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 May 7, 2026
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Hattie Mae Begins Again
Flake, Sharon.
Paper Book
From the three-time Coretta Scott King Honor winning author of The Skin I'm In comes a poignant story about a southern girl far from home at an elite girls boarding school in the north, who must find the courage to be herself and to dream of a brighter future, set against the backdrop of...
Magnitude
Nielsen, Jennifer A.
Paper Book
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Iceberg and The Free State of Jax comes the harrowing story of the fight for survival during the Great San Francisco Earthquake of 1906 and the desperate race to find survivors. San Francisco, 1906. When...
The lions' run
Pennypacker, Sara
Paper Book
A New York Times and Indie Bestseller * Six starred reviews "A page-turning and ultimately triumphant tale of heroism."** "Thrilling and gut-punching."*** An orphan during WWII discovers unexpected courage within himself when he joins the...
The Road from Nowhere
Avi
Paper Book
Inside one of America's most troubled periods of economic crisis, The Road From Nowhere, from master storyteller and Newbery medalist Avi, is both a tightly plotted adventure and a big-hearted tale of boyhood that explores what it means to put a name to the feelings we're taught to push down...
The secrets of Lovelace Academy
Benedict, Marie
Paper Book
"A charming tale weaving in historical events, epic adventure, and a coming-of-age story that readers will devour." --Gayle Forman, bestselling author of Not Nothing From New York Times bestselling author Marie Benedict and Courtney Sheinmel comes a historical...
War games
Gratz, Alan
Paper Book
An instant #1 New York Times bestseller! A USA Today bestseller A Publishers Weekly bestseller From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Refugee and Heroes comes this heart-pounding, high-stakes take on...
The Bletchley Riddle
Sepetys, Ruta/ Sheinkin, Steve
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * A thrilling mystery and collaboration between award-winning and bestselling authors Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin! This historical adventure follows two siblings at Bletchley Park, the home of WWII codebreakers, as they try to unravel a mystery surrounding...
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 a searing and breathtaking story of a boy, a village, and the epic odyssey of an African family. In his village in Upper Kwanta, 11-year-old Kofi loves his...
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...
A song for Harlem
McKissack, Pat
Paper Book
Harlem in its heydayathe 1920sais the backdrop for the next Scraps of Time story. For Lilly Belle, athe capital of Black Americaa is about as far from her hometown of Smyrna, Tennessee, as a twelve-year-old can getamaybe not in miles but certainly in mind set. A summer program for gifted young...
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 : James Town 1607
Carbone, Elisa
Paper Book
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 ship 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...
Allies /
Gratz, Alan,
Paper Book
A 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 quest to...
Miracles on Maple Hill
Sorensen, Virginia
Paper Book
1957 Newbery Medal Winner Marly and her family share many adventures when they move from the city to a farmhouse on Maple Hill.
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
An actual incident in which Norwegian children smuggled gold past the Nazis is the basis for this story of courage and patriotism.
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...
Light and air /
Wendell, Mindy Nichols
Paper Book
It's 1935, and tuberculosis is ravaging the nation. Everyone is afraid of this deadly respiratory illness. But what happens when you actually have it? When Halle and her mother both come down with TB, they are shunned--and then they are sent to the J.N. Adam Tuberculosis...
Willow Run /
Giff, Patricia Reilly
Paper Book
1944 Meggie Dillon’s life has been turned upside down by World War II. Her older brother Eddie enlisted and was shipped off to fight in Europe. And people say that anywhere else Grandpa would be turned in because he’s German, and people might think he’s a spy. Is it true? Could...
The war that saved my life /
Bradley, Kimberly Brubaker.
Paper Book
* Newbery Honor Book * Forbes 25 Top Historical Fiction Books Of All Time selection * #1 New York Times Bestseller * Winner of the Schneider Family Book Award * 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...
The button war :
Avi,
Paper Book
Renowned, award-winning author Avi pens a stark, unflinching tale of ordinary boys living in wartime as tensions -- and desperations -- mount among them. Twelve-year-old Patryk knows little of the world beyond his tiny Polish village; the Russians have occupied the land for as...
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...
The trumpeter of Krakow
Kelly, Eric Philbrook,
Paper Book
For well over thirty years, Eric P. Kelly's Newbery Award winner has brought the color and romance of ancient times to young readers. Today, The Trumpeter of Krakow is as absorbing and dramatic as when it was first published in 1928. Filled with mystery and excitement, the book is much more than a...
Hachiko waits
Newman, Lesléa
Paper Book
"Profoundly sad and hopeful at the same time . . . Hachiko Waits shows us the very best in life; loyalty, devotion, our ability to love-all taught by a beloved, intelligent, and heroic dog. I love it." -Patricia MacLachlan, Newbery Award-winning author of Sarah Plain and Tall The...
How high the moon /
Parsons, Karyn,
Paper Book
To Kill a Mockingbird meets One Crazy Summer in this powerful, bittersweet novel about one girl's journey to reconnect with her mother and learn the truth about her father in the tumultuous times of the Jim Crow South. "Timely, captivating, and lovely. So glad...
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
Paper Book
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...
The songbird and the Rambutan tree /
Abendanon, Lucille,
Paper Book
Batavia, Dutch East Indies, 1942.Emmy has the voice of an angel but hasn't sung a note since a family tragedy. With war looming, her father plans to ship her off to a singing school in England for safety. But all Emmy wants to do is stay in Batavia with her best friend, Bakti, even if it means...
A night divided
Nielsen, Jennifer A.
Paper Book
A stunning thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of Iceberg, Jennifer A. Nielsen, A Night Divided is about a girl who must escape to freedom after the Berlin Wall divides her family between east and west. A Night Divided joins the...
All the greys on Greene Street /
Tucker, Laura,
Paper Book
"A dazzling debut novel about resilience, courage, home and family."--Rebecca Stead, Newbery Award-winning author of When You Reach Me SoHo, 1981. Twelve-year-old Olympia is an artist--and in her neighborhood, that's normal. Her dad and his business partner Apollo bring...
Arch of bone /
Yolen, Jane
Paper Book
Continuing the story from where Moby Dick left off, this compelling boyhood adventure, penned by beloved author Jane Yolen (Owl Moon), hearkens to timeless coming of age tales of yore. Lovingly illustrated by Ruth Sanderson, the journey of a boy and his dog comes to life on the page, renewing the...
The Windeby puzzle :
Lowry, Lois
Paper Book
Newbery Medalist and New York Times bestselling author Lois Lowry transports readers to an Iron Age world through the suspenseful dual narrative of a boy and girl both battling to survive. In an utterly one-of-a-kind blend of fiction and history, a master storyteller explores the mystery and life...
The lost year /
Marsh, Katherine.
Paper Book
*A National Book Award Finalist* From the author of Nowhere Boy - called "a resistance novel for our times" by The New York Times - comes a brilliant middle-grade survival story that traces a harrowing family secret back to the Holodomor, a terrible famine that...
Light comes to shadow mountain /
Buzzeo, Toni.
Paper Book
Cora Mae Tipton is determined to light up her Appalachian community in this historical fiction novel from an award-winning author and former librarian. It's 1937 and the government is pushing to bring electricity to the mountains of southeastern Kentucky. It's all Cora can think...
The lucky ones /
Jackson, Linda Williams
Paper Book
Award-winning author Linda Williams Jackson pulls from her own childhood in the Mississippi Delta to tell the story of Ellis Earl, who dreams of a real house, food enough for the whole family--and to be someone. It's 1967, and eleven-year-old Ellis Earl Brown has big dreams. He's...
Eureka
Chang, Victoria
Paper Book
For fans of Inside Out and Back Again, Other Words for Home, and A Place to Hang the Moon -- Eureka is a gorgeous and emotionally resonant novel-in-verse by multiple-award-winning poet Victoria Chang that sensitively and lyrically renders the tragic events...
Danilo was here
Burgess, Tamika
Paper Book
From the acclaimed author of Sincerely Sicily, Tamika Burgess, comes a timely coming-of-age story about a young boy's fight to save his family and his dreams in the aftermath of the US military invasion of Panamá. Perfect for fans of Janae Marks, Adrianna Cuevas, and Chrystal D....
Junius Leak and the Spiraling Vortex of Doom
Wolf, Allan
Stand-alone player
Where only storms grow
Colman, Alyssa
Paper Book
SCHNEIDER FAMILY BOOK AWARD WINNER ● For Fans of the I Survived series and The War That Saved My Life, this gripping middle grade novel is set during one of the most dangerous storms in American history. It's been four years since rain fell on the Oklahoma...
The peach thief
Smith, Linda Joan
Paper Book
"Nuanced, richly atmospheric, and exquisitely written." --Kirkus Reviews (starred review) This shimmering middle-grade debut set in 1850s Lancashire, England, explores longing, belonging, and the courage it takes to find your place--and bloom. The night...
Will's race for home : a western
Rhodes, Jewell Parker
Paper Book
★ Winner of the Coretta Scott King Book Award! ★ ★ A New York Times bestseller! ★ ★ "Rhodes deftly captures a unique ­aspect of this historical event, with a perspective...
The blossoming summer
Johnson, Anna Rose
Paper Book
When English thirteen-year-old Rosemary is evacuated to her grandmother in America at the start of World War II, she uncovers the family secret--they are Anishinaabe and passing as white. Life in England is all Rosemary has ever known. . . but as WWII changes the world, no one's...
The Teacher of Nomad Land: A World War II Story
Nayeri, Daniel
Paper Book
Winner of the National Book Award * Named Amazon's #1 Children's Book of 2025    In the shadow of World War II, two orphaned siblings embark on a perilous journey across the mountains of Iran--where survival depends on finding a common language in a world torn...
A Sea of Lemon Trees: The Corrido of Roberto Alvarez
Aguila, Maria Dolores
Paper Book
This Newbery Honor-winning book is based on the true story of Roberto Alvarez and the Lemon Grove Incident. Vivid and uplifting, this middle grade debut novel-in-verse follows one young child's courage to stand up for what is right, and the determination of the Mexican community. Perfect for...

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