and reasons behind their decisions. I think teenagers could relate to both Maddie and Verity despite not growing up during World War Two because even today there are massive hardships that plague our world, and friendship is something everyone can relate to. This was by far my favorite book of all the stories I read this semester because it was so touching and so powerful—those hard to read scenes were what made it real, and what gripped my heart. I would whole-heartedly recommend this book to almost anyone my own age, above my age, or upper-level high-schoolers, as it contains the very thing that makes us all connected: a desire to hold on, and make it one more day. This is a story of survival, of loss, of undeniable hatred, of strong friendships, of empowered women, of courage, of cowardice, of how little moments change everything, and it has definitely made a huge impact on me. I gave this book five out of five stars because it’s been a long time since I’ve simply sat after reading, feeling completely exhausted and breathless. This book was powerful, and though it may be difficult to bring into a classroom, deserves the highest praise. |
Meet Samantha: An American Girl Story
Author: Susan S. Adler
Illustrator: Dan Andreasen Genre: Historical fiction Reading Level: 3rd-5th grade Personal Rating: 4 out of 5 stars Favorite Quote/Aspect: I loved my Samantha American Girl doll. The fact that the doll came with a Meet Samantha book was fantastic. This story is historical, exposed me to a time period I didn’t know about when I was younger, and gave my doll a real story. I think this is such a neat idea to encourage girls to learn about history, with strong female role models, and connecting that with their play through the dolls. Summary: This is the first book in the Samantha series by the American Girl company. The book tells the story of the doll, Samantha, as she grows up in 1904 New York. Samantha is a wealthy child, living with her grandmother in the countryside. She lives in a huge house, has servants to attend her, and is very poised and proper. Samantha is a very smart girl, and very kind. Despite being wealthy, Samantha is also an orphan, as her parents both died in a boating accident. She lives with her grandmother in the big house, but has no one to play with until a girl named Nellie moves in next door. Unlike Samantha, Nellie is not wealthy. She’s come to work at the house next door, so that she can send money back to her family in the city. Despite being very different, Samantha and Nellie become best friends. The girls spend a lot of time together when Samantha learns that one of the servants, a seamstress named Jessie, is leaving. No one will tell her why Jessie is leaving, so she and Nellie go on a secret midnight adventure to find out why. In the end, Samantha and Nellie find out that Jessie had gone away to have a baby. The story also includes a section called “looking back” which is all about various cultural aspects of life in 1904. Evaluation: Samantha was my favorite doll growing up. I absolutely loved her. I had both her and the Nellie doll, and would play for hours with them both. What I loved most though, was that I knew their stories. I often would act out the different scenes of the different Samantha books. The fact that American Girl wrote historical fiction books to go with their dolls is fantastic. This really promotes an interest in history—and celebrates girlhood throughout the centuries. Samantha is a good role model for girls. Even though she isn’t perfect, she is trustworthy, kind, and cares deeply for other people. Samantha is always helping. She looks above race and social status and befriends those who are kind in return. I think this is a great character for girls to look up to. More than that, Samantha’s story comes with beautiful illustrations that help explain the different details mentioned in 1904, such as the very different clothing. I especially like that the book contains the “looking back” section, as it helps readers understand the time period even more. The book is well written, is paced very evenly, and is very easy to engage in. I could definitely use this book in the classroom to talk about life during 1904. We could discuss what it was like for young children in various social classes, from Nellie who has to work to send money to her family, to Samantha who gets to attend a private school, they all have stories and Samantha shows that. The issues brought up in the story are also great to discuss, from Jessie being an African American woman, to the child labor laws, to women’s suffrage, the book opens so many doors for real conversations about history and society. My absolute favorite part of the book though is that it is a story about friendship, with well-rounded characters, clever adventures, and these empowering ideas. American Girl celebrates being a girl—and with women still fighting for equal rights in America and all around the world, it’s definitely a book worth introducing to a classroom. |