Historical Fiction for Older Readers

 

jD

Duble

The Sacrifice

(1692-Andover, Massachusetts-girls)

jD

Durrant

Echohawk

(1730's-New York-Mohegan Indians-boy)

jH

Hart

The Treasure of Savage Island

(1700's-Virginia-boy)

jH

Hemphill

Ambush in the Wilderness

(1755-French and Indian War-boy)

jH

Hurst

A Killing in Plymouth Colony

(1630s-Plymouth colony-boy)

jL or jPB

Lawson

Ben and Me: The astonishing life of Benjamin Franklin as written by his good mouse Amos

(1700's-Pennsylvania-Benjamin Franklin)

jS

Sheeley

In the Hands of the Enemy

(1620-Plymouth colony-boy)

Newbery

Medal

jS

or jPB

Speare

Witch of Blackbird Pond

(1700's-New England-girl)

 

The American Revolution

jA

Anderson

Young Patriots: Inspiring stories of the American Revolution

(1770-178's-American Revolution-boy/girl)

jA or jPB

Avi

The Fighting Ground

(1780's-New Jersey-boy)

jA or jPB

Avi

Night Journeys

(1768-New Jersey/Pennsylvania-boy)

sequel: Encounter at Easton

jC

Clapp

I'm Deborah Sampson: A soldier in the War of Revolution

(1770's-American Revolution--girl)

jE

Edwards

George Midgett's War

(1775-Outer Banks, North Carolina-boy)

jE

Ernst

Betrayal at Cross Creek

(1775-North Carolina-girl)

jM

Moss

Emma's Journal: The story of a Colonial Girl

(1770's-Boston, Massachusetts-girl)

jW

Waters

Night Raiders Along the Cape

(1770's-Cape Cod, Massachusetts-boy)

 

Westward Expansion

jA

Arbuckle

eb, the Cow's on the Roof Again!: And other stories of early Texas dwellings

(1800's-Texas)

jA

Armstrong

Black-Eyed Susan

(1880's-South Dakota-girl)

jB

Beatty

Wait for Me, Watch for Me, Eula Bee

(1840's-Indian captives--boy)

jB

Burks

Wrango

(1870's-Chisholm Trail-boy)

jC

Conrad

Prairie Songs

(Late 1800's-Nebraska-girl)

jC

Coville

Fortune's Journey

(1853-Oregon Trail-girl)

jC

Cushman

The Ballad of Lucy Whipple

(1850's---California gold fields-girl)

jD

Derby

Away to the Goldfields!

(1848-California-girl)

jD

DeClements

The Bite of the Gold Bug

(1898-Alaska-boy)

jE

Erdrich

The Game of Silence

(1849-Ojibwa Tribe-Lake Superior-girl)

jG

Glaze

Seasons of the Trail

(1860-California-girl)

jG

Gregory

Across the Wide and Lonesome Prairie

(1847-Oregon Trail-girl)

jH

Harrar

All the Stars in the Sky

(1848-Santa Fe Trail-girl)

jH

Holm

Boston Jane

(1854-Washington (State) Territory-girl)

jH

Hudson

Sweetgrass

(1837-Montana-Blackfoot Indians-girl)

jK

Karkowski

Seaman: The dog who explored the West with Lewis & Clark

(1804-Lewis & Clark expedition)

jK or jPB

Kudlinski

Lone Star: A story of the Texas Rangers

(1847-Texas-boy)

jL or jPB

Lawlor

Addie Across the Prairie

(1800's-Dakota Territory-girl) First book in a series

jL

Lawlor

Down the Rio Grande, 1829

(1829-Texas-girls)

jL

Love

Dakota Spring

(Late 1800's-Dakota territory-girl)

jL

Lytle

Three Rivers Crossing

(1800's-Michigan-boy)

jM

Meyer

Where the Broken Heart Still Beats: The story of Cynthia Ann Parker

(1836--Texas-Cynthia Ann Parker, mother of Indian outlaw, Quannah Parker)

jM

Moeri

Save Queen of Sheba

(1850's-Oregon Trail-boy)

jN

Nixon

Search for the Shadowman

(1845-Texas Salt Wars-boy)

jP

Paulsen

Mr. Tuckett

(1848-Oregon Trail-boy)

sequel: Call Me Francis Tuckett

jR

Roop

Girl of the Shining Mountains

(1804-06-Lewis & Clark Expedition-Sacagawea)

jS

Spooner

Last Child

(1837-North Dakota-girl)

jW

Wilson

Black Storm Rising

(1860-Pony Express-boy)

jW

Wisler

Jericho's Journey

(1830's-Tennessee to Texas-boy)

jW

Woodruff

Dear Levi: Letters from the Overland Trail

(1851-Overland Trail-boy)

jY

Yep

Dragon's Gate

(1840's-Building the transcontinental railroad-boy)

 

U.S. Civil War

jB

Beatty

Who Comes with Cannons?

(1860's-Underground Railroad-girl)

jB

Beatty

Turn Homeward, Hannalee

(1860's-Georgia-girl)

jB

Brill

Diary of a Drummer Boy

(1860's-boy)

jC

Calvert

Bigger

(1865-Texas-boy)

jD

Donahue

An Island Far From Home

(1860's-Union prison in Boston Harbor-boys)

jF

Fleischman

Bull Run

(1861-First battle at Bull Run-Manassas, Virginia)

jH

Houston

Bright Freedom's Song: A story of the Underground Railroad

(1860's-girl)

jH or jPB

Hunt

Across Five Aprils

(1860's-Illinois-boy)

jI

Immel

Captured! A boy trapped in the Civil War

(1862-Camp Morton Prison, Indianapolis, Indiana-boy)

jL

Lasky

True North

(1858-Underground Railroad-girl)

jL

LeSourd

The Personal Correspondence of Hannah Brown and Sarah Smith: The underground railroad, 1858

(1858-Underground Railroad-girls)

jM

McMullan

How I Found the Strong

(1860's-Mississippi-boy)

jM

Mitchell

Journey to the Bottomless Pit: The story of Stephen Bishop & Mammoth Cave

(1830s-1850s-Mammoth Cave, Kentucky-Stephen Bishop)

jR

Reeder

Shades of Gray

(1860's-Shenandoah Valley, Virginia-boy)

jR

Reeder

Captain Kate

(1860's-C&O Canal, Maryland-girl)

jR

Reeder

Across the Lines

(1860's-Virginia-boy)

jR

Rinaldi

Girl in Blue

(1860's-Michigan to Washington, D.C.-Union spy-girl disguised as a boy)

jR

Roddy

Uprising at Dawn

(1860's-Virginia-boy)

jS

Siegelson

Trembling Earth

(1864-Okefenokee Swamp, Georgia-boy)

jW

Wilson

Battle Scars

(1860s-Canada/Libby Prison-boys)

jW

Wisler

Red Cap

(1860's-Andersonville Prison camp-boy)

 

The Industrial Revolution

jPB

Boling

January 1905

(1905-New England textile mill-girl)

jP or jPB

Paterson

Lyddie

(1840's-Lowell, Massachusetts textile mill--girl)

jP or jPB

Paterson

Jip: His story

(1850's-Vermont poor farm-boy)

jW

Winthrop

Counting on Grace

(1910-New England textile mill-girl)

 

The Turn of the 20th Century

jG

Giff

House of Tailors

((1870s-Germany and Brooklyn, NewYork-girl)

jG

Gregory

Earthquake at Dawn

(1906-San Francisco earthquake-girl)

jG

Gutman

Race for the Sky: The Kitty Hawk diary of Johnny Moore

(1900-Outer Banks, North Carolina-boy)

jH

Hart

Anna's Blizzard

(1888-Nebraska--Children's Blizzard-girl)

jH

Holland

The Journey Home

(Late 1800's-Kansas-girl)

jL

Lasky

Hope in My Heart

(1903-Ellis Island-girl)

jL

Lawlor

Exploring the Chicago World's Fair

(1893-Chicago Columbian Exposition-girl)

jN

Napoli

The King of Mulberry Street

(1880s-Italy to New York City's Lower East Side-boy)

jN

Nixon

Land of Dreams

(1902-Minnesota-girl) part of the Ellis Island series

jP

Peck

Fair Weather

(1893-Chicago Columbian Exposition-girl)

jP

Peck

The Teacher's Funeral

(1904-rural Indiana-boy/girl)

jT

Taylor

The All-of-a-Kind-Family

(1890's-New York City-first of a large series--girl)

jW

Woodruff

An Orphan of Ellis Island

(1908-New York City and Italy-boy)

jY

Yep

When the Circus Came to Town

(Early 20th century--Montana-girl)

 

Stories from the American South

Newbery

Medal

jA

Armstrong

Sounder

(1930's-Southern chain gangs --boy)

jA

Armstrong

Steal Away

(1855-Virginia to Vermont-girl)

jC

Carbone

Storm Warriors

(1895-Pea Island, North Carolina-boy)

jC

Curtis

The Watsons Go to Birmingham-1963

(1963-Alabama-boy)

jD

Davis

Just Like Martin

(1960's-Alabama-boy)

jH

Henderson

Hard Times for Jake Smith

(1935-Alabama-girl)

jH

Holt

My Louisiana Sky

(1950's-Louisiana-girl)

jM

McKisssack

Abby Takes a Stand

(1960-Nashville, Tennessee-girl)

jM

Meyer

White Lilacs

(1921-Texas-girl)

JS

Swain

Chig and the Second Spread

(1930's-Indiana-girl)

jT

Taylor

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry

(1930's-Mississippi--1st of the Logan Family series)

jW

Winslow

Follow the Leader

(1971-North Carolina-girl)

 

The 1930s and the Great Depression

jA

Antle

Hard Times: A story of the Great Depression

(1933-Oklahoma-boy)

jC

Curtis

Bud, Not Buddy

(1930's-Michigan-boy)

jD

DeYoung

A Letter to Mrs. Roosevelt

(1930's-Johnstown, Pennsylvania-girl)

Newbery

Medal

jH

Hesse

Out of the Dust

(1930's-Oklahoma-girl)

jH

Horvath

The Happy Yellow Car

(1929-Missouri--family)

jK

Kinsey-Warnock

If Wishes Were Horses

(1932-Vermont-girl)

jK

Koller

Nothing to Fear

(1929-New York City-boy)

jP

Peck

A Day No Pigs Would Die

(1920's-Vermont-Shaker life-boy)

jP

Peck

A Long Way From Chicago

(1930's-Illinois-boy)

jS

Snyder

Cat Running

(1930's-Texas-girl)

jY

Yep

The Star Fisher

(1930's-Arkansas-girl)

 

World War II

jB

Bauer

Rain of Fire

(1940's-Midwest-boy)

jC

Cheaney

My Friend, the Enemy

(1940's-Japanese Americans-girl)

jC

Cutler

My Wartime Summers

(1940's-Urban America-girl)

jD

Douglas

The Broken Mirror

(1930's & 40's-Italy-concentration camp-boy)

jG

Giff

Lily's Crossing

(1940's-Baltimore-girl)

jG

Giff

Willow Run

(1940's-Michigan-girl)

JG

Griffis

Simon Says

(1942-Germany and Oklahoma-boy)

jK

Koehendorfer

The Victory Garden

(1940's-Kansas-girl)

jL

Lisle

The Art of Keeping Cool

(1940's-Rhode Island-boy)

jM

Matus

Leroy and the Caveman

(1942-Santa Monica, California-boy)

jP

Patneaude

Thin Wood Walls

(1940's-Western United States--Japanese Internment camp-boy)

jS

Salisbury

Under the Blood-Red Sun

(1940's-Hawaii-boy)

jW

Wolff

Bat 6

(1946-Oregon-girls)

 

The War in Viet Nam

jP

Paterson

Park's Quest

(Viet Nam War Memorial-boy)

 

Other books of interest

jA

Ackerman

Spirit Horse

(1770's-Great Plains-boy)

jA

Anderson

Fever, 1793

(1793-Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-girl)

jA or jPB

Avi

The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle

(1832-Atlantic ocean-girl)

Newbery

Medal

jB

Blos

A Gathering of Days

(1830's-New England-girl)

jB

Buchanan

Gratefully Yours

(1930's-Nebraska-orphans--girl) sequel: Hank's Story

jC

Carvell

Sweet Grass Basket

(1879-Carlisle Indian Industrial School-Pennsylvania-girl)

jC

Clark

Hattie on Her Way

(Late 1800s-Kingston, New York-girl)

jD

DeFelice

The Apprenticeship of Lucas Whittaker

(1849-New England tuberculosis epidemic-boy)

jD

DeFelice

Weasel

(1839-boy)

jD

Dorris

Morning Girl

(1492-Bahama Islands-Taino Indians--girl)

jD

Durbin

The Broken Blade

(1800-Canada-boy)

jG

Gilkerson

Pirate's Passage

(1952-Nova Scotia, Canada-boy)

jG

Gregory

The Stowaway: A tale of California Pirates

(1818-Monterey, California-boy)

jH

Hesse

Time of Angels

(1918--Boston-girl)

jH

Hill

Dancing at the Odinochka

(1860's-Alaskan gold rush-girl)

jH

Hughes

Breaker Boys

(1897-Pennsylvania coal fields-boy)

jI

Ingold

Pictures, 1918

(1918-Texas-girl)

jK

Karr

The Cave

(1930's-South Dakota-girl)

jK

Karwoski

Quake! Disaster in San Francisco

(1906-San Francisco, California-boy)

jK

Kidd

Monkey Town

(1925-Dayton, Tennessee-Scopes trial-girl)

jK

Kinsey-Warnock

The Canada Geese Quilt

(1940's-Vemont-girl)

jL

Lichtman

All is Well

(1885-Salt Lake City, Utah-girl)

jN

Nixon

A Family Apart

(1860-New York City to Missouri-boy/girl)

First book in the Orphan Train Saga

jP

Paterson

Jip: His story

(1855--Vermont-boy)

jO

O'Dell

Island of the Blue Dolphins

(early 1800's-California Channel Islands-girl)

sequel: Zia

jO

Osborne

Standing in the Light

(1793-Pennsylvania-girl)

jR

Ransom

Fire in the Sky

(1937-New Jersey-Hindenburg disaster-boy)

jT

Tanaka

On Board the Titanic: What it was like when the great liner sank

(1912-Titanic, Atlantic Ocean-boy)

jT

Taylor

Billy the Kid: A novel

(1870's-Arizona-boy)

jW

Williams

Titanic Crossing

(1912-Titanic, Atlantic Ocean-boy)

jW

Wood

Becoming Rosemary

(17990-North Carolina-girl)

 

Books About the Britain and Ireland

jA

Avi

Beyond the Western Sea Book one: The escape from home

(1800's-Ireland-boy)

jB

Baylis-White

Sheltering Rebecca

(1940's-England-girl)

jB

Blackwood

Shakespeare's Scribe

(1602-London-boy)

jB

Borden

The Little Ships

(1940's-Dunkirk to Britain evacuation-girl)

jB

Branford

Bed, Fire and Bone

(1381-England-boy)

jB

Bunting

Haunting of Kildoran Abbey

(1800's-Ireland-boys)

jC

Conlon

The Fields of Home

(Late 19th century-Ireland-girl)

jC

Cushman

The Midwife's Apprentice

(Medieval era-England-girl) Similar title: Matilda Bone

jG

Grant

Blood Red Horse

(1100's-Third Crusade-boy/girl)

jH

Heneghan

Wish Me luck

(1940's-Liverpool, England-boy)

jH

Hilgartner

A Murder for Her Majesty

(1500's-England-girl)

jH

Horowitz

The Devil and His Boy

(1593-London-boy)

jM

Malterre

The Last Wolf in Ireland

(1780's-Ireland-boy)

jM

Meyer

Mary, Bloody Mary

(1500's-England-girl)

Other titles in series include: Patience Princess Catherine and Beware, Princess Elizabeth

jM

Molloy

Peter Raven Under Fire

(1800---British Navy--Napoleonic Wars-spies--boy)

jM

Morris

The Squire's Tale

(Medieval England-boy)

jN

Nixon

Land of Promise

(1902-Ireland and Chicago-girl)

jP

Pullman

The Ruby in the Smoke

(19th century-London-girl)

jS

Sturtevant

At the Sign of the Star

(1600's London-girl)

jT

Thomas

The Counterfeit Princess

(1553-England-girl)

jW

Whelan

Listening for Lions

(1918-British East Africa and England-girl)

jW

Wooderson

Trouble at the Mill

(1800s-England-girl/boy)

 

Stories that Take Place in Europe

jD

Denenberg

Atticus of Rome: 33 B.C.

(33 B.C.-Ancient Rome-boy)

jG

Glaser

Bridge to America

(1920's-Poland and America-boy)

jG

Greene

One Foot Ashore

(1654-Holland-boy)

jH

Hesse

Letters From Rifka

(1919-Belgium to Ellis island, New York-girl)

jK

Konigsburg

A Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver

(14th century-France and England-Eleanor of Aquitaine)

jK

Kelly

Trumpeter of Krakow

(Middle Ages-Poland-boy)

jL

Lasky

Broken Song

(1897-Russia-boy)

jL

Lasky

The Night Journey

(1890's-Russia-girl)

jM

Maguire

The Good Liar

(1940's-France-boy)

jM

Matas

Greater Than Angels

(1940-France-girl)

jM

Moodie

The Sea Singer

(1000's-Vikings-discovery of North America-boy)

jO

Orlev

Island on Bird Street

(World WarII-Jewish Ghetto-Warsaw, Poland-boy)

jO

Orlev

Run, Boy, Run

(World War II-Jewish Ghetto--Warsaw, Poland-boy)

jP

Pietri

Orange trees of Versailles

(1670's-Versailles Palace, France-girl)

jP

Propp

When the Soldiers Were Gone

(1946-Holland-boy)

jT

Temple

The Ramsay Scallop

(14th century-Britain, France & Spain-girl/boy)

jV

Van Steenwyk

A Traitor Among Us

(1940's-Holland-boy)

jW

Weil

My Guardian Angel

(11th century-Troyes, France-girl/boy)

jW

Wilson

Flames of the Tiger

(1930's-Germany-boy)

 

Stories Set in Asia

jC

Choi

Year of Impossible Goodbyes

(1945-Korea-girl)

jC or jPB

Coerr

Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes

(1946-Japan-girl)

jF

Fritz

Homesick: My own story

(1920's-China-girl)

jH

Hoobler

In Darkness, Death

(18th century-Japan-boy)

jK

Kimmel

Sword of the Samurai

(Medieval Japan-boy)

jL

Lasky

Kazunomiya: Prisoner of Heaven

(1858-Imperial Japan-Princess Kazunomiya)

jPB

Namioka

White Serpent Castle

(16th century--Japan-boys)

jR

Russell

Water Ghost

(1940's-China-girl)

jS

Staples

Shabanu

(20th century-Pakistan-girl)

sequel: Haveli

jW

Whelan

Goodbye, Vietnam

(1970's-Vietnamese “boat people”)

jW

Whelan

Homeless Bird

(Late 20th century-India-girl)

 

Books with an African Origin

jC

Carter

His Majesty, Queen Hatshepsut

(4th century B.C.-Egypt-girl)

 

jF

Fox

Slave Dancer

(1800's-West Africa-slave ship-boy)

jK

Kirkpatrick

Across the Wide Sea

(1686-France & West Africa-boy)

jK

Kurtz

Saba: Under the hyena's foot

(1840s-Ethiopia, Africa-girl)

jN

Naidoo

Journey to Jo'Burg

(1970's-South Africa-girl)

jR

Rubalcaba

A Place in the Sun

(4th century B.C.-Egypt-boy)

 

Stories that Take Place in Australia and the Pacific

jD

Disher

Bamboo Flute

(1932-Australia-Boy)

jF

Frederick

The Education of Patience Goodspeed

(19th century-Hawaii-girl)

jH

Hesse

Stowaway

(18th century-Pacific-Captain Cook-boy)

jK

Kidd

Onion Tears

(1970's-Australia and Vietnam-girl)

jL

Lawrence

The Cannibals

(19th century-Pacific Islands-boy)

jP or jPB

Park

Playing Beatie Bow

(1880's-Australia-girl)