Genres We Love: Historical Fiction Novels for KidsLike this list

12 items

• Ahimsa

  Kelkar, Supriya, 1980-

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  Winner of the New Visions Award, Ahimsa shines a light on the Indian Freedom movement. Ten-year-old Anjali’s family responds to Mahatma Gandi’s call for Indians to give one family member to the freedom movement in 1942. Using “ahimsa,” non-violent…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Catherine's War

  Billet, Julia,

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  In this graphic novel set in Paris, Rachel Cohen has discovered her passion—photography. Although she hasn’t heard from her parents in months, she loves the people at her school, adores capturing what she sees in pictures, and tries not to worry too…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• I Am Kavi

  Ponweera, Thushanthi,

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  1998, Colombo. The Sri Lankan Civil War is raging, but everyday life must go on. At Kavi’s school, her friends talk about the weekly Top 40, the Backstreet Boys, Shahrukh Khan, Leo & Kate… and who died—or didn’t—in the latest bombing. But Kavi is…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Lion of the Sky

  Hemnani, Ritu,

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  Set in 1947 during the tumultuous days of the Partition, this is the story of 12-year-old Raj, a Hindu boy who loves flying kites with Nana, his grandfather, and Iqbal, his Muslim best friend. The novel is written in verse, which gives a weighty,…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• One Big Open Sky

  Cline-Ransome, Lesa,

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  Three generations of Black women--young Lettie, her mother, and teacher Philomena--take turns narrating a challenging westward journey in this gripping historical verse novel, set in 1879. It’s a pioneer story that you’ll never forget.

• One Crazy Summer

  Williams-Garcia, Rita

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  Oakland, California, 1968, the Black Power Movement, and 3 young girls from Brooklyn. What could possibly happen? This multi-award winning book is a must for the historical fiction lover.

• Our Only May Amelia

  Holm, Jennifer L.

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  It isn′t easy being a pioneer in the state of Washington in 1899, but it′s particularly hard when you are the only girl ever born in the new settlement. With seven older brothers and a love of adventure, May Amelia Jackson just can′t seem to abide…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Radiant

  Nelson, Vaunda Micheaux,

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  As school begins in 1963, Cooper Dale wrestles with what it means to “shine” for a black girl in a predominantly white community near Pittsburgh. Set against the historic backdrop of the Birmingham church bombing, the Kennedy assassination, and…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Refugee

  Gratz, Alan, 1972-

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  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,…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• A Single Shard

  Park, Linda Sue

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  This Newbery Medal–winning story takes readers to 12th century Korea. An orphan boy from a Korean village apprentices under a master potter in a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The lessons he learns along the way are far deeper than the craft of…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Troublemaker

  Cho, John, 1972-

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  12-year-old Jordan feels like he can't live up to the example his older sister set, or his parents' expectations. When he returns home from school one day hoping to hide his suspension, Los Angeles has reached a turning point. In the wake of the…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The War That Saved My Life

  Bradley, Kimberly Brubaker,

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  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…Read moreRead more of this annotation