Presented by: Jemar B. Bales
Historical Fiction
 Historical fiction is a kind of a narrative that allows the
reader to go bay to a particular period. The characters of a
historical fiction may interact with characters known to
history. Events and themes of historical fiction depict
deter of the period as accurately as possible. However, the
authors are still allowed to be inventive in terms of
dialogues, scenes, and storyline. Social norms, the culture
and practices, the customs and traditions are captured in
the historical fiction prose. The characteristics of
historical fiction include an accurate representation of the
historical setting, the precise portrayal of characters that
represent how people behave during the period, close
depiction of past events in the plot. Historical fiction
allows readers to connect and understand the events in the
past. It makes readers relate with the issues and concerns
that the characters went through during the period
portrayed. Historical fiction for children includes Cue for
Treason by Geoffrey Trease, The Prince and the Pauper by
Mark Twain, The Story of the Amuler by E. Nesbit.
Cue for Treason Written by British author Geoffrey Trease
 Cue for Treason was set during the reign of Elizabeth I in
sixteenth-century England at the height of World War I it
depicted women's societal status during the period. The
story started with Peter, who was to be persecuted for
throwing a rock at the prestigious Sir Philip Morton with a
rock. He fled to Penrith and found himself watching a play.
He saw Sir Philip Morton in the audience. He hid in the
coffin, which was accidentally loaded into a wagon He was
discovered and hired as a boy actor. He met Kit, another
runaway boy actor who pretended to be a boy. Kit was
hiding from Sir Philip Morton being forced to marry for
money. Peter and Kit escaped to London and became the
apprentice of William Shakespeare. They went on a series
of adventures together. from stealing back a copy of
Shakespeare's stolen sonnet to discovering a plot of killing
the queen to rescuing the queen from the hands of Sir
Philip Morton. The Cue for Treason is a suitable literary
piece for children and adolescents to understand the
struggles of the peasants in the past, as well as, the lack
of freedom of women to excel in a male-dominated world.
The Prince and the Pauper
 Another historical fiction written to describe England during the
sixteenth century was The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain.
The story was about the identical Tom Canty, who was a pauper,
and Edward Tudor, the prince. With fates intervention, the two
switched their roles. Edward was mistakenly thrown out on the
strets while Tom took over his place, pretended to have lost his
memory, and irained. Edward was brought to Offal Court by Tom's
father but was able to escape, He was found by Miles Hendon,
who protected him. He was once lured into joining the band of
thieves yet rescued again by Miles. Both met several struggles
while they journeyed to London. They arrived the day before
Tom's coronation as King Edward VI. Edward stopped the
coronation by locating the royal seal. He was crowned as the
rightful king. He gave Miles the title of Earl and fulfill his promise
to Tom to honor him and his family. The story portrays England's
monarchy and hereditary advantage. The story further illustrates
the sufferings of people under unjust and cruel leaders. After
Edward experienced the suffering of living with the cruelest
rulers, he liberated England and liberalized the laws. The Prince
and the Pauper is a great historical fiction for children and
adolescents to peek through history and experience the historical
past through the lives of the characters in the story. The Prince
and the Pauper is an excellent material for children and
adolescents to peak through history and learn to maximize the
reading experience.
Types of Historical Fiction Historical fiction
 Types of Historical Fiction Historical fiction
include historical fantasy and alternate history.
As opposed to science fiction, fantasy is a genre
that shows supernatural and magical elements
that do not exist in the real world. The
characters are purely imagined and the narrative
is highly speculative. A well-developed and wellillustrated setting is a necessary element in
fantasy,
 Historical fantasy is a terminology used to refer
to a historical fiction that combines the
elements of fantasy and history. Historical
fantasy includes "The Bear and the Nightingale"
by Katherine Arden, "The Golem and the Jinni"
by Helene Wecker are among the many historical
fantasies.
The Bear and the Nightingale
 The Bear and the Nightingale is a Russian historical fantasy set in
ancient Russia when Conventional Christianity rejected the idea
of mystical figures. It introduced a girl named Vasya Petrovna
who can communicate with fantastical and mythological beings.
She fed them, talked to them, which made her weird to
onlookers. She was compassionate, curious but disappointed by
society, especially on how people treated women. A Winter King
demon and his brother Bear became interested in her. Vasya had
no apparent internal conflict, which is why the story is good for
young readers. It is also rich in lessons including a peek through
the past and women's position in society. It is a weave of rich
cultural, vibrant supernatural, physical and historical settings.
The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker
 The Golem and the Jinni is a story of two magical beings who met
in the streets of 1899 New York City. The Golem is a woman made
out of clay purposely seated to be a wife. While the Jinni is
previously trapped in a flask for years, she happened to be freed
accidentally. When they met, they realized that both were not
human. They were fascinated with each other and became
friends. The story portrays the migration of Catholic Jewish
workers to New York. As New ver lourished, people were inclined
to materialistic possessions. The story portrayed a desire for
peuple for material possessions as they find means to make
money casi They tried to use and control the Golem and the
Jinni, but the friendship of the n fantastical beings saved them
both.
Alternate history is a type of speculative
fiction where stories historically relevant yet
events are resolved differently. It offers the
reader possibilities and answers "what iS" or
assumptions in the stories. Alternate history
offers a time travel from one historical
period to another, which makes the setting
interesting. Therefore, the setting occurs at
no particular time or in no particular place,
an example of alternate historical fiction is
ink and Bone by Rachel Cain and Front Lines"
by Michael Grant.
Ink and Bone
 Ink and Bone is an alternate historical story that features
the Library of Alexandria. The Great Library is portrayed as
an influential force that controiled the flow of information
around the world. The story narrates the adventures of
Jess Brightwell, who filled himself with knowledge from
his reading. Since personal ownership of books from the
Great Library is forbidden. Jess reads books that are
illegally owned by his family, who trades in the black
market. His family sends him to the Great Library to be a
spy. He discovers that the knowledge obtained from the
Great Library is considered far more valuable than the
lives of humans. Many of his friends who sought to rescue
original books died or were killed including his best friend
Thomas, who started a printing press that the Library was
against. The story depicts the Great Library of Alexandria
that stood and was destroyed during the time of Julius
Caesar. It was one of the largest libraries I ancient history.
It was one of the institutions of Mouseion which were built
in hones of the goddesses of the arts. However, the story
Ink and Bone is set in the future between 2025 to 2030,
which is an alternate reality of the past..
Front Lines
 The Front Lines narrates a story of America
during World IL. The story shows the possibility
of allowing women to enlist for the wars. It
features the three valiant women characters;
one was a farmgirl from California, another was
a girl who was the breadwimer of the family, and
the third girl who wants to lil the Nazis With
their unique qualities, these women fight
bravely and triumph astonishing soldiers. The
Front Lines provided fresher perspectives and
offer ponsibilities of what could have happened
during the historical past. Exposing of children
and addlescans to alternate history develops
their creativity and allos? them to explore
possibilities.
Realistic Fiction
 Realistic fiction is considered a present-day fiction that represents. the
natural everyday occurrences of the real world, with a vivid and accurate
portrayal of the realistic setting. The stories mirror reality in fictional
characters. The plots emphasize personal issues, social events, or
concerns of everyday life. The themes depict parallel human experiences
that the author wants the readers to relate to and understand. Realistic
situations and problems are portrayed in the narratives; the solution is
believable. The narratives in realistic fiction are set in the recent past or
present. Authors of realistic fiction allow the readers to identify with the
characters through ordinary everyday language and everyday human
experiences. Examples of realistic fiction are J.D. Salinger's "The Cather
in the Rye." Louis Sachar's "Holes,' and Jeff Kinney's "Diary of a Wimpy
Kid."
Types of Realistic Fiction
 Realistic fiction includes family stories, social realism, survival,
detective or stories, and animal stories.
Family Stories
 Family stories feature the stories that most families encounter, such as
scheming, sibling rivalry, and reconciliation. These stories are patterned
after the Victorian ideals of a poor but virtuous family, with dutiful and
obedient children who draw their strengths from each other. An excellent
example of classic family stories that belong to realistic fiction is Louisa
May Alcott's "Little Women." It shows the realistic portrayal of the family
in 19 century America and Lucy Maud Montgomery's "Anne of Green
Gables."
Little Women
 Little Women features the four women daughters - Jo, Beth, Amy
and Meg - who was with their mother in New England when their
father served as a pastor during the civil war. The family slowly
lost fortune and was struggling. All the four had personal
struggles, Jo who wanted to be a writer, struggled to act as a
real-lady, Meg, who loved the finery, needed to follow her heart
and set aside her desired wealthy life, Beth needed to conquer
her diffidence, and Amy had to sacrifice her pride. The family
bond started to loosen when Amy had to go to Europe with her
aunt; Jo traveled to New York to pursue her writing career, and
Beth succumbed to sickness and died. The story was concluded
with Jo marrying a German expatriate. Professor Bhaer, while
Laurie and Amy tied the knot.
Stories of Social Realism
 The stories of social realism emphasize realistic stories of selfidentity, abuse, friendship, sexuality. and other social issues that
make up human development. Writers of social realism are
convinced to expose young minds to and realize to help them
leum and prepare them. Stories of social realism include time
Cather in the Rye" by ID Salinger that features a boy who refused
to grow The daretues of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain that
depicts the struggles or young people in sociey, "Of Mice and Men"
that involves the struggle between chasing dreams or love.
The Adventures of Huckleberry
 Fin Huckleberry Finn ran away from his alcoholic and abusive father.
Together with his friend Jim, he escaped. On their way, they met
several struggles one of which was from the hands of the con artists
pretending as aristocrats. Previously Huck's main concer was to free
himself from the physical, emotional, and mental constraints sociery
puts on his shoulder. Nevertheless, as soon as he knew Jim, he was
inclined to helping him. While he struggled for his freedom, he had
to free Jim from slavery. The Adventures of Huckleberry Fin exposes
young readers to harsh realities in society to teach them lessons and
let them see adversity in the characters eves. This will also allow
them to see the world as it is.
Survival Stories
 Like stories of social realism, survival stories deal with the realities
in life, specifically on the characters quest for survival. Most of the
time, the conflict is between man and his social realities or man
versus nature. Survival stories show characters" encounters with
cruel forces such as insensitive society or natural calamities. These
stories also depict how the characters survive and rise above
adversities. Examples of survival stories are "The Treasure Island" by
Robert Louis Stevenson that suggests the necessity for adventures for
people to grow, "Robinson Crusoe" by Daniel Defoe that highlights the
importance of resourcefulness, decision-making, faith, and hard
work to survive, "Island of the Blue Dolphins" by Scott O'Dell that
teaches the importance of sacrifice and suffering to learn in life and
conquer adversities.
The Island of Dolphins
 The Island of Dolphins deals with the 12-year-old girl named Karana, who
was stranded with her brother Ramo. Her goal was to endure and fight
against the threat of wild dogs that killed her brother and the killer
hunters Aleut. To survive. she had to use everything around her as a
resource. Later, she became friends with the dogs since she nursed them
back to health instead of killing them. Through her sacrifices, Karana
survived and was found. The story of Karama in the Island of Dolphins
teaches young readers to continue fighting against the difficulties in life,
which makes it an excellent material for teaching children lessons.
Detective and Mystery Stories
 A detective story is one of the types of realistic fiction that children of
all ages love due to is mystery, wists, and revelations. It provides a thrill,
excitement, a bit of danger, and action. Detective stories were
popularized by Edgar Allan Pol, whose stories are centered on solving
puzzles and crimes. The success of detective stories depends on the
characters' careful planning and demystifying the clues. The writer of
these stories must be very creative to decide when to reveal or how
much to reveal to the readers. Three of the most famous detective
characters are Sherlock Holmes, Nancy Drew, and Anita Blake, "Magio
Tree House by Pope Osborne is a popular detective story. It is about two
kids who found a magic tree house that brought them to the age of the
dinosaurs. "King and Kayla and the Case of the Unhappy Neighbor," by
Hillestad Butler, is another one, deals with the mystery of messed-up
trashcans. "Super Detectives Simon and Chester," by Cale Atkinson, deals
with bored kids who dressed up and pretended to be detectives. "Secret
Spy Society The case of the Missing Cheetah" by Veronica Mang is also one
of the popular detective stories for children.
The Secret Spy Society the Case of the
Missing Cheetah
 It follows three friends who found out that
their teacher was a spy. They were asked to
spy on their neighbor, who was believed to
have kidnapped the pet cheetah of Josephine
Baker. They sneaked into the house, found
the cheetah but were caught. They were
rescued by the lady spies. In the end, the
girls decided to create a club of spies. The
"Secret Spy Society, the Case of the Missing
Cheetah" is one of the adored children's
detective stories, especially for the very
young readers. It makes them, imagine,
observe and discover things around them.