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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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 * 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...

World War II

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

The Titanic
Charman, Katrina
Paper Book
Pets face danger on the Titanic in the first thrilling installment of the Survival Tails, perfect for readers of I Survived and Ranger in Time! When loyal dog Mutt discovers that his owner and best friend Alice is set to board the RMS Titanic without him, he is...

The Sinking of the Titanic, 1912

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 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

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 profound and ambitious tour de force....

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 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

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

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
Each succeeding spring brings a young Illinois boy closer to manhood as he faces the harsh realities of the American Civil War.

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

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 heroes stood tall . . . on four legs...

World War I and World War II

Tennessee Rose /
Kendall, Jane F.
Paper Book
Alabama, 1856. Tennessee Rose is a dark bay Tennessee Walking Horse with a rose-shaped marking on her forehead. She loves dashing around the plantation in the running walk that her breed is famous for, then coming back to her comfortable stall and her friend Levi, the slave boy who is her groom. But...

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 "A page-turner...

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

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

Snow treasure
McSwigan, Marie
Paper Book
During the Nazi occupation of his village, Peter and the other children have to slip past Nazi guards with gold hidden on their sleds.

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

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

War horse
Morpurgo, Michael.
Paper Book
A powerful tale of war, redemption, and a hero's journey. 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 charges toward the enemy, witnessing 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.
Stand-alone player

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

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

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

Stolen girl :
Skrypuch, Marsha Forchuk.
Paper Book
A companion to Making Bombs for Hitler and The War Below, this novel follows a Ukrainian girl who was kidnapped as a child to be raised by a Nazi family.Nadia is haunted by World War II. Her memories of the war are messy, coming back to her in pieces and flashes she can't control....

World War II

Trapped in Hitler's web /
Skrypuch, Marsha Forchuk.
Paper Book
Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch (author of Making Bombs for Hitler and Stolen Girl) delivers a gripping story about the bonds of friendship forged in the perils 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...

World War II

The war below :
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...

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
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...

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 A Kirkus Reviews Best Middle Grade Book of the Century "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...

World War I


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