Historical Fiction - Exodus Books

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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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Parent Categories

Fiction & Literature

Fiction by Genre

Historical Fiction

Subcategories by Grade

4th grade (Ages 9-10)

5th grade (Ages 10-11)

6th grade (Ages 11-12)

7th grade (Ages 12-13)

Subcategories

G. A. Henty Books

- Henty Audio Books

Louise Vernon Historical Fiction

We Were There Series

45 Items found Print

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19th Century America,

8th grade (Ages 13-14),

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	Balloon Boy of San Francisco by Dorothy Kupcha Leland from Tomato Enterprises for 7th-9th grade in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV) $9.95
	Battle of Seattle by Douglas Bond from P&R Publishing for 4th-9th grade in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $11.99
	Beckoning Road by Caroline Dale Snedeker from American Home-School Publishing American Historical Fiction for 7th-12th Grade in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
	Bold Journey West With Lewis and Clark by Charles Bohner from Sandpiper Books Non-fiction for 5th-8th grade in Lewis & Clark (Location: HISA-19L&C) $7.99
	Bold Journey West With Lewis and Clark by Charles Bohner from Houghton Mifflin Non-fiction for 5th-8th grade in Lewis & Clark (Location: HISA-19L&C) $4.00 (2 in stock)
	Boy in the Alamo We Were There at the Battle of the Alamo by Margaret Cousins from Corona Publishing Co. Historical fiction for 4th-9th grade in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $9.00 (1 in stock)
	Boy in the Alamo We Were There at the Battle of the Alamo by Margaret Cousins from Veritas Press Historical fiction for 4th-9th grade in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $19.00
	Bull Run by Paul Fleischman, David Frampton (Woodcuts) 2^nd edition from Scholastic Inc. for 4th-6th grade in American Civil War (1860-1865) (Location: HISA-19CW) $4.00 (2 in stock)
	Captain Bayley's Heir A Tale of the Gold Fields of California by G. A. Henty from Robinson Curriculum Historical Fiction for 6th-10th grade in G. A. Henty Books (Location: FIC-HEN)
	Captain, My Captain by Deborah Meroff from Inheritance Publications Historical Fiction for 8th-10th grade in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $14.95
	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) $9.99
	Cleared for Action! Four Tales of the Sea by Stephen W. Meader from Bethlehem Books Nautical Fiction for 5th-8th grade in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
	Fear in the Forest by Cateau de Leeuw from Bethlehem Books for 4th-8th grade in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $14.95
	First Four Years Little House Series #9 by Laura Ingalls Wilder from HarperCollins Realistic Fiction/Pioneers for 3rd-8th grade in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $8.99
	In the Hands of the Cave Dwellers by G. A. Henty from Robinson Curriculum for 6th-10th grade in G. A. Henty Books (Location: FIC-HEN)
	In the Heart of the Rockies A Story of Adventure in Colorado by G. A. Henty from Robinson Curriculum Historical Fiction for 6th-10th grade in G. A. Henty Books (Location: FIC-HEN)
	Iron Scouts of the Confederacy by Lee McGiffin 2^nd edition from Christian Liberty Press Historical Fiction for 5th-8th grade in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $4.50 (1 in stock)
	Iron Scouts of the Confederacy by Lee McGiffin 2^nd edition from Christian Liberty Press Historical Fiction for 5th-8th grade in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $10.50
	Letter Writer by Ann Rinaldi Reprint from HMH Books for Young Readers for 5th-9th grade in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $4.00 (1 in stock)
	Little House - Full Color Trade Paper Set by Laura Ingalls Wilder from HarperCollins for 3rd-8th grade in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $75.11
	Little Town on the Prairie Little House Series #7 by Laura Ingalls Wilder from HarperCollins Realistic Fiction/Pioneers for 3rd-8th grade 1942 Newbery Honor Book in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $8.99
	Little Town on the Prairie Little House Series #7 by Laura Ingalls Wilder from HarperCollins Realistic Fiction/Pioneers for 3rd-8th grade 1942 Newbery Honor Book in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $9.99
	Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy by Gary D. Schmidt from Clarion Books for 7th-9th grade 2005 Newbery Honor Book in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $7.99
	Long Winter Little House Series #6 by Laura Ingalls Wilder from HarperCollins Realistic Fiction/Pioneers for 3rd-8th grade 1941 Newbery Honor Book in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $9.99
	Long Winter Little House Series #6 by Laura Ingalls Wilder from HarperCollins Realistic Fiction/Pioneers for 3rd-8th grade 1941 Newbery Honor Book in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $10.99
	My Name Is Not Angelica by Scott O'Dell from Yearling for 7th-9th grade in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
	On to Oregon! by Honore Morrow from William Morrow & Company for 4th-8th grade in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
	Out on the Pampas The Young Settlers by G. A. Henty from Robinson Curriculum Historical Fiction for 6th-10th grade in G. A. Henty Books (Location: FIC-HEN)
	Patty Reed's Doll The Story of the Donner Party by Rachel K. Laurgaard from Tomato Enterprises Historical fiction for 5th-8th grade in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $7.00 (3 in stock)
	Redskin and Cowboy Tale of the Western Plains by G. A. Henty from Robinson Curriculum Historical Fiction for 6th-10th grade in G. A. Henty Books (Location: FIC-HEN)
	Remember the Alamo! Adventures in History Series by Amelia E. Barr from A Beka Books Historical Fiction for 6th-10th grade in A Beka Book Report books (Location: REA-ABK)
	Seaman The Dog Who Explored the West with Lewis and Clark by Gail Karwoski & James Watling from Peachtree Publishers, Ltd. Historical Fiction for 5th-8th grade in Lewis & Clark (Location: HISA-19L&C) $9.99
	Slopes of War A Novel of Gettysburg by N. A. Perez from Houghton Mifflin Historical Fiction for 6th-9th grade in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $11.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
	Stout-Hearted Seven Orphaned on the Oregon Trail Sterling Point by Neta Lohnes Frazier from Sterling Publishing Co. Non-fiction/Biography for 5th-9th grade in Oregon Trail (Location: HISA-19OR)
	These Happy Golden Years Little House Series #8 by Laura Ingalls Wilder from HarperCollins Realistic Fiction/Pioneers for 3rd-8th grade 1944 Newbery Honor Book in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $8.99
	We Were There at the Battle of Gettysburg by Alida Sims Malkus Reprint from Dover Publications for 5th-9th grade in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $6.99
	We Were There at the Driving of the Golden Spike by David Shepherd, William K. Plummer Reprint from Dover Publications for 5th-9th grade in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $7.99
	We Were There on the Oregon Trail by William O. Steele from American Home-School Publishing Historical Fiction for 4th-8th grade in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
	We Were There with Lewis & Clark by James Munves from American Home-School Publishing Historical Fiction for 4th-8th grade in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
	We Were There with The Pony Express by William O. Steele from American Home-School Publishing Historical Fiction for 4th-8th grade in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
	Where the Broken Heart Still Beats The Story of Cynthia Ann Parker by Carolyn Meyer from Graphia for 5th-8th grade in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $7.99
	White Seneca by William W. Canfield from Salem Ridge Press for 5th-9th grade in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $10.50
	With Custer's Cavalry by Katherine Gibson Fougera from University of Nebraska in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $6.00 (1 in stock)
	With Lee in Virginia A Story of the American Civil War by G. A. Henty from Dover Publications Historical Fiction for 6th-10th grade in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $16.95
	With Lee in Virginia A Story of the American Civil War by G. A. Henty from Robinson Curriculum Historical Fiction for 6th-10th grade in G. A. Henty Books (Location: FIC-HEN)

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