Historical Fiction for Middle Schoolers

Looking for Historical Fiction to read before it's back-to-school? Check out these titles at your local branch!

Updated July 2, 2025
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The Bletchley Riddle
Sepetys, Ruta/ Sheinkin, Steve
Paper Book
A stunning collaboration between award-winning and bestselling authors Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin, this middle grade historical adventure follows two siblings at Bletchley Park, the home of WWII codebreakers, as they try to unravel a mystery surrounding their mother's disappearance.
Rebellion 1776
Anderson, Laurie Halse.
Paper Book
Three starred reviews! From New York Times bestselling author Laurie Halse Anderson comes an "thoroughly researched, emotionally resonant" (Booklist, starred review) historical fiction middle grade adventure about a girl struggling to survive amid a smallpox...
Show me a sign /
LeZotte, Ann Clare
Paper Book
Don't miss the companion book, Set Me Free CRITICS ARE RAVING ABOUT SHOW ME A SIGN Winner of the 2021 Schneider Family Book Award * NPR Best Books of 2020 * Kirkus Reviews Best Books of 2020 * School Library Journal Best Books of 2020 *...
The door of no return /
Alexander, Kwame.
Paper Book
From the Newbery Medal and Coretta Scott King Award winning author Kwame Alexander, comes the first book in a searing, breathtaking trilogy that tells the story of a boy, a village, and the epic odyssey of an African family. In his village in Upper...
The luminous life of Lucy Landry /
Johnson, Anna Rose
Paper Book
Lucy, a spirited French-Ojibwe orphan, is sent to the stormy waters of Lake Superior to live with a mysterious family of lighthouse-keepers--and, she hopes, to find the legendary necklace her father spent his life seeking... Selena Lucy Landry (named for a ship, as every sailor's...
Sophia's war : a tale of the Revolution
Avi
Paper Book
Lives hang in the balance in this gripping Revolutionary War adventure from a beloved Newbery Medalist. In 1776, young Sophia Calderwood witnesses the execution of Nathan Hale in New York City, which is newly occupied by the British army. Sophia is horrified by the event and...
Blood on the river :
Carbone, Elisa Lynn.
Ebook
Twelve-year-old Samuel Collier is a lowly commoner on the streets of London. So when he becomes the page of Captain John Smith and boards the Susan Constant, bound for the New World, he can't believe his good fortune. He's heard that gold washes ashore with every tide. But beginning with the stormy...
Allies /
Gratz, Alan,
Ebook
An instant New York Times bestseller!Alan Gratz, bestselling author of Refugee, weaves a stunning array of voices and stories into an epic tale of teamwork in the face of tyranny -- and how just one day can change the world.June 6, 1944: The Nazis are terrorizing Europe, on their evil...
Forge
Anderson, Laurie Halse.
Paper Book
"One of the best novels they have ever read." --Kirkus Reviews Curzon navigates the dangers of being a runaway slave in this keenly felt second novel in in the historical middle grade The Seeds of America trilogy from acclaimed author Laurie Halse Anderson. ...
Snow treasure /
McSwigan, Marie,
Paper Book
Based on a true story, Snow Treasure is a tale of heroism set in Norway during World War II.  This amazing book, continuously in print since 1942, tells how brave schoolchildren outwitted the invading Nazis.  To keep their country's gold out of Nazi hands, the children sledded...
Iceberg /
Nielsen, Jennifer A.
Paper Book
As disaster looms on the horizon, a young stowaway onboard the Titanic will need all her courage and wits to stay alive. A thrilling tale from New York Times bestselling author Jennifer A. Nielsen! Hazel Rothbury is traveling all alone from her home in England aboard...
Ground Zero /
Gratz, Alan,
Paper Book
The instant #1 New York Times bestseller. Acclaimed storyteller Alan Gratz (Refugee) delivers a pulse-pounding and unforgettable take on history and hope, revenge and fear -- and the stunning links between the past and present. September 11, 2001, New...
The war that saved my life /
Bradley, Kimberly Brubaker.
Paper Book
* Newbery Honor Book * #1 New York Times Bestseller * Winner of the Schneider Family Book Award * Forbes 25 Top Historical Fiction Books Of All Time selection * Wall Street Journal Best Children's Books of the Year selection * New York Public...
Heroes /
Gratz, Alan,
Paper Book
The instant #1 New York Times bestseller! From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Refugee, Ground Zero, and Two Degrees comes this heart-pounding, inventive, and powerful new novel about the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor... as only Alan...
Johnny Tremain
Forbes, Esther.
Paper Book
Johnny Tremain,winner of the 1944 Newbery Medal, is one of the finest historical novels ever written for children. As compelling today as it was seventy years ago, to read this riveting novel is to live through the defining events leading up to the American Revolutionary War. Fourteen-year...
Inside out & back again /
Lai, Thanhha.
Paper Book
Inside Out and Back Again is a #1 New York Times bestseller, a Newbery Honor Book, and a winner of the National Book Award! Inspired by the author's childhood experience as a refugee--fleeing Vietnam after the Fall of Saigon and immigrating to Alabama--this coming-of-age debut novel told...
A long walk to water
Park, Linda Sue.
Ebook
Cherished by millions of readers, this #1 New York Times bestselling novel is a powerful tale of perseverance and hope. Newbery Medalist Linda Sue Park interweaves the stories of two Sudanese children who overcome mortal dangers to improve their lives and the lives of others. A Long Walk...
A night divided /
Nielsen, Jennifer A.
Paper Book
From NYT bestselling author Jennifer A. Nielsen comes a stunning thriller about a girl who must escape to freedom after the Berlin Wall divides her family between east and west.With the rise of the Berlin Wall, twelve-year-old Gerta finds her family suddenly divided. She, her mother, and her brother...
The Windeby puzzle :
Lowry, Lois
Audiobook
The lost year /
Marsh, Katherine.
Audiobook

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