Historical Fiction

Historical fiction's value lies in its ability to show readers that the human experience is timeless; feelings, relationships, emotions, behaviors, struggles, and thoughts parallel with the present. Through the fictional characters, readers learn about our roots and our universal human needs. An accurate blending of fact and fictions creates an authentic, believable story for learning and entertainment.

This database offers links to a variety of general and specific historical fiction book lists.

Exploring Titanic: An Isabel Soto History Adventure

• Written by Agnieszka Biskup, Illustrated by Al Bigley and Bill Anderson; Colorist, Michael Kelleher
• Published in 2010 by Capstone Press, ISBN 978-1-4296-3410-6
• Readers follow the chain of events that lead to the demise of the Titanic. The comic appeal of this graphic novel adds to the action and adventure. Reluctant readers gravitate toward this enjoyable genre. Facts are interspersed throughout the speech bubbles.*

Field Trip Mysteries: The Village that Almost Vanished

• Written by Steve Brezenoff; Creative Designer: Heather Kindseth; Graphic Designer: Carla Zetina-Yglesias
• Published in 2010 by Stone Arch Books, ISBN 978-1-4342-1611-3
  
• This mystery takes the reader back to frontier America. Differing font sizes and styles enhance anticipation and meaning. Chapters are followed by historical tidbits, a dictionary, suggestions for further reading, and a plan to create a personal mystery.*

The Green Glass Sea

• Written by Ellen Klages
• Published in 2006 by Puffin Books, ISBN 978-0-14-241149-0
• A young girl, who is an inventor herself, comes of age while her father works on the Manhattan Project. The Los Alamos setting and the father's mysterious work make this a great literary connection for history classes.
  

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

• Written by John Boyne
• Published in 2006 by David Fickling Books, an imprint of Random House Children's Books, ISBN 978-0-385-75153-7
• Powerful fence metaphor coupled with phonetic diction play major roles in this child's eye view of Nazi Germany and the accompanying stereotypes. Themes of innocence, understatement, and longing for friendship are depicted by nine-year-old Bruno. Simplicity is the book's strength.*
  

Eyes of the Emperor

• Written by Graham Salisbury
• Published in 2005 by Wendy Lamb Books, ISBN 0-385-72971-5
• First person narration reflects upon a Japanese-American boy's experience training k-9 units in World War II. Parts of the story are factual. A glossary provides a key to non-English words.

An Innocent Soldier

• Winner of ALA The Batchelder Award, Written by Josef Holub
• Published in 2005 by Scholastic, ISBN 0-439-62772-9
• First person narration in present tense by a teenage boy heightens historical interest. Chronological context as well as information on the life of a soldier in Napoleon's Grande Armee provide supplemental information for improved historical understanding.*