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

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 * #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...

World War II

Code talker : a novel about the Navajo Marines of World War Two
Bruchac, Joseph
Paper Book
"Readers who choose the book for the attraction of Navajo code talking and the heat of battle will come away with more than they ever expected to find."-Booklist, starred review Throughout World War II, in the conflict fought against Japan, Navajo code talkers were a...

World War II

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

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...

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 plot to kill a queen :
Hopkinson, Deborah.
Paper Book
Publishers Weekly calls this utterly charming, deftly crafted mystery about an intrepid young girl's quest to foil a plot to assassinate Queen Elizabeth I "worthy of a standing ovation". Emilia Bassano is a girl who relishes the music of words. Although she plays the lute and...

Middle Ages

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

Dogs of war
Keenan, Sheila.
Paper Book
Sheila Keenan's captivating stories paired with Nathan Fox's stunning art bring the heroic military actions of man's best friend to life! Some war heroes heard wind whistling over a hidden trip wire. Some war heroes sniffed out a sniper 1,000 yards away. Some war...

World War I and World War II

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

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

Love to everyone
McKay, Hilary
Paper Book
A Boston Globe Best Book of 2018 A Horn Book Best Book of 2018 "Vivid, hilarious, and heartbreaking." --Elizabeth Wein, New York Times bestselling author of Code Name Verity "The best children's book I've read this...

World War I

Disaster on the Titanic
Messner, Kate
Paper Book
Ranger, the time-traveling golden retriever with search-and-rescue training, finds himself in 1912... on board the Titanic!Everyone says the Titanic is unsinkable, and Patrick Murphy believes this most of all. He grew up near the shipyard where the magnificent ship was built and...

The Sinking of the Titanic, 1912

The day the world stopped turning
Morpurgo, Michael
Paper Book
Michael Morpurgo's The Day the World Stopped Turning is a middle-grade novel about an extraordinary boy who sees the world differently. In the unique landscape of the Camargue (France) during World War II, Lorenzo lives among the salt flats and the flamingos. There are...

World War II

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 : a wonder story
Palacio, R. J.
Paper Book
Soon to be 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...

World War II

Village of scoundrels : based on a true story of courage during WWII
Preus, Margi
Paper Book
Newbery Honor recipient Margi Preus tells the incredible true story of a group of French teenagers who helped save refugees in WWII Based on the true story of the French villagers in WWII who saved thousands of Jews, this novel tells how a group of young teenagers stood up for what is right. Among...

World War II

Trapped in Hitler's web /
Skrypuch, Marsha Forchuk.
Paper Book
Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch, author of Making Bombs for Hitler, explores the bonds of friendship and family against the perilous backdrop of war.In the grip of World War II, Maria has realized that her Nazi-occupied Ukrainian town is no longer safe. Though she and her family might survive, her...

World War II

The war below : a novel
Skrypuch, Marsha Forchuk
Paper Book
This companion novel to Skrypuch's Making Bombs for Hitler follows a boy who joins the underground Ukrainian resistance in the fight against Hitler.The Nazis took Luka from his home in Ukraine and forced him into a labor camp. Now, Luka has smuggled himself out -- even though he left behind...

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

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-soaked...

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

The Nazi invasion, 1944
Ball, Georgia
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 Alvaro 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 : the diary of Margaret Ann Brady
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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