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Historical Fiction

The best way to learn history is not always in a textbook. (That's probably the worst way, really, but more on that elsewhere.) While learning history through novels can be taken too far (it is fiction after all), there's much to be said for getting a feel for the Civil War through books like The Red Badge of Courage or Across Five Aprils, or learning about the deep rifts between Saxons and Normans in Medieval England through Scott's Ivanhoe.

A well-researched historical novel imparts something no list of names and dates can—a picture of life among a particular people at a particular time, the way they thought, the way they ate, who they admired, how they traveled. Sometimes readers are introduced to real historical figures and events from an intimate perspective, not the stale cardboard presentations common in schools.

There's plenty of nonsense available, of course, and just because the cover says a book takes place in Renaissance Italy or ancient Egypt doesn't mean it's a good book, or even that it's historical fiction in the true sense. A writer who simply transposes stories on different time periods isn't really saying anything about that time period, they're just trying to inflate sales with an appeal to the exotic and unfamiliar.

Such bogus historical fiction is really just fantasy. The good stuff is real and bright and dusty and loud, just like an old Roman city or a battle between Roundheads and Cavaliers. It reflects the religious sentiments of the characters as they would have been, such as in Lilli Thal's brilliant Medieval epic Mimus. It shows how one small action can lead to many much larger events, as happens frequently in C.S. Forester's Hornblower series.

Whether you're into the technical descriptions of battles found in Henty's boy-versus-the-world stories, or prefer the romance of The Scarlet Pimpernel, or like to break your heart over and over with books like Amos Fortune, Free Man, historical fiction is above all fiction of the present—not to be kept in the annals of the past, it shows us that the people of long ago (or not so long ago) are not so different than the people of today.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he's a husband and father who loves church, good food, and weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews here.
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Active Filters: 18th Century America, Trade Paperback
Aaron and the Green Mountain Boys
by Patricia Lee Gauch, illustrated by Margot Tomes
from Betterway Books
Historical Fiction for 3rd-6th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
Adventures of the American Revolution
by Susan Olasky
from P&R Publishing
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
AIO Imagination Station Book #14
by Marianne Hering, Nancy I. Sanders
from Focus on the Family
for 1st-3rd grade
in Imagination Station (Location: SER-AIO)
$7.99
Alone Yet Not Alone
by Tracy M. Leininger
Mti from Zonderkidz
Historical Fiction for 6th-10th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
American Twins of the Revolution
by Lucy Fitch Perkins
from Salem Ridge Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
Annie Henry and the Secret Mission
Adventures of the American Revolution
by Susan Olasky
from Crossway Books
for 3rd-5th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
At Seneca Castle
by William W. Canfield
from Salem Ridge Press
for 7th-10th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
Benjamin West and His Cat Grimalkin
by Marguerite Henry & Wesley Dennis
Reprint from Aladdin Paperbacks
for 3rd-6th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$7.99 $5.50 (1 in stock)
Blackthorn Winter
Monroe Family Chronicles #1
by Doug Wilson
from Veritas Press
Nautical fiction for 4th-6th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$15.00 $8.00 (1 in stock)
Blackthorn Winter
Veritas Maritime Series #1
by Doug Wilson
from Veritas Press
Nautical fiction for 4th-6th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Blue Birds
by Caroline Starr Rose
Dgs from Puffin Books
Narrative Poetry / Novel-In-Verse for 4th-7th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$10.99
Boys of '76
by Charles Coffin
from Maranatha Publications
Historical Reference for 10th-Adult
in America's Christian Heritage (Location: HISA-CH)
Calico Captive
by Elizabeth George Speare
from Houghton Mifflin
Historical Fiction for 6th-9th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$9.99
Carry On, Mr. Bowditch
by Jean Lee Latham
from Houghton Mifflin
Biography for 5th-9th grade
1956 Newbery Medal winner
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$15.99
Clearing Weather
by Cornelia Meigs
Repint from Dover Publications
for 2nd-6th grade
1929 Newbery Honor Book
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$8.99
Courage of Sarah Noble
by Alice Dalgliesh
1st edition from Aladdin Paperbacks
for Kindergarten-6th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$1.50 (1 in stock)
Early Thunder
by Jean Fritz
from Puffin Books
for 4th-8th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$7.99 $4.00 (5 in stock)
Encounter at Easton
by Avi
from Beech Tree Books
for 4th-6th grade
in Clearance: Fiction (Location: ZCLE-FIC)
Faith and Freedom Trilogy
Faith and Freedom
by Douglas Bond
from P&R Publishing
for 5th-9th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$33.97
Fever 1793
by Laurie Halse Anderson
from Simon and Schuster
for 4th-9th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$8.99
Fiddler's Green
Fin's Revolution #2
by A. S. Peterson
from Rabbit Room Press
for 4th-8th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$16.99
Fiddler's Gun
Fin's Revolution #1
by A. S. Peterson
1st edition from Rabbit Room Press
for 7th-10th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$16.99
Finding Providence
An I Can Read Chapter Book
by Avi
from HarperCollins
for 3rd-5th grade
in I Can Read Books (Location: EAR-ICR)
$4.99
Give Me Liberty
by L. M. Elliott
from HarperCollins
for 4th-8th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
Guns of Thunder
Faith and Freedom Trilogy #1
by Doug Bond
from P&R Publishing
Historical Fiction for 5th-9th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$14.99
John Treegate's Musket
Treegate Series Book 1
by Leonard Wibberly
from Bethlehem Books
Historical fiction for 7th-10th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
Journeyman
by Elizabeth Yates
from Bob Jones University Press
Realistic Fiction for 6th-9th grade
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$8.99 $5.00 (1 in stock)
List
by C. D. Baker
from Preston Speed
Historical Fiction for 8th-10th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Little Maid of Maryland
by Alice Curtis
from Applewood Books
for 4th-8th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
Little Maid of Massachusetts Colony
Little Maid Historical Books
by Alice Turner Curtis
from Applewood Books
Historical Fiction for 2nd-6th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
Little Maid of Provincetown
Little Maid Historical Books
by Alice Turner Curtis
from Applewood Books
Historical Fiction for 2nd-6th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
Little Maid of Ticonderoga
by Alice Curtis
from Applewood Books
for 4th-8th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
Little Maid of Virginia
Little Maid Historical Books
by Alice Turner Curtis
from Applewood Books
Historical Fiction for 2nd-5th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
Lydia the Patriot
Sisters in Time
by Susan Martins Miller
from Barbour Publishing
for 4th-6th grade
in Sisters in Time (Location: SER-SIS)
Madeleine Takes Command
Bethlehem Books Living History Library
by Ethel Brill
from Bethlehem Books
Historical Fiction for 5th-8th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$14.95 $9.00 (1 in stock)
Midnight Ride of Paul Revere
by Henry W. Longfellow
Reprint from National Geographic
for 1st-4th grade
in Oversized Picture Books (Location: PIC-OVER)
Midshipman Bolitho
by Alexander Kent
from McBooks Press
for 8th-Adult
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Morgan the Jersey Spy
Adventures in History Series
by James Otis
from A Beka Books
for 4th-8th grade
in A Beka Book Report books (Location: REA-ABK)
Ocean-Born Mary
by Lois Lenski
1st Edition Thus from Purple House Press
for 3rd-10th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$17.99
Our America... The Pilgrim Adventure
by Susan Kilbride
for 3rd-5th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Peter Treegate's War
by Leonard Wibberley
from Bethlehem Books
for 7th-10th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
Phoebe the Spy
by Judith Berry Griffin
from Puffin Books
Historical Fiction for 3rd-6th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$6.99
Pocahontas
by Joseph Bruchac
from Harcourt
for 4th-7th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$9.99 $5.00 (1 in stock)
Reb and the Redcoats
Bethlehem Books Living History Library
by Constance Savery
from Bethlehem Books
Historical fiction for 5th-8th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$14.95
Roger the Ranger
by Eliza F. Pollard
from Inheritance Publications
for 6th-9th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$14.95
Sea Captain from Salem
Treegate Series Book 3
by Leonard Wibberley
Reprint from Bethlehem Books
for 9th-12th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
Sherwood Ring
by Elizabeth Marie Pope
from Sandpiper Books
for 10th-12th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$7.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
Soldier of Virginia
by Marjorie Bowen
from Inheritance Publications
Biography for 9th-12th grade
in Inheritance Fiction (Location: FIC-WH03)
$12.95
Son of Liberty
Young Founders: 1776
by Elizabeth Massie
1st edition
for 4th-6th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Sophia's War
by Avi
from Beach Lane Books
for 3rd-6th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$8.99
Squalls Before War
by Ned Bustard
from Veritas Press
Nautical Fiction for 7th-10th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$15.00 $8.00 (2 in stock)
Stephen of Philadelphia
by James Otis
from A Beka Books
for 4th-6th grade
in A Beka Book Report books (Location: REA-ABK)
$9.50 (1 in stock)
Susan Creek
Monroe Family Chronicles #2
by Doug Wilson
from Veritas Press
Nautical Fiction for 4th-6th grade
in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
$15.00 $8.00 (1 in stock)
Sweet Land of Liberty
by Charles Coffin
from Maranatha Publications
Historical Reference for
in America's Christian Heritage (Location: HISA-CH)
$10.00 (4 in stock)
Treegate's Raiders
Treegate Series Book 4
by Leonard Wibberly
from Bethlehem Books
Historical fiction for 7th-10th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
True to the Old Flag
by G. A. Henty
from Robinson Curriculum
Historical Fiction for 6th-10th grade
in G. A. Henty Books (Location: FIC-HEN)
Two Williams
Monroe Family Chronicles #3
by Doug Wilson
from Veritas Press
Nautical fiction for 4th-6th grade
in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
$15.00
War Comes to Willy Freeman
by James Lincoln Collier, Christopher Collier
Reissue from Yearling
for 4th-8th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
We Were There at the Boston Tea Party
by Robert N. Webb
from Dover Publications
for 5th-9th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$9.99
White Seneca
by William W. Canfield
from Salem Ridge Press
for 5th-9th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$10.50
With Pipe, Paddle and Song
Bethlehem Books Young Adult Bookshelf
by Elizabeth Yates
2nd edition from Bethlehem Books
Historical Fiction for 7th-10th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$23.95 $12.00 (2 in stock)
With Wolfe in Canada
by G. A. Henty
from Robinson Curriculum
Historical Fiction for 6th-10th grade
in G. A. Henty Books (Location: FIC-HEN)
Woods Runner
by Gary Paulsen
from Ember
for 4th-8th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
Yankee Doodle Boy
by Joseph Martin
from Holiday House
Historical Non-Fiction for 5th-8th grade
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
$9.99
Year of the Hangman
by Gary Blackwood
from Speak
for 7th-10th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
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