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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72 Items found Print
Active Filters: 1st grade (Ages 6-7)
Adventures of Tim
by Edward Ardizzone
from Chancellor Press
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in Picture Book Treasuries (Location: PIC-TRE)
AIO Imagination Station Book #08
by Marianne Hering & Wayne Thomas Batson
from Focus on the Family
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in Imagination Station (Location: SER-AIO)
$6.79
AIO Imagination Station Book #14
by Marianne Hering, Nancy I. Sanders
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$6.79
Amelia & Eleanor Go For a Ride
by Pam Munoz Ryan & Brian Selznick (Illustrator)
from Scholastic Inc.
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$15.29
American Army of Two
On My Own History
by Janet Greeson
Reprint from First Avenue Editions
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Aquila's Drinking Gourd
by Pamela Dell
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Arctic Son
by Jean Craighead George, illustrated by Wendell Minor
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Audrey of the Outback
by Christine Harris
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Benjamin West and His Cat Grimalkin
by Marguerite Henry & Wesley Dennis
from Bobbs-Merril Co
Biography for 1st-6th grade
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Big Balloon Race
An I Can Read Book Level 3
by Eleanor Coerr
from HarperCollins
Historical Fiction for 1st-3rd grade
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Brother Hugo and the Bear
by Katy Beebe
from Eerdmans
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$15.29
Calico Bush
by Rachel Field, illustrated by Allen Lewis
from Macmillan
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$5.60 (1 in stock)
Chang's Paper Pony
An I Can Read Book Level 3
by Eleanor Coerr
from HarperCollins
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Clown of God
by Tomie dePaola
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Realistic Fiction for Kindergarten-2nd grade
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Clown of God
by Tomie dePaola
from Simon and Schuster
Realistic Fiction for Kindergarten-2nd grade
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Clown of God
by Tomie dePaola
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Cornstalks and Cannonballs
by Barbara Mitchell
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Emily
by Michael Bedard
from Dell Publishing
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F is for Freedom
by Roni Schotter
from Scholastic Press
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Gracie the Lighthouse Cat
by Ruth Brown
from Andersen Press
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$4.80 (1 in stock)
Grandfather's Journey
by Allen Say
Reprint from Sandpiper Books
Realistic Fiction for Kindergarten-2nd grade
1994 Caldecott Medal winner
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Grandfather's Journey
by Allen Say
from HMH Books for Young Readers
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Henry's Freedom Box
by Ellen Levine
from Scholastic Press
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2008 Caldecott Honor Book
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Henry's Freedom Box
by Ellen Levine, Illustrated by Kadir Nelson
from Scholastic Press
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2008 Caldecott Honor Book
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Henry's Freedom Box
by Ellen Levine, illustrated by Kadir Nelson
from Scholastic Press
for Nursery-1st grade
2008 Caldecott Honor Book
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I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912
by Lauren Tarshis
from Scholastic Inc.
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I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912 - Graphic Novel
by Lauren Tarshis, art by Haus Studio
from Scholastic Inc.
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$4.40 (1 in stock)
Island Boy
by Barbara Cooney
from Puffin Books
Realistic Fiction for 1st-4th grade
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$7.64
Island Boy
by Barbara Cooney
from Trumpet Club
Realistic Fiction for 1st-4th grade
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Journey with Jonah
by Madeleine L'Engle
from Farrar, Straus and Giroux
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Keep the Lights Burning, Abbie
by Peter & Connie Roop
from Carolrhoda Books, Inc.
Historical Fiction for 1st-3rd grade
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$6.79
Klondike Gold
by Alice Provensen
from Simon and Schuster
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$4.00 (1 in stock)
Les Miserables (adapted)
Stepping Stones: A Chapter Book
by Victor Hugo, Adapted by Monica Kulling
from Random House
Historical Fiction for 1st-4th grade
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$2.00 (1 in stock)
Liam's Watch
by Pamela Dell
from Tradition Books
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Long Way to a New Land
An I Can Read Book Level 3
by Joan Sandin
from HarperCollins
Historical Fiction for 1st-3rd grade
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Midnight Ride of Paul Revere
by Henry W. Longfellow
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Midnight Ride of Paul Revere
by Henry W. Longfellow, illustrated by Jeffrey Thompson
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$1.60 (1 in stock)
Minstrel in the Tower
by Gloria Skurzynski
from Random House
Historical Fiction for 1st-4th grade
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My Brothers' Flying Machine
by Jane Yolen
from Little, Brown & Company
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My Favorite Songs
by Maria Trapp
from Veritas Press
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$17.00
New Coat for Anna
by Harriet Ziefert
from Random House
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Not Regina
by Christmas Carol Kauffman
Fourth Printing from Pathway Publishers
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$6.40 (1 in stock)
Obadiah the Bold
by Brinton Turkle
from Beautiful Feet Books
Historical Fiction for Kindergarten-3rd grade
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$8.46
Ocean Meets Sky
by Terry and Eric Fan
from Simon and Schuster
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Old Silver Leg Takes Over
by Robert Quackenbush
from Prentice Hall
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Pilgrim Adventures
by Margaret B. Pumphrey
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Pioneer Cat
by William H. Hooks
from Random House
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$5.09
Pirate's Promise
by Clyde Robert Bulla, illustrated by Peter Burchard
for 1st-3rd grade
in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
Pirate's Promise
by Clyde Robert Bulla, illustrated by Peter Burchard
from HarperTrophy
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in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
$4.80 (1 in stock)
Rachel and Obadiah
by Brinton Turkle
from Beautiful Feet Books
Historical Fiction for Kindergarten-3rd grade
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Riding the Pony Express
by Clyde Robert Bulla
from Avyx, Inc.
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
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$4.00 (2 in stock)
Sailing Home
by Gloria Rand, illustrated by Ted Rand
from North-South Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
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Sailing the Unknown
by Michael Rosen, Illustrated by Maria Cristina Pritelli
from Creative Editions
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
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$10.00 (1 in stock)
Saint Valentine
by Robert Sabuda
from Aladdin Paperbacks
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$3.60 (1 in stock)
Salty Sails North
by Gloria Rand, illustrated by Ted Rand
from Henry Holt and Company
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
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$3.20 (1 in stock)
Schoolhouse Blizzard
by Shannen Yauger, illustrated by Alessia Turchie
from The Good and the Beautiful
for 1st-3rd grade
in GATB Science & Health (Location: CUR-GABSc)
$6.00 (2 in stock)
Show Way
by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by Hudson Talbott
First Ed from G.P. Putnam's Sons
for 1st-4th grade
2006 Newbery Honor Book
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$16.14
Sophie Takes to the Sky
by Katherine Woodfine, illustrated by Briony May Smith
from Kane Miller
for 1st-3rd grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$2.80 (1 in stock)
Star of Fear, Star of Hope
from Bloomsbury Publishing
for Preschool-2nd grade
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Thanksgiving Story
by Alice Dalgliesh
from Simon and Schuster
Historical Fiction for 1st-3rd grade
1955 Caldecott Honor Book
in Pilgrims at Plymouth (Location: HISA-17PIL)
$8.99
Thanksgiving Story
by Alice Dalgliesh, illustrated by Helen Sewell
from Charles Scribner's Sons
Historical Fiction for 1st-3rd grade
1955 Caldecott Honor Book
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Thy Friend, Obadiah
by Brinton Turkle
from Beautiful Feet Books
Realistic Animal Stories for Kindergarten-3rd grade
1970 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.46
Thy Friend, Obadiah (hardcover)
by Brinton Turkle
from Beautiful Feet Books
Realistic Animal Stories for Kindergarten-3rd grade
1970 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$12.71
Thy Friend, Obadiah (hardcover)
by Brinton Turkle
from Puffin Books
Realistic Animal Stories for Kindergarten-3rd grade
1970 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
Thy Friend, Obadiah (hardcover)
by Brinton Turkle
1972 Seafarer Edition from Viking Press
Realistic Animal Stories for Kindergarten-3rd grade
1970 Caldecott Honor Book
in Vintage Picture Books (Location: VIN-PIC)
Tim All Alone
by Edward Ardizzone
from Henry Z. Walck, Inc.
for 1st-4th grade
1956 Kate Greenaway Medal
in Vintage Picture Books (Location: VIN-PIC)
Tim in Danger
by Edward Ardizzone
from Oxford University
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
Tim's Friend Towser
by Edward Ardizzone
1st edition from HarperCollins
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
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Trail Through Danger
by William O. Steele, illustrated by Charles Beck
from Harcourt, Brace & World
for Kindergarten-5th grade
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$6.40 (1 in stock)
What Ever Happened to the Baxter Place?
by Pat Ross, Roger Duvoisin (Illustrator)
from Pantheon Books
Word Books for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
While the Horses Galloped to London
by Mabel Watts, Mercer Mayer (Illustrator)
from Parents Magazine Press
Word Books for Preschool-2nd grace
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Wretched Stone
by Chris Van Allsburg
First Edition from Houghton Mifflin
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
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$7.20 (2 in stock)