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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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 * #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

The arrow over the door /
Bruchac, Joseph,
Paper Book
A powerful novel of the Revolutionary WarTo fourteen-year-old Samuel Russell, called "coward" for his peace-loving Quaker beliefs, the summer of 1777 is a time of fear. The British and the Patriots will soon meet in battle near his home in Saratoga, New York. The Quakers are in danger from roaming...

Revolutionary War

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
Recounts the tragedy that strikes the Meeker family during the Revolution when one son joins the rebel forces while the rest of the family tries to stay neutral in a Tory town.

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
"Corpus Bones I utterly loathe my life." Catherine feels trapped. Her father is determined to marry her off to arich man--any rich man, no matter how awful. But by wit, trickery, and luck, Catherine manages to send several would-be husbands packing. Then a shaggy-bearded suitor from the north...

Middle Ages

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

Genevieve's war /
Giff, Patricia Reilly.
Paper Book
In this companion to the Newbery Honor-winning Lily's Crossing, thirteen-year-old Genevieve risks everything to defy the Nazis and join the French Resistance. Winner of the Christopher Award! It's not always thinking of being happy. Doing the...

World War II

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 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

Hear the wind blow
Hahn, Mary Downing.
Paper Book
On a cold, snowy night, Haswell Magruder makes a decision that will have a profound effect on his own life as well as the lives of all those he loves. A wounded Confederate soldier appears at the family’s Virginia farm, and Haswell convinces his mother and sister to take the man in, despite...

Civil War

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

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

Hero on a bicycle /
Hughes, Shirley,
Paper Book
In her first novel, beloved author Shirley Hughes presents a World War II adventure proving that in extraordinary circumstances, people are capable of extraordinary things. Italy, 1944: Florence is occupied by Nazi forces. The Italian resistance movement has not given up hope,...

World War II

Across five Aprils /
Hunt, Irene.
Paper Book

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
Jeff Bussey walked briskly up the rutted wagon road toward Fort Leavenworth on his way to join the Union volunteers. It was 1861 in Linn County, Kansas, and Jeff was elated at the prospect of fighting for the North at last. In the Indian country south of Kansas there was dread in the air; and...

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

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

The Mad Wolf's daughter
Magras, Diane
Paper Book
***A New York Times Editors' Choice*** A Scottish medieval adventure about the youngest in a war-band who must free her family from a castle prison after knights attack her home--with all the excitement of Ranger's Apprentice and perfect for fans of heroines like Alanna from...

Middle Ages

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

The bicycle spy
McDonough, Yona Zeldis
Paper Book
Can Marcel make the ride of his life?Marcel loves riding his bicycle, whether he's racing through the streets of his small town in France or making bread deliveries for his parents' bakery. He dreams of someday competing in the Tour de France, the greatest bicycle race. But ever since Germany's...

World War II

D-Day : battle on the beach
Messner, Kate
Paper Book
Ranger, the time-traveling golden retriever with search-and-rescue training, heads to Normandy during World War II!In this adventure, Ranger heads to Normandy on the morning of the D-Day invasion and finds himself in the middle of one of the fiercest battles of World War II. Ranger meets Leo, a...

World War II

War horse
Morpurgo, Michael.
Audiobook
A powerful tale of war, redemption, and a hero's journey.Format: 4 CDs, Unabridged Narrator: TBA In 1914, Joey, a beautiful bay-red foal with a distinctive cross on his nose, is sold to the army and thrust into the midst of the war on the Western Front. With his officer, he...

World War I

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

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
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 places to explore, but when George ventures into the first class storage cabin, a terrible boom shakes the entire...

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-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

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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