What is Historical Fiction?
- Takes place in a specific time in history
- Real historical events are included
- Characters are realistic, but are created by the author
- There is a problem to be solved
Find a Favorite
The Bicycle Spy by
Can Marcel make the ride of his life?Marcel loves riding his bicycle, whether he's racing through the streets of his small town in France or making bread deliveries for his parents' bakery. He dreams of someday competing in the Tour de France, the greatest bicycle race. But ever since Germany's occupation of France began two years ago, in 1940, the race has been canceled. Now there are soldiers everywhere, interrupting Marcel's rides with checkpoints and questioning.Then Marcel learns two big secrets, and he realizes there are worse things about the war than a canceled race. When he later discovers that his friend's entire family is in imminent danger, Marcel knows he can help -- but it will involve taking a risky bicycle ride to pass along covert information. And when nothing ends up going according to plan, it's up to him to keep pedaling and think quickly... because his friend, her family, and his own future hang in the balance.
Lifeboat 12 by
In the tradition of The War That Saved My Life and Stella By Starlight, this poignant novel in verse based on true events tells the story of a boy's harrowing experience on a lifeboat after surviving a torpedo attack during World War II. With Nazis bombing London every night, it's time for thirteen-year-old Ken to escape. He suspects his stepmother is glad to see him go, but his dad says he's one of the lucky ones--one of ninety boys and girls to ship out aboard the SS City of Benares to safety in Canada. Life aboard the luxury ship is grand--nine-course meals, new friends, and a life far from the bombs, rations, and his stepmum's glare. And after five days at sea, the ship's officers announce that they're out of danger. They're wrong. Late that night, an explosion hurls Ken from his bunk. They've been hit. Torpedoed! The Benares is sinking fast. Terrified, Ken scrambles aboard Lifeboat 12 with five other boys. Will they get away? Will they survive? Award-winning author Susan Hood brings this little-known World War II story to life in a riveting novel of courage, hope, and compassion. Based on true events and real people, Lifeboat 12 is about believing in one another, knowing that only by banding together will we have any chance to survive.
The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg by
A dramatic, witty Civil War tale from bestselling author Rodman Philbrick Master storyteller Rodman Philbrick takes readers on a colorful journey as young Homer Figg sets off to follow his brother into the thick of the Civil War. Through a series of fascinating events, Homer's older brother has been illegally sold to the Union Army. It is up to Homer to find him and save him. Along the way, he encounters strange but real people of that era: two tricksters who steal his money, a snake-oil salesman, a hot-air balloonist, and finally, the Maine regiment who saved Little Round Top at the Battle of Gettysburg and won the war for the Union. (copy continues)
Number the Stars by
1990 Newbery Medal Winner As the German troops begin their campaign to "relocate" all the Jews of Denmark, Annemarie Johansen's family takes in Annemarie's best friend, Ellen Rosen, and conceals her as part of the family. Through the eyes of ten-year-old Annemarie, we watch as the Danish Resistance smuggles almost the entire Jewish population of Denmark, nearly seven thousand people, across the sea to Sweden. The heroism of an entire nation reminds us that there was pride and human decency in the world even during a time of terror and war. Winner of the 1990 Newbery Medal.
Refugee by
Josef is a Jewish boy living in 1930s Nazi Germany. With the threat of concentration camps looming, he and his family board a ship bound for the other side of the world... Isabel is a Cuban girl in 1994. With riots and unrest plaguing her country, she and her family set out on a raft, hoping to find safety in America... Mahmoud is a Syrian boy in 2015. With his homeland torn apart by violence and destruction, he and his family begin a long trek toward Europe... All three kids go on harrowing journeys in search of refuge. All will face unimaginable dangersfrom drownings to bombings to betrayals. But there is always the hope of tomorrow. And although Josef, Isabel, and Mahmoud are separated by continents and decades, shocking connections will tie their stories together in the end. This action-packed novel tackles topics both timely and timeless: courage, survival, and the quest for home.
Running Out of Night by
Every day is a misery for a nameless, motherless Southern girl who is treated cruelly by her pa and brothers. Her life changes forever when a runaway slave named Zenobia turns to her for help and shelter. Longing for her own freedom, the girl decides to run away, and she and Zenobia set off on a harrowing journey. Along the way, Zenobia names the girl Lark, after the bird, for her ability to mimic its song. Running by night, hiding by day, the girls are pursued by Lark's pa and brothers and by ruthless slave catchers. Brightwell, another runaway slave, joins them, and the three follow secret signs to a stop on the Underground Railroad. When the hideout is raided and Zenobia and Brightwell are captured, Lark sets out alone to rescue her friends. A CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Book of the Year An International Reading Association Best Chapter Book of the Year "Lush, detailed, total-immersion storytelling."--Kirkus Reviews "Distinguished by lively descriptions and dialogue."--Publisher's Weekly "A gripping historical novel . . . heart-stopping, heart-racing and eventually heart-easing.--Library Voice "Powerful debut novel."--International Reading Association "An essential read for those interested in American history."--San Louis Obispo Tribune "A gritty, engrossing tale.--Slo Coast Journal From the Hardcover edition.
We Were the Fire by
The powerful story of an eleven-year-old Black boy determined to stand up for his rights, who's pulled into the action of the 1963 civil rights demonstrations in Birmingham, Alabama. Rufus Jackson Jones is from Birmingham, the place Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. called the most segregated place in the country. A place that in 1963 is full of civil rights activists including Dr. King. The adults are trying to get more attention to their cause--to show that separate is not equal. Rufus's dad works at the local steel factory, and his mom is a cook at the mill. If they participate in marches, their bosses will fire them. So that's where the kids decide they will come in. Nobody can fire them. So on a bright May morning in 1963, Rufus and his buddies join thousands of other students to peacefully protest in a local park. There they are met with policemen and firemen who turn their powerful hoses on them, and that's where Rufus realizes that they are the fire. And they will not be put out. Shelia Moses gives readers a deeply personal account of one boy's heroism during what came to be known as the Children's Crusade in this important novel that highlights a key turning point in the civil rights movement.
The War That Saved My Life by
* Newbery Honor Book * #1 New York Times Bestseller * Winner of the Schneider Family Book Award * Wall Street Journal Best Children's Books of the Year * New York Public Library's 100 Books for Reading and Sharing An exceptionally moving story of triumph against all odds set during World War II, from the acclaimed author of Fighting Words, and for fans of Fish in a Tree and Number the Stars. Ten-year-old Ada has never left her one-room apartment. Her mother is too humiliated by Ada's twisted foot to let her outside. So when her little brother Jamie is shipped out of London to escape the war, Ada doesn't waste a minute--she sneaks out to join him. So begins a new adventure for Ada, and for Susan Smith, the woman who is forced to take the two kids in. As Ada teaches herself to ride a pony, learns to read, and watches for German spies, she begins to trust Susan--and Susan begins to love Ada and Jamie. But in the end, will their bond be enough to hold them together through wartime? Or will Ada and her brother fall back into the cruel hands of their mother? This masterful work of historical fiction is equal parts adventure and a moving tale of family and identity--a classic in the making. "Achingly lovely...Nuanced and emotionally acute."--The Wall Street Journal "Unforgettable...unflinching."--Common Sense Media ★ "Brisk and honest...Cause for celebration." --Kirkus, starred review ★ "Poignant."--Publishers Weekly, starred review ★ "Powerful."--The Horn Book, starred review "Affecting."--Booklist "Emotionally satisfying...[A] page-turner."--BCCB "Exquisitely written...Heart-lifting." --SLJ "Astounding...This book is remarkable."--Karen Cushman, author The Midwife's Apprentice "Beautifully told."--Patricia MacLachlan, author of Sarah, Plain and Tall "I read this novel in two big gulps."--Gary D. Schmidt, author of Okay for Now "I love Ada's bold heart...Her story's riveting."--Sheila Turnage, author of Three Times Lucky
Historical Fiction Series
The I Survived series has great stories from long ago to current times. Click HERE to see all of the books in the series.
The American Revolution, 1776 by 
I Survived Hurricane Katrina 2005 by
One of the best ways to learn about a historical time period is to peek into the journal or diary of someone who was there in the Dear America series.
The Journal of William Thomas Emerson by 
Five Smooth Stones by
Kristiana Gregory's first My America, book one of Hope's Diary, details in Philadelphia during the Revolutionary War.
You become a part of history in the You Choose series.
Spies of the American Revolution by
Everyone has a secret. But in the war between the colonies and the king, keeping a secret is a dangerous thing. The first American spies belonged to secret societies and rebel organizations. The British collect information against these spies. Tension is mounting. Will you: Spy on the British in Boston at the start of the war? Gather information about George Washington for the British? Balance the dangerous life of a double agent? You Choose offers multiple perspectives on history, supporting Common Core reading standards and providing readers a front-row seat to the past.
World War II Pilots by
Air raid! The world's great powers are at war again. This is the Second World War, but it is history's first war in which airplanes play a major role. You want to fly and you want to fight. Will you: Fly with the Royal Air Force as a British pilot and fight in the Battle of Britain? Dogfight as an American fighter pilot over the Pacific Ocean? Join the Tuskegee Airmen and be one of the first African-American aviators in the U.S. military?
Graphic Novels
White Bird: a Wonder Story by
In R. J. Palacio's bestselling collection of stories Auggie & Me, which expands on characters in Wonder, readers were introduced to Julian's grandmother, Grandmère. Here, Palacio makes her graphic novel debut with Grandmère's heartrending story: how she, a young Jewish girl, was hidden by a family in a Nazi-occupied French village during World War II; how the boy she and her classmates once shunned became her savior and best friend. Sara's harrowing experience movingly demonstrates the power of kindness to change hearts, build bridges, and even save lives. As Grandmère tells Julian, "It always takes courage to be kind, but in those days, such kindness could cost you everything." With poignant symbolism and gorgeous artwork that brings Sara's story out of the past and cements it firmly in this moment in history, White Bird is sure to captivate anyone who was moved by the book Wonder or the blockbuster movie adaptation and its message. Praise for Wonder: #1 New York Times bestseller USA Today bestseller Time Magazine's 100 Best Young Adult Books of All Time "In a wonder of a debut, Palacio has written a crackling page-turner filled with characters you can't help but root for." --Entertainment Weekly "Rich and memorable." --The New York Times "A beautiful, funny and sometimes sob-making story of quiet transformation." --The Wall Street Journal
Ropes of Revolution by
The Sons of Liberty are planning a protest on British taxes. They're going to dump shiploads of British tea into Boston Harbor. Fifteen-year-old Benjamin and his friend, Joseph, want a part of the action!
Pearl Harbor by
On the quiet, sunny morning of Sunday, December 7, 1941, the Imperial Japanese Navy launched a surprise attack on the U.S. Navy in Oahu, Hawaii, designed to crush and render helpless American forces in the Pacific region. Rather than crush the U.S. fighting spirit, the American public, outraged by the assault-yet previously divided over America's role in the overseas conflict-rallied in support of the government's decision to enter WWII against Japan.
Hidden: a Child's Story of the Holocaust by
In this gentle, poetic young graphic novel, Dounia, a grandmother, tells her granddaughter the story even her son has never heard: how, as a young Jewish girl in Paris, she was hidden away from the Nazis by a series of neighbors and friends who risked their lives to keep her alive when her parents had been taken to concentration camps. Hidden ends on a tender note, with Dounia and her mother rediscovering each other as World War II ends . . . and a young girl in present-day France becoming closer to her grandmother, who can finally, after all those years, tell her story. With words by Loïc Dauvillier and art by Marc Lizano and Greg Salsedo, this picture book-style comic for young readers is a touching read.
Historical Fiction Book Trailers
Wonderstruck is a book and a movie. It is a bit of Historical Fiction and Mystery combined!