Historical Fiction

A list of suggested titles for this summer's Reading is an Adventure Challenge: Historical. Features books set during the Middle Ages, the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, the sinking of the Titanic, World War I, and World War II.

Updated June 21, 2024
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Mary Bowser and the Civil War spy ring
Alberti, Enigma
Paper Book
Your Mission: Find Mary's secret diary using spycraft stools to uncover hidden codes! It's a true story of bravery: Mary Bowser was an African American spy for the Union who worked as a maid in the mansion of Confederate Jefferson Davis. From hair-raising close...

Civil War

Iron thunder : the battle between the Monitor & the Merrimac : a Civil War novel
Avi
Paper Book
After his father is killed, 13-year-old Tom Carroll takes a job at a Brooklyn ironworks. Tom learns that the men are building a ship from iron to be used by the Union Army against the Confederate ironclad called the Merrimac. Illustrated with period photos, drawings, and maps.

Civil War

Sophia's war :
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...

Revolutionary War

Catherine's war /
Billet, Julia,
Paper Book
"A shining story of a young girl who struggles to come of age and find her place in a world fraught with danger." --Susan Campbell Bartoletti, Newbery Honor-winning author of Hitler Youth * Winner of the Youth Prize at the Angoulême International Comics Festival (voted by readers) * Winner...

World War II

The war that saved my life /
Bradley, Kimberly Brubaker.
Paper Book
*Newbery Honor book *Winner of the Schneider Family Book Award  *Forbes 25 Top Historical Fiction Books Of All Time selection This #1 New York Times bestseller is an exceptionally moving story of triumph against all odds set during World War II,...

World War II

Overboard /
Brezenoff, Steven.
Paper Book
With Titanic already sinking, Tucker and Maya are frantic to get back to 1912. The two friends travel back to 1912 one last time and join the survivors in the lifeboats as they wait and hope for a rescue. In a twist of fate, their final interaction with Liam teaches them a piece of their own history...

The Sinking of the Titanic, 1912

Time voyage /
Brezenoff, Steven.
Paper Book
On the first day of their spring break, best friends Tucker and Maya discover a "Special Collection" of Titanic artifacts at the local museum. But the artifacts have more power than they know. When they touch a magic ticket, Tucker and Maya find themselves transported 100 years in the past -- to...

The Sinking of the Titanic, 1912

Code talker :
Bruchac, Joseph,
Paper Book
Throughout World War II, in the conflict fought against Japan, Navajo code talkers were a crucial part of the U.S. effort, sending messages back and forth in an unbreakable code that used their native language. They braved some of the heaviest fighting of the war, and with their code, they saved...

World War II

My brother Sam is dead /
Collier, James Lincoln,
Paper Book
Winner of the Newbery Honor, the Revolutionary War comes alive in this contemporary classic for young adults. The Revolutionary War had no clear-cut loyalties--it divided families, friends, and towns. Young Tim Meeker's sixteen-year-old brother goes off to fight with the Patriots...

Revolutionary War

The journey of little Charlie
Curtis, Christopher Paul
Paper Book
Newbery Medalist Christopher Paul Curtis brings his trademark humor and heart to the story of a boy struggling to do right in the face of history's cruelest evils.The National Book Award finalist by Christopher Paul Curtis!Twelve-year-old Charlie is down on his luck: His sharecropper father...

Civil War

Catherine, called Birdy
Cushman, Karen.
Paper Book
A 1995 Newbery Honor Book  Catherine, a spirited and inquisitive young woman of good family, narrates in diary form the story of her fourteenth year--the year 1290. A Newbery Honor Book.

Middle Ages

The journal of William Thomas Emerson, a Revolutionary War patriot /
Denenberg, Barry.
Paper Book
Set in Massachusetts, this is the story of a boy surrounded by the politics and violence of war, who becomes a spy for the rebel colonists.

Revolutionary War

When will this cruel war be over? :
Denenberg, Barry.
Paper Book
The peaceful Southern life that Emma Simpson and her family have always known is shattered when the Civil War begins. Emma's father and brother are called to battle, but her family believes the Confederacy will quickly win the War between the States. However, as the months drag on, the harsh...

Civil War

Betsy Zane, the rose of Fort Henry /
Durrant, Lynda,
Paper Book
Thirteen-year-old Betsy Zane is bored with her privileged life in Philadelphia, bored with her great-aunt's stories about the old days, and bored with trying to be a lady. She longs to rejoin her brothers at the family homestead along the Ohio River, where she can finally be free to enjoy the...

Revolutionary War

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...

Revolutionary War

The inquisitor's tale, or, The three magical children and their holy dog
Gidwitz, Adam
Paper Book
A Newbery Honor Book Winner of the Sydney Taylor Book Award An exciting and hilarious medieval adventure from the bestselling author of A Tale Dark and Grimm. Beautifully illustrated throughout by Hatem Aly!  ★ A New York Times...

Middle Ages

Lily's crossing /
Giff, Patricia Reilly.
Paper Book
This year, as in other years, Lily has planned a spectacular summer in Rockaway, in her family's cozy house on stilts over the Atlantic Ocean. But by the summer of 1944, World War II has changed almost everyone's life. Lily's best friend, Margaret, and her family have moved to a wartime factory town...

World War II

Allies /
Gratz, Alan,
Paper Book
  "A rousing and humane tribute to D-Day troops" -New York Times Book Review From Alan Gratz, the highly acclaimed, New York Times bestselling author of the blockbuster Refugee, comes another thrilling multi-perspective novel, this time centered around D-Day. D-Day,...

World War II

Grenade /
Gratz, Alan,
Paper Book
Here it is! The hugely anticipated follow-up to Gratz's NYT bestselling, critically acclaimed phenomenon REFUGEE. This is another searing and heart-pounding look at kids making their way through war.A New York Times bestseller!It's 1945, and the world is in the grip of war.Hideki lives...

World War II

Lafayette! :
Hale, Nathan,
Paper Book
Meet French nobleman and American Revolutionary War hero the Marquis de Lafayette in author-illustrator Nathan Hale's New York Times bestselling Hazard Tales graphic novel series. STARRED REVIEW *"Action-packed. . . . A must-buy." --School Library Journal...

Revolutionary War

Treaties, trenches, mud, and blood /
Hale, Nathan,
Paper Book
Learn about the most well-known battles (and little-known secrets) of World War I with author-illustrator Nathan Hale's Treaties, Trenches, Mud, and Blood, a Hazardous Tale from the New York Times bestselling graphic novel series. "These books are, quite...

World War I

The watcher
Harlow, Joan Hiatt
Paper Book
After Wendy is kidnapped by her own mother, the only way she can survive wartime Germany is with the help of a special dog and the family she never knew she had in this historically accurate, standalone companion to Shadows on the Sea. 1942. Berlin, Germany. How did Wendy...

World War II

A light in the storm :
Hesse, Karen.
Paper Book
Newbery Medal winner Karen Hesse's Civil War diary, A LIGHT IN THE STORM, is now back in print with a beautiful new cover! In 1861, Amelia Martin's father is stripped of his post as a ship's captain when he is caught harboring the leader of a slave rebellion. Now he is an assistant...

Civil War

Across five Aprils /
Hunt, Irene.
Paper Book
The Newbery Award-winning author of Up a Road Slowly presents the unforgettable story of Jethro Creighton--a brave boy who comes of age during the turbulent years of the Civil War. In 1861, America is on the cusp of war, and young Jethro Creighton is just nine-years...

Civil War

A place to belong
Kadohata, Cynthia
Paper Book
A Kirkus Reviews Best Middle Grade Book of 2019 A Japanese-American family, reeling from their ill treatment in the Japanese internment camps, gives up their American citizenship to move back to Hiroshima, unaware of the devastation wreaked by the atomic bomb in this...

World War II

Rifles for Watie
Keith, Harold
Paper Book
Winner of the Newbery Medal * An ALA Notable Children's Book * Winner of the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award A captivating and richly detailed novel about one young soldier who saw the Civil War from both sides and lived to tell the tale. Earnest, plain-spoken sixteen-year-old Jeff Bussey...

Civil War

Unsinkable /
Korman, Gordon.
Paper Book
The ultimate action/adventure trilogy begins, with #1 bestselling author Gordon Korman plunging readers into the heart of the Titanic.The Titanic is meant to be unsinkable, but as it begins its maiden voyage, there's plenty of danger waiting for four of its young passengers. Paddy is a stowaway,...

The Sinking of the Titanic, 1912

Dash /
Larson, Kirby.
Paper Book
New from Newbery Honor author Kirby Larson, the moving story of a Japanese-American girl who is separated from her dog upon being sent to an incarceration camp during WWII.Although Mitsi Kashino and her family are swept up in the wave of anti-Japanese sentiment following the attack on Pearl Harbor,...

World War II

Faceless
Lasky, Kathryn
Paper Book
Newbery Honor winner Kathryn Lasky, author of the Guardians of Ga'hoole series, delivers a riveting adventure about young British spies on a secret mission in Germany in WWII.  "Fascinating and riveting, especially for history buffs and spy aficionados." --Kirkus ...

World War II

A ceiling made of eggshells
Levine, Gail Carson
Paper Book
In A Ceiling Made of Eggshells, Newbery Honor-winning author Gail Carson Levine tells a moving and ambitious story set during the expulsion of Jews from Spain, about a young Jewish girl full of heart who must play her own role in her people's epic history--no matter the sacrifice.<...

Middle Ages

Number the stars.
Lowry, Lois,
Paper Book
The unforgettable Newbery Medal-winning novel from Lois Lowry. As the German troops begin their campaign to "relocate" all the Jews of Denmark, Annemarie Johansen's family takes in Annemarie's best friend, Ellen Rosen, and conceals her as part of the family. Through the eyes of ten-year...

World War II

Winnie's great war /
Mattick, Lindsay.
Paper Book
From the creative team behind the bestselling, Caldecott Medal--winning Finding Winnie comes an extraordinary wartime adventure seen through the eyes of the world's most beloved bear. Here is a heartwarming imagining of the real journey undertaken by the extraordinary bear...

World War I

Snow treasure
McSwigan, Marie
Paper Book
An actual incident in which Norwegian children smuggled gold past the Nazis is the basis for this story of courage and patriotism.

World War II

War horse
Morpurgo, Michael.
Paper Book
An unforgettable tale of war, redemption, and a hero's journey. War Horse joins the Scholastic Gold line, which features award-winning and beloved novels. Includes exclusive bonus content! It is 1914, and Joey, a farm horse, is sold to the army and thrust into the...

World War I

The journal of James Edmond Pease, a Civil War Union soldier /
Murphy, Jim,
Paper Book
Newbery Honor author Jim Murphy portrays the brave and rigorous army life of a 16-year-old Union soldier who has been ordered by his commanding officer to keep a written record of G Company during the most brutal years of the Civil War.

Civil War

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...

The Sinking of the Titanic, 1912

Lines of courage /
Nielsen, Jennifer A.
Paper Book
Jennifer A. Nielsen, award-winning author of A Night Divided and Rescue, artfully weaves together the stories of five kids living through World War I, each of whom holds the key to the others' futures... if they are lucky -- and brave -- enough to find each other. "A...

World War I

White bird :
Palacio, R. J.
Paper Book
Now a major motion picture, starring Helen Mirren and Gillian Anderson! R. J. Palacio's unforgettable graphic novel debut is a story about the power of kindness and unrelenting courage in a time of war. SYDNEY TAYLOR AWARD WINNER * A NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR...

World War II

Woods runner /
Paulsen, Gary,
Paper Book
Samuel, 13, spends his days in the forest, hunting for food for his family. He has grown up on the frontier of a British colony, America. Far from any town, or news of the war against the King that American patriots have begun near Boston. But the war comes to them. British soldiers and...

Revolutionary War

The mostly true adventures of Homer P. Figg /
Philbrick, Rodman (W. Rodman),
Paper Book
A dramatic, witty Civil War tale from bestselling author Rodman Philbrick.Master storyteller Rodman Philbrick takes readers on a colorful journey as young Homer Figg sets off to follow his brother into the thick of the Civil War. Through a series of fascinating events, Homer's older brother has been...

Civil War

A whale in Paris :
Presley, Daniel,
Paper Book
A hopeful and heroic girl befriends a small, lost whale during World War II and together they embark on a journey to liberate France and find their families in this charming debut novel. Ever since the Germans became the unwelcome "guests" of Paris in the early days of World War...

World War II

Noelle at sea : a Titanic survival story
Smith, Nikki Shannon
Paper Book
Thirteen-year-old Noelle feels like the luckiest girl in the world to be cruising the Atlantic aboard the famed Titanic. The trip is made even better by her new friend, Pauline, a girl who is traveling with her father to live in America. The girls spend the first days of the journey exploring, but...

The Sinking of the Titanic, 1912

Milkweed :
Spinelli, Jerry.
Paper Book
He’s a boy called Jew. Gypsy. Stopthief. Runt. Happy. Fast. Filthy son of Abraham. He’s a boy who lives in the streets of Warsaw. He’s a boy who steals food for himself and the other orphans. He’s a boy who believes in bread, and mothers, and angels. He’s a boy who...

World War II

The sinking of the Titanic, 1912 /
Tarshis, Lauren.
Paper Book
The most terrifying events in history are brought vividly to life in this New York Times-bestselling series!Ten-year-old George Calder can't believe his luck -- he and his little sister, Phoebe, are on the famous Titanic, crossing the ocean with their Aunt Daisy. The ship is full of exciting...

The Sinking of the Titanic, 1912

I survived the American Revolution, 1776 /
Tarshis, Lauren.
Paper Book
Bestselling author Lauren Tarshis tackles the American Revolution in this latest installment of the groundbreaking, New York Times bestselling I Survived series.British soldiers were everywhere. There was no escape.Nathaniel Fox never imagined he'd find himself in the middle of a blood...

Revolutionary War

I survived the Battle of Gettysburg, 1863 /
Tarshis, Lauren.
Paper Book
The bloodiest battle in American history is under way . . .It's 1863, and Thomas and his little sister, Birdie, have fled the farm where they were born and raised as slaves. Following the North Star, looking for freedom, they soon cross paths with a Union soldier. Everything changes: Corporal Henry...

Civil War

I survived the Nazi invasion, 1944 :
Tarshis, Lauren.
Paper Book
A beautifully rendered graphic novel adaptation of Lauren Tarshis's bestselling I Survived the Nazi Invasion, 1944, with text adapted by Georgia Ball and art by Álvaro Sarraseca. It's been years since the Nazis invaded Max Rosen's home country of Poland. All the Jewish people, including...

World War II

I survived the Nazi invasion,1944 /
Tarshis, Lauren.
Paper Book
One of the darkest periods in history...In a Jewish ghetto, Max Rosen and his sister Zena struggle to live after their father is taken away by the Nazis. With barely enough food to survive, the siblings make a daring escape from Nazi soldiers into the nearby forest.Max and Zena are brought to a safe...

World War II

Voyage on the great Titanic :
White, Ellen Emerson.
Paper Book
Written from the point of view of a young passenger aboard the ill-fated Titanic, this title combines an award-winning series with the "disaster of the century".

The Sinking of the Titanic, 1912

Wolf Hollow : a novel
Wolk, Lauren
Paper Book
A Newbery Honor Book New York Times Bestseller "Wolf Hollow has stayed with me long after I closed the book. It has the feel of an instant classic." --Linda Sue Park, Newbery Medalist and New York Times bestselling author of ...

World War I


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