Children's Book Suggestions | Historical Fiction 2025

Some of our favorite new historical fiction books that arrived at the library in 2024! Browse the library catalog for more historical fiction or take a look at last year's recommendation list. Nonfiction is also a great choice for readers interested in history. Biographies are shelved in 921 and history in 930-999.

Updated February 15, 2025
LINCC (Libraries in Clackamas County) Oregon City Public Library
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One big open sky
Cline-Ransome, Lesa
Paper Book
A Newbery Honor Book Three women narrate a perilous wagon journey westward that could set them free--or cost them everything they have--in this intergenerational verse novel that explores the history of the Black homesteader movement. 1879, Mississippi. Young dreamer...
Max in the house of spies
Gidwitz, Adam
Paper Book
An acclaimed Best Book of 2024! Instant New York Times bestseller . Wall Street Journal Best Books of the Year . Booklist Editors' Choice . Publishers Weekly Best Books of the Year . School Library Journal Best Books of the Year . Common Sense Best Books...

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

The (mostly) true story of Cleopatra's needle
Gutman, Dan
Paper Book
From the author of the My Weird School books, an adventure story that spans centuries and continents. In Central Park, New York, stands Cleopatra's Needle. But what do you know about? Did you know that thousands of people worked in 1461 BCE to build it? Then hundreds more...

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

Lion of the sky
Hemnani, Ritu
Paper Book
An evocative historical novel in verse about a boy and his family who are forced to flee their home and become refugees after the British Partition of India. Perfect for fans of Other Words for Home.  Twelve-year-old Raj is happiest flying kites with his best friend,...

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

Safiyyah's war
Khan, Hiba Noor
Paper Book
Inspired by the true story of how the Grand Mosque of Paris saved the lives of hundreds of Jews during World War II, this breathtaking tale of suspense, compassion, and courage stars an extraordinary young heroine readers will never forget. "A riveting read for children and adults alike." -...

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

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...

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

The night war
Bradley, Kimberly Brubaker
Paper Book
From the two-time Newbery Honor-winning author of The War That Saved My Life and Fighting Words comes a middle grade novel set at the border between freedom and fear in World War II France, at the Chateau de Chenonceau, where a Jewish girl who has lost everything but her life must...

Young Teen Fiction (Grades 5-7)

The selkie's daughter
Brennan, Linda Crotta
Paper Book
A cozy, richly imagined fantasy where a young selkie girl must save her family from a vengeful king. Brigit knows all the old fisherman songs and legends by heart: sea goddess, warriors, and people who are not quite human. But Brigit also knows the truth. It's evident in the...

Young Teen Fiction (Grades 5-7)

Warrior on the mound
Headen, Sandra W.
Paper Book
This intense, evocative story of racial unrest in prewar North Carolina ends with a dramatic match between white and Black little league teams. 1935. Twelve-year-old Cato wants nothing more than to play baseball, perfect his pitch, and meet Mr. Satchel Paige--the best pitcher in...

Young Teen Fiction (Grades 5-7)

Code name Kingfisher
Kessler, Liz
Paper Book
"A stirring story that will give any reader a boost of bravery in the face of adversity." --Booklist A young girl learns of her grandmother and great-aunt's involvement in the Dutch Resistance during World War II in this "intense story, gorgeously told" (School...

Young Teen Fiction (Grades 5-7)

Uprising
Nielsen, Jennifer A.
Paper Book
#1 New York Times bestselling author of Iceberg, Jennifer A. Nielsen inspires readers with a brand-new thriller based on the remarkable true story of a young Polish girl who bravely fought, participating in the Warsaw city uprising, and took a stand in the name of freedom.<...

Young Teen Fiction (Grades 5-7)

The Bletchley riddle
Sepetys, Ruta
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.

Young Teen Fiction (Grades 5-7)


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