Topics+in+Historical+Fiction

What are some topics that you can expect to find in historical fiction (such as Civil Rights, Great Depression, War, Ancient Times, Native Americans, Immigrants)?
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//Added by Pat Henderson// The topics you will find in historical fiction are very diverse, just as history itself. Since their purpose is to bring history alive through plot and characters, some characters in historical fiction seem absolutely real. When children relate to the character, and can experience the historical time through the character, they tend to understand the context better.

Historical fiction for children often includes topics that follow the History and Social Studies standards: World Civilizations, Pilgrims, Colonial period, Revolutionary period, Native Americans, Pioneer period, Civil War, Immigration, Industrial period, World War I and II, Civil Rights. Here are a few examples: World Civilizations – __A Single Shard__ by Linda Sue Park, __Crispin: The Cross of Lead__ by Avi

Colonial – __Fever 1793__ by Laurie Halse Anderson

Revolutionary – __My Brother Sam Is Dead__ by Christopher Collier and James Lincoln Collier

Pioneer period – __ Seaman's Adventures With Lewis And Clark __ by Duncan Brown, __My Name Is Seaman__ by Jean Carol Davis and Julie Hartwig Native Americans – __The Sign of the Beaver__ by Elizabeth George Speare Civil War – __Bull Run__ by Paul Fleischmann Early 20th century – __Voyage on the Great Titanic : The Diary of Margaret Ann Brady, R.M.S. Titanic, 1912__ by Ellen Emerson White World War II – __Fire In the Hills__ by Donna Jo Napoli, __Number the Stars__ by Lois Lowry Civil Rights – __The Bus Ride That Changed History: The Story of Rosa Parks__ by Pamela Duncan Edwards

Historical fiction is so rich and varied because the world’s history is so rich and varied and therefore there are as many historical fiction subjects as there are historical occurrences. Reading historical fiction is a wonderful way for children to learn about people who have changed the world, and about the people who lives were affected by these changes. When a child can share the experiences of a historical character, history is brought to life for them in a new and important way. Children love a story that is quirky, intriguing, and maybe a little bit scary. The story could be from anytime in our past history, from ancient times to recent history and it could be from the point of view of people of different ages, genders and social classes. Children might want to read about pirates, such as in //Blackbeard’s Last Fight//, by Eric Kimmel, or they might want to read about Lewis and Clark’s travels. In //Lewis and Clark and Me: A Dog’s Tale,// by Laurie Myers and Michael Dooling, the story is even told from a dog’s point of view. They might want to read a story about two children who are affected by a labor strike, as in Katherine Patterson’s //Bread and Roses, too//, or they may want to learn about what it was like to work in a mill, as in //Lyddie,// also by Katherine Patterson. Some of the other topics one would expect to find in historical fiction are slavery, the Pilgrims, important sports figures, Colonial America, the Old West and pioneers, Old England with its kings and queens and common people, the sinking of the Titanic, presidents, artists and musicians, and the Holocaust. Whatever the subject, the past and its people should come alive in a way in which children can find some meaning in their own lives.

Donna E. Norton, //Through the Eyes of a Child, An Introduction to Children’s Literature.// Upper Saddle River, N.J., Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1999.

Jenson, Jennifer, //Historical Fiction for Children,// 30 June 2007, [|www.suite101.com].